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Lawmakers, witnesses warn EU and U.K. tech rules could chill U.S. speech, harm U.S. apps
Summary
At a House Judiciary Committee oversight hearing, Republican leaders and witnesses argued that the EU Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act and the U.K. Online Safety Act force U.S. platforms to apply foreign rules globally, risking First Amendment impacts and added compliance costs for small app developers.
The House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday examined claims that European and U.K. digital-safety and competition laws are reshaping content moderation and market access in ways that could curtail speech and raise costs for U.S. tech firms.
Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) led many of the opening criticisms, pointing to a letter from European officials to Elon Musk as evidence European regulators feel empowered to police content tied to U.S. platforms. “This is why we're having today's hearing,” Jordan said, arguing that provisions in the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the U.K.’s Online Safety Act (OSA) could “spill over” into the United States.
Why it matters: Witnesses and committee members said the laws matter to Americans not only because they touch core free-speech questions but because they set regulatory requirements that large platforms often implement worldwide for cost and technical reasons. That can change how content is moderated and how small…
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