Bipartisan Lawmakers Warn Biden: EU's Digital Markets Act Targeting US Tech Companies

 A bipartisan group of lawmakers has sent a letter to US President Joe Biden, expressing concerns over the European Union's Digital Markets Act (DMA) and its potential impact on US tech companies. The lawmakers, including Representative Lou Correa, a Democrat, and Thomas Massie, a Republican, warned that the regulation unfairly targets US companies, such as Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Microsoft, while overlooking Chinese and European firms. The DMA requires designated tech companies to make their messaging apps work with rivals and allow users to choose which ones they want pre-installed on their devices.

However, the lawmakers argue that the rules could damage American economic and security interests and potentially hinder US global leadership in the digital sphere. The letter calls for assurances from EU lawmakers that the rules will be enforced fairly and raises questions about the lack of scrutiny on Chinese companies like Alibaba, Huawei, and Tencent, as well as European companies.

The lawmakers urge Biden to seek commitments from the EU to prevent the unfair targeting of US companies. The European Commission and the White House have not yet responded to requests for comment. The US government has previously cautioned the EU against over-regulating American technology companies. The letter comes in the context of ongoing efforts to harmonize technology regulation between the US and the EU through the EU-US Trade and Technology Council.