The European Union has implemented stringent regulations targeting major tech companies, particularly US giants, through laws like the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The DSA mandates aggressive content moderation to combat illegal content, disinformation, and hate speech, imposing heavy fines and compliance requirements on very large platforms such as Apple, Meta, and X. The DMA aims to curb market dominance abuses by enforcing fair competition rules, including allowing users to choose app stores and enabling interoperability between messaging apps. These regulations have led to significant fines for companies like Meta, Apple, and X, provoking strong criticism from the Trump administration, which accuses the EU of coercing American firms into censorship.

Additionally, the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (RGPD) continues to enforce strict data privacy standards, requiring user consent for data collection and granting rights to data deletion, with substantial penalties for violations. The EU is also advancing its AI Act to regulate artificial intelligence in sensitive sectors, though it faces industry pressure to soften these measures. In response to these regulatory actions, the US State Department announced visa denials for several EU officials, signaling escalating tensions as the Trump administration vows to retaliate against countries restricting US tech companies.