EU confirms DSA and DMA stay untouched amid US trade talks

The European Commission signaled that the Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA) will remain unaffected by an imminent EU‑US trade statement. In a press briefing, a senior EU official stated the digital laws will not be mentioned and emphasized that “none of the things are touched,” underscoring that trade diplomacy will not rewrite EU platform rules.

Concerns had been raised in recent days that transatlantic talks could dilute the EU’s digital framework. European Parliament trade chair Bernd Lange warned of a risk that EU digital laws might be sacrificed to placate U.S. demands. By contrast, DMA rapporteur Andreas Schwab expressed confidence that the Commission’s assurances to Parliament will be upheld and stressed that competition‑driven digital legislation benefits all market participants, including U.S. companies.

U.S. officials and stakeholders continue to argue the opposite. Public remarks by U.S. representatives have framed EU measures as discriminatory or tantamount to digital taxation targeting U.S. firms. Republican lawmakers have criticized the DSA as a purported censorship tool, and industry voices such as Meta’s Joel Kaplan have cast the DMA as an attempt to handicap successful American businesses.

Despite this rhetorical gap, the Commission’s message is consistent: enforcement of the DSA and DMA proceeds independently of trade negotiations. While DSA implementation is still maturing, the institutions maintain there will be no policy backtracking in the trade context. The immediate takeaway for platforms and gatekeepers is regulatory continuity in the EU, irrespective of transatlantic bargaining.