US President singles out Digital Services Act for criticism
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US President Donald Trump. Image: Dept of Defense
US President Donald Trump has threatened the EU with further levies and export restrictions over measures introduced to make tech companies more accountable for their actions.
Trump is considering import duties and export restrictions on countries that impose additional taxes on US tech companies or regulate them under the Digital Markets Act and Digital Services Act. Trump argued that such measures “attack our great American tech companies”.
In a post on his microblogging platform Truth Social Trump wrote: “I am warning all countries with digital taxes, laws and regulations that if they do not reverse these discriminatory measures, I will tax their exports with significant duties and institute export restrictions on our well-protected technology and chips.”
The Digital Services Act demands online platforms be held accountable for content hosted on them – the exact opposite of Section 230 protections enjoyed in the US.
Operators of online environments are responsible for drafting and enforcing the terms of use on their platform and determine to some extent what content is allowed.
The European Digital Services Act also stipulates that general terms and conditions of platform usage must be in line with fundamental rights and freedoms as set out in the EU’s Fundamental Rights Charter.
Platforms must therefore not adopt policies that violate fundamental rights, for example by allowing hate speech. If this does happen, the Consumer & Market Authority or the European Commission could levy fines up to 6% of global annual turnover.
Emerce