Earlier this year, the European Commission designated six technology companies –
Alphabet
(Google),
Amazon
,
Apple
,
Meta
,
Microsoft
and
TikTok
owner bytedance – as gatekeepers which means that they must allow their messaging apps to work with rivals and let users choose the app they want to use. ALong the similar line, a group of lawmakers has written to US President Joe
Biden
about targeting the US-based tech companies.
The letter warned that the European technology regulation, called Digital Markets Act (DMA), is unfairly targeting US companies and not including many Chinese or
EU
firms, news agency Reuters cited the letter as saying.
The letter by 21 members of the US House of Representatives warned the new rules could damage American economic and security interests.
“Securing our leadership in this sector is imperative for our economy and American workers," the letter said.
“The designation of leading US companies as 'gatekeepers' threatens to upend the U.S. economy, diminish our global leadership in the digital sphere, and jeopardise the security of consumers,” it added.
‘Chinese companies are avoided’
The letter also questioned why Chinese companies, including Alibaba, Huawei and Tencent have avoided designation and why European companies have avoided any scrutiny.
“The EU inexplicably failed to designate any European retailers, content-sharing platforms, payment firms, and telcos,” it said.
Signatories of the letter called on Biden to seek assurances from EU lawmakers the DMA will not be unfairly used to target US companies.
US warning to EU
The US government has previously warned the EU against over-regulating American technology companies. In fact, when the DMA was being drafted, the White House National Security Council told the region’s representatives that using the bill to target American companies would hinder their ability to work together, the report said.
English (US) ·