EU tech chiefs say they don’t target US tech

BRUSSELS – The European Union’s digital competition law “does not target U.S. companies,” the European Commission’s technology and competition chiefs told a U.S. congressman in an effort to soothe a transatlantic war of words over the EU’s crackdown on Big Tech.

Commission Executive Vice Presidents Teresa Ribera and Henna Virkunnen wrote to Jim Jordan, the head of the U.S. Congress Judiciary Committee, to explain the aims of the Digital Markets Act which requires tech companies to open up services to rivals under threat of hefty fines. The law largely targets U.S. giants such as Apple, Meta, Google, Amazon and Microsoft.

U.S. President Donald Trump has joined tech chief executives in complaining about EU fines, even threatening tariffs in a Feb. 21 memorandum on “defending American companies and innovators from overseas extortion and unfair fines.” 

The letter, dated March 6, is the fullest defense so far from the European Commission to U.S. criticisms, responding to Jordan’s demand for an EU explanation of its laws.

“The objective of DMA enforcement, as in any other piece of EU law, is to ensure compliance – not to issue fines,” they said, stressing that they are “fully committed” to enforcing the law.

“We are convinced that the European Union and the United States share the common goal of preventing the harmful effects of monopolization,” they said.

Apple, Meta and Google are currently being probed over their compliance with the DMA, facing a March 25 deadline for a decision.

A group of EU lawmakers wrote to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and U.S. trade chief Howard Lutnick to stress that the DMA “is not designed to target companies based on nationality” and also governs China-based Bytedance in a March 5 letter.

“American companies are not only benefiting from the DMA but are also actively calling for its enforcement,” they said, citing Disney, Netflix and Epic Games as potentially benefitting from the law.

“The suggestion that the DMA undermines transatlantic relations or serves as a ‘tax’ on American companies is unfounded,” they said. “The characterization of the DMA as a barrier to innovation is also entirely untrue.”

The letter was signed by Anna Cavazzini (Germany, Greens), Andreas Schwab (Germany, EPP), Stéphanie Yon-Courtin (France, Renew), Alex Agius Saliba (Malta S&D),  Cynthia Ní Mhurchú (Ireland, Renew), René Repasi (Germany, S&D), Reinier Van Lanschot, (Netherlands, Greens), Kim Van Sparrentak, (Netherlands, Greens) and Lara Wolters (Netherlands, S&D).

Aude van den Hove contributed to this article.

This article has been updated with details of lawmakers’ letter to U.S. officials.