French President Emmanuel Macron has renewed criticism of the European Union’s slow-moving enforcement of its flagship digital laws, warning that political pressure from the United States is increasingly shaping how Brussels handles major investigations into U.S. technology giants. His comments suggest that what began as a technical push to regulate online platforms has evolved into a global contest over digital sovereignty and regulatory power.
Macron delivered the warning during a public forum in France’s Vosges region, where he highlighted a series of long-running cases linked to the Digital Services Act (DSA). Some of these investigations, he said, have stalled inside the European Commission for nearly two years—far longer than what was promised when the law was unveiled as a decisive break from earlier light-touch oversight of dominant tech platforms.
The French leader argued that the delays cannot be explained simply by administrative bottlenecks. Instead, he described the situation as part of a much larger strategic struggle, one in which the EU is fighting to establish its authority over platforms that overwhelmingly originate from the United States. These companies, Macron noted, still control the majority of the digital ecosystem used by European citizens and businesses.
Pressure From Washington Casts a Long Shadow
Macron Claims Some EU Officials Are Hesitant to Act
According to Macron, part of the roadblock comes from within the EU itself. He suggested that some policymakers in Brussels and in EU capitals are wary of aggressively enforcing the DSA and Digital Markets Act (DMA) because they fear the political consequences of going head-to-head with Washington.
He contrasted today’s hesitation with past concerns over Russian interference, arguing that current pushback is driven largely by American interests and digital platforms that oppose tighter regulation. Macron said these companies prefer the EU to remain cautious rather than take bold regulatory steps that could reshape how they operate in one of their most important markets.
His remarks underline how deeply intertwined the DSA and DMA have become with transatlantic diplomacy—far more than EU leaders initially anticipated when the laws were drafted.
Trade Tensions Add Fuel to the Dispute
U.S. Officials Link Tariff Relief to Changes in EU Digital Policy
Macron’s criticism comes after a week of renewed friction between the U.S. and the EU. Washington has once again attempted to tie progress on lifting steel and aluminum tariffs to adjustments in Europe’s digital rulebooks.
Earlier in the week, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick urged European ministers to revisit the DSA and DMA if they want to see movement on tariff reductions. This strategy, while not new, has intensified since Donald Trump returned to the White House. U.S. officials and tech industry leaders have repeatedly said they view certain obligations in the EU’s digital laws as disproportionately affecting American companies.
For Washington, these rules are seen not just as regulatory measures but as potential trade barriers. And for Brussels, the U.S. demands have become another example of external pressure influencing the pace of enforcement.
EU Officials Push Back Against U.S. Demands
Brussels Insists It Won’t Water Down Its Tech Rules
Despite the tensions, top EU leaders have stressed that the bloc will not revise or slow enforcement to satisfy political pressure. The EU’s digital chief, Henna Virkkunen, and competition leader, Teresa Ribera, have both pushed back firmly, rejecting suggestions that the EU should alter course.
Ribera went a step further, accusing Washington of linking tariff relief to concessions on digital rules in a way that resembles coercion. Her comments reflect growing frustration among EU officials who argue that Europe’s digital laws were designed to govern market behavior—not to become bargaining chips in unrelated trade disputes.
EU Parliament Raises Its Own Concerns
Lawmakers Want Scrutiny of Commission’s Enforcement Pace
Pressure on the Commission is not coming solely from Macron and other national leaders. Members of the European Parliament, particularly from the Socialists and Democrats group, are calling for a formal inquiry into whether the Commission is enforcing the DSA and DMA quickly and effectively.
They argue that without visible and timely action, the EU risks undermining the credibility of the digital laws that were touted as a landmark shift in tech regulation.
Commission Says It Is Building Strong Cases
Defends Slow Pace as Necessary for Legal Strength
In response to growing criticism, Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said the EU remains committed to enforcing its digital legislation. He explained that some DSA investigations are broader than others because they evaluate multiple categories of systemic risk simultaneously—such as illegal content, disinformation, child safety, advertising transparency, and how recommendation algorithms are designed.
Regnier stressed that the Commission’s goal is to build legally solid cases that stand up in court. With major platforms likely to appeal any decisions, he said, rushing the process could jeopardize the EU’s long-term enforcement credibility.
Major Platforms Under the Microscope
X, Meta, TikTok, Temu, and AliExpress Face EU Probes
The EU has opened a string of investigations into major online platforms including Meta, X, TikTok, AliExpress, and Temu. These probes examine how each platform handles potential harms and whether their internal systems comply with Europe’s new digital standards.
The DSA carries steep potential penalties—up to 6% of a company’s worldwide annual revenue. For the biggest firms, that would mean fines in the billions. Yet no penalties have been issued so far, a fact that continues to frustrate governments such as France, which argue that enforcement needs more urgency.
