【By Guan察者网, Liu Bai】

Sparks are flying in the US-EU battle over digital regulation. On November 26, the EU's second-highest official and Executive Vice President for Competition Policy, Teresa Ribera, strongly criticized the Trump administration, accusing the US of using "extortion" tactics to pressure the EU to relax its digital regulatory rules. Earlier, US Commerce Secretary Ropert Lutnick set conditions, stating that if the EU reconsidered its digital regulations, the US might adjust its steel and aluminum tariff policies toward the EU.

"This is nothing short of extortion," Ribera said on November 26 during an interview with "Politico." "Even if they have such intentions, it doesn't mean we will accept this form of extortion."

Ribera stated that the EU's digital regulation standards should not be tied to trade negotiations. Meanwhile, the Trump team is seeking to renegotiate the framework trade agreement he reached with the EU in July.

Teresa Ribera

This statement comes at a sensitive time for US-EU trade negotiations. The US argues that the EU's Digital Markets Act (DMA) is discriminatory, as the large tech platforms it regulates (such as Microsoft, Google, and Amazon) are almost all American companies.

At the same time, the US also opposes the Digital Services Act (DSA), which aims to curb illegal online speech, arguing that the bill is intended to restrict social platforms like X, owned by Elon Musk.

Ribera emphasized that these rules concern national sovereignty and should not be included in trade negotiations.

"Whether it's the digital market, healthcare sector, steel industry... or automotive industry standards, we respect any rules in their markets," she said. "It's their business, part of their regulatory policies and sovereignty. We do the same here."

Ribera, along with EU Technology Chief Henna Virkkunen, is responsible for implementing the DMA, which aims to regulate the behavior of large digital platforms and maintain a fair competitive environment.

In response to Lutnick's comments after meeting with EU officials on November 24, Ribera made a firm statement: "Europe's digital regulatory standards are not up for negotiation."

Virkkunen also expressed the same view on November 25. The day before, she introduced the EU's plan to reduce administrative burdens, including the Digital Omnibus proposal. The EU claims this plan is aimed at reducing bureaucracy, but some believe it is designed to respond to concerns from US tech giants about regulation.

When asked why she made such a strong statement, Ribera responded that Lutnick's remarks were "a direct attack on the DMA."

She added, "Defending the proper functioning of Europe's digital market is my responsibility."

Although Ribera made an unyielding response, there are now subtle cracks among EU member states on the issue of the DMA.

Lutnick said after the meeting on November 24 that some EU trade ministers were not as resistant to revising EU digital rules as the European Commission. "I met many ministers... some are more open than others," he told Bloomberg, saying that if Europe wants to attract US investment, it should change its regulatory model.

At least one European participant seemed to agree. German official Katrin Reiche told reporters during the meeting that she supports further relaxing EU digital rules.

"Germany has clearly stated that we want the opportunity to play a role in the digital world," Reiche said, mentioning the Digital Markets Act and the Digital Services Act.

The US effort to weaken the EU's digital laws is taking place against the backdrop of the US pressuring other countries globally to relax digital regulations.

In June, after Trump made similar demands and suspended talks on the trade agreement, the Canadian government announced the cancellation of its digital services tax to continue the negotiations.

This month, South Korea, under pressure from the Trump administration, withdrew its proposed digital competition system.

The US Trade Representative's Office is preparing a 2026 report and will launch a new round of consultations in the coming weeks. At the same time, the EU Commission is steadily advancing the evaluation of relevant rules through the "Digital Fairness Applicability Assessment" and the ongoing DMA review.

However, analysts believe that, given the US pressure and the divisions among EU member states, the question is no longer about the outcome of the review, but whether the Digital Markets Act can survive this trade war.

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