EU says US tech firms censor more
The EU’s digital rulebook is being blamed unfairly, says Henna Virkkunen, who points out that Meta and X remove more content under their own terms than EU law requires.
Far more online content is removed under US tech firms’ terms and conditions than under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), according to Tech Commissioner Henna Virkkunen.
Her comments respond to criticism from American tech leaders, including Elon Musk, who have labelled the DSA a threat to free speech. In an interview with Euractiv, Virkkunen said recent data show that 99% of content removals in the EU between September 2023 and April 2024 were carried out by platforms like Meta and X based on their own rules, not due to EU regulation.
Only 1% of cases involved ‘trusted flaggers’ — vetted organisations that report illegal content to national authorities. Just 0.001% of those reports led to an actual takedown decision by authorities, she added.
The DSA’s transparency rules made those figures available. ‘Often in the US, platforms have more strict rules with content,’ Virkkunen noted.
She gave examples such as discussions about euthanasia and nude artworks, which are often removed under US platform policies but remain online under European guidelines. Virkkunen recently met with US tech CEOs and lawmakers, including Republican Congressman Jim Jordan, a prominent critic of the DSA and the DMA.
She said the data helped clarify how EU rules actually work. ‘It is important always to underline that the DSA only applies in the European territory,’ she said.
While pushing back against American criticism, Virkkunen avoided direct attacks on individuals like Elon Musk or Mark Zuckerberg. She suggested that platform resistance reflects business models and service design choices.
Asked about delays in final decisions under the DSA, including open cases against Meta and X, Virkkunen stressed the need for a strong legal basis before enforcement.
