FCC Chair: EU Digital Services Act Is Threat To Free Speech

Brendan Carr

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, appointed by President Donald Trump, criticized the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, calling it a threat to America’s free speech tradition. 

Speaking on Monday, Carr expressed concerns that the DSA, effective since last year, could excessively curb expression and conflicts with U.S. tech companies’ commitments to diverse viewpoints. He warned that the law, designed to enhance online safety by tackling illegal content like hate speech, clashes with American values.

Reuters reports Carr’s remarks align with Trump’s free speech focus, underscored by an executive order signed on his first day in office to combat censorship. This follows Vice President JD Vance’s February critique of European content moderation as “authoritarian censorship.” The Trump administration has urged U.S. tech firms to resist such measures, with Carr requesting briefings from companies like Apple, Meta, and Alphabet—due by Monday—on reconciling the DSA with U.S. principles.

The European Commission dismissed Carr’s censorship claims, with spokesperson Thomas Regnier insisting the DSA protects fundamental rights. One potential fix, geofencing, could split platforms by region, but Carr questioned its feasibility. He emphasized the administration’s readiness to counter any EU protectionism targeting U.S. businesses.