U.S. House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan called on EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera to clarify how the European Union enforces rules on Big Tech. Jordan expressed concerns that the regulations seem to unfairly target U.S. companies. This request follows President Donald Trump's recent memorandum warning about the EU's Digital Markets Act and Digital Services Act impact on American companies operating in the EU.
The Digital Markets Act establishes guidelines for tech giants like Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Booking.com, ByteDance, Meta Platforms, and Microsoft to ensure fair competition and enhance consumer choices. Jordan and Scott Fitzgerald, chairman of the subcommittee on the administrative state, co-signed a letter to Ribera highlighting worries about the DMA potentially favoring European firms over American ones. They criticized the substantial fines for violations and suggested that these fines serve as a way to enforce European standards globally and impose a tax on U.S. companies.
Jordan and Fitzgerald contended that some DMA provisions could favor China, hinder innovation, impede research and development, and potentially compromise proprietary data security. They urged Ribera to brief the judiciary committee by March 10, but the European Commission did not provide a response to the request for comment on Sunday. Despite these concerns, the European Commission refuted the allegations of targeting American companies, as stated by Ribera last Monday, emphasizing that changes to approved laws should not be rushed.