In Brussels on March 7, EU antitrust and tech officials reassured U.S. lawmakers that Europe's new tech regulation aims to maintain open digital markets and does not specifically target U.S. tech giants. Teresa Ribera and Henna Virkkunnen clarified to U.S. House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan and Scott Fitzgerald, chairman of the subcommittee on the administrative state, regulatory reform, and antitrust, that the Digital Markets Act (DMA) applies universally to companies meeting gatekeeper criteria within the EU, regardless of their headquarters.

They emphasized that the DMA is focused on preventing unfair practices by gatekeepers, fostering innovation in key digital sectors. This aligns with past U.S. antitrust actions against major tech firms like Google, Amazon, Apple, and Meta Platforms.

In response to the criticism regarding EU antitrust fines as a tool to tax American companies, Ribera and Virkkunnen rejected the idea, emphasizing that the DMA is designed to ensure compliance rather than impose fines. They clarified that potential sanctions are intended to support credible compliance instead of being punitive measures.