The US is considering putting pressure on the EU. Countries or officials who apply the DSA could expect American sanctions.
The American government is considering flexing its muscles to intimidate EU officials. According to Reuters, the Trump administration is looking into the possibility of imposing sanctions on member state officials who apply the Digital Services Act (DSA).
The US believes that the DSA (and other European regulations) both target American companies and suppress conservative views. From an ideological and protectionist perspective, Trump is therefore considering intimidation tactics to block democratically established European legislation.
DS-what?
The DSA is relatively recent European regulation. It contains provisions on the responsibility of large online platforms and stands alongside the Digital Markets Act (DMA). With the DSA, the EU aims to somewhat limit the power of large online platforms, enable competition, and protect end users.
For example, a large online store may not sell illegal products in the EU, and platforms may not use dark patterns. These are subtle interventions in a service’s user interface that push customers toward a certain choice. Think of a pop-up where you can give an application access to data, or choose Not now, while No or Never are not among the options. Using unrestricted personalized data for advertisements is also forbidden under the DSA.
What particularly bothers Trump and his associates are the rules on fake news and disinformation. Large platforms (such as Facebook) must comply with the rules of the countries in which they operate. For example, calls for violence are not allowed in Belgium, so Instagram must remove posts in Belgium that violate the legislation. The location of the platform’s European headquarters plays no role in this. The DSA has been fully in effect since early 2024.
Penalties
If the American measures go through, the US would likely impose visa restrictions on officials who correctly apply the DSA. True to character, Trump is also threatening additional import tariffs.
At the same time, the American government has instructed its diplomats to launch a lobbying campaign against the DSA. The goal is to have the regulations modified or eliminated.
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The DSA and DMA are a thorn in the side of Americans because they provide the EU with tools to force international technology conglomerates to follow European legislation. This legislation sometimes runs counter to what President Trump or Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg want. The fact that the US is now considering punitive measures shows a clear and total lack of respect for European sovereignty. This attitude aligns with the vision that Vice President Vance has been promoting since the beginning of his term.