POLITICO was unable to independently verify all details in the Reuters report. In response to POLITICO’s request for clarification, a State Department spokesperson stated on Monday: “We are monitoring increasing censorship in Europe with great concern but have no further information to provide at this time.”
Reuters did not specify which EU or member country officials may be affected, and noted that no final decision has been made on implementing the measures.
The Digital Services Act governs online platforms, such as social media and e-commerce sites, as well as search engines. Platforms with over 45 million users in the EU, including Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, TikTok, and X, must adhere to strict rules about evaluating and mitigating significant risks, like misinformation spread and harm to minors.
Concessions from the EU on the DSA, which the White House was reportedly advocating for, did not appear in the EU-U.S. trade agreement. | Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA
U.S. Republicans, including Vice President JD Vance, have argued that the law establishes a censorship regime that suppresses free speech.
The State Department has initiated a campaign against the regulation. The spokesperson mentioned that in May, Secretary of State Marco Rubio introduced visa restrictions to prevent “foreign nationals who censor Americans” from entering the U.S.
The European Commission is tasked with implementing the regulation on very large platforms, while national regulators handle their respective countries.
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