European Union (EU) parliamentarians visited the United States to address disagreements over technology law formulation, which highlights the complexity of transatlantic relations in the digital age. In the past, the EU and the US have taken different approaches to technology-related regulations.
The EU has adopted a strict regulatory approach as seen in the Digital Services Act (DSA), Digital Markets Act (DMA), and the forthcoming AI Act as evidence. In this way, consumer rights can also be protected, which improves transparency and curbs the market dominance of Big Tech. In contrast, the US has favored a more liberal approach focusing on market freedom over rigid regulation.
Different Strategies for Tech Regulation
American firms like Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, and Meta have been affected by EU legislation due to differing regulatory ideologies. To resolve this conflict, MEPs conducted a visit between February 24 and 28, 2025. The aim of this visit by EU lawmakers was to clarify that these regulations are not “anti-American” and explain how they came about. MEP Anna Cavazzini stressed that EU regulations are targeted toward European companies and residents, not to appease or single out foreign entities.
The delegation generally discussed areas of consensus on matters such as accountability for platforms, regulation of AI, and data governance. This fits with global initiatives in the EU and the US to align their technology policies via the Trade and Technology Council (TTC).
US government officials held this meeting with industry representatives to exchange views and discuss potential areas of collaboration. Some smaller US companies have expressed support for EU legislation, such as the DMA, believing it will foster fairer competition in the future.The reason was that these companies felt that it would promote it in the future.
Many US politicians and tech companies have criticized European regulations for giving rise to significant fines and operational limits on American corporations. While Big Tech pushed for a less harsh approach, Vice President JD Vance stated that such policies “tighten the screws” against US companies. On the other hand, EU parliamentarians stood by their position, emphasizing that monopolistic practices must be addressed and competition needs to be preserved.
What is the role of AI governance?
AI governance was one of the major discussion items. Unlike the US, the EU is making strides toward the implementation of some pretty tough regulations for some high-risk AI applications. While everyone agrees there needs to be more ethical AI because priorities diverge, finding coherence in regulation remains a difficult undertaking.
Since Europe’s highest court found earlier data transfer agreements unconstitutional for privacy reasons, data flow between the US and Europe has been a hot topic. The EU’s initiative for “regulatory convergence” aims to ameliorate these tensions, but it will require the US to adjust massively its oversight rules, such as Section 702 of FISA.
US lawmakers have accused the EU of unfairly targeting American corporations while leaving Chinese tech behemoths such as Alibaba and Huawei pretty much alone. They argue that this selective enforcement puts the impartiality of the regulations into doubt and threatens global competitiveness. They added that EU legislation is based on democratic procedures geared toward protecting consumers and fostering innovation, rather than anti-Americanism.
Early interactions with smaller US businesses showed they supported the DMA because it creates a fair playing field for competition. Both, through various bilateral platforms such as the TTC, expressed a willingness to uphold cooperation between them. However, there remain several caveats in the areas of data protection and AI governance.
What kind of tech differences are there between the EU and the US?
The visit underscores how important it is to nurture strong transatlantic relations in the face of geopolitical upheaval. Although differences remain, both sides agree that cooperation fields are needed to confront global issues, including digital sovereignty, cybersecurity, and AI ethics.
Stricter EU rules mean a double-edged sword for America-owned big internet companies, and while they mean higher compliance costs from unclear regulations, they nevertheless offer a solid basis for long-term operations in Europe.
The EU is a pacesetter of world standards shaping digital governance owing to its aggressive strategy for ICT regulation. But to guarantee that momentum is created for other countries to adopt those standards, there is a need to align with the US. It should also underscore the continuing difficulties involved in achieving regulatory convergence. Indeed, the extent to which both sides collaborate successfully to negotiate these challenges will define the future of international technology governance.
