French President Macron: US blocking EU tech probes; Russia isn’t the problem

France’s President Macron criticizes Brussels for slow enforcement of EU digital laws, blaming US pressure, not Russian interference. He highlighted stalled investigations under the Digital Services Act, citing fear among officials of an “American offensive.” This comes as the US reportedly uses trade tariffs as leverage to influence the EU’s tech regulations, prompting accusations of “blackmail” from EU officials.

French President Emmanuel Macron has accused Brussels of moving too slowly on investigations into American tech giants, claiming that US pressure—not Russian interference—is stalling the European Union’s enforcement of its digital regulations.Speaking at a town hall event in the Vosges region of northeastern France, Macron singled out cases that have languished before the European Commission for two years under the Digital Services Act (DSA), calling the pace “much too slow.” According to Politico, the French leader warned that many officials at both the Commission and member state level “are afraid to pursue it because there’s an American offensive against the application of directives on digital services and markets.“

US trade pressure mounts on EU tech rulebook

Macron’s remarks followed a contentious week in Brussels, where US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick pressed EU ministers to “reconsider” the bloc’s tech regulations in exchange for reduced steel and aluminum tariffs. The move represents Washington’s strategy of treating European digital rules as bargaining chips in transatlantic trade negotiations, Politico reported.The EU’s DSA and Digital Markets Act have become flashpoints since President Donald Trump returned to office, with both U.S. officials and tech executives lobbying against the regulations. Lutnick suggested the EU could attract $1 trillion in US investment—primarily through AI-powered data centers—if it adopted a “balanced approach” to digital rules.

Commission defends enforcement amid political pressure

European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier defended the institution’s commitment to its digital legislation, stating officials are “building solid cases, because we have to win them in court.” He noted that DSA investigations are comprehensive and some naturally take longer than others.The Commission currently has open investigations into X, Meta, AliExpress, Temu, and TikTok under the DSA. These probes could result in fines up to 6 percent of a company’s annual global revenue, though none have been levied yet.EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen and competition commissioner Teresa Ribera both pushed back against US pressure this week, with Ribera accusing Washington of “blackmail.” Meanwhile, the European Parliament’s Socialists and Democrats group is moving to establish an inquiry committee to investigate the EU’s enforcement of digital rules.