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FCC Chairman Addresses European Tech Regulations at Mobile World Congress
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr made headlines during his address at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Monday, emphasizing the need to protect U.S. technology firms from what he described as “excessive” regulations set forth by European authorities. Carr called for a “level and fair playing field” for American companies competing in the global marketplace.
Speaking to a gathering of tech industry executives and analysts, Carr expressed concerns that the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA) and other regulatory measures are viewed by American tech giants as overly restrictive and misaligned with American principles, particularly the value placed on free speech.
“We’re returning to our first amendment roots, where we’re returning to our free speech tradition,” Carr stated, pointing out that particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a perceived diminishment of the right to free expression online.
He remarked, “From President [Donald] Trump to me, across the government, we are encouraging our technology companies to stop the censorship we saw the last couple of years,” indicating a collective pivot away from what some view as excessive content moderation. Carr expressed his worries regarding the approach taken by Europe with the DSA, warning of the potential consequences for free speech in the regulatory landscape.
The U.S. has previously voiced concerns about the implications of European technology regulations. For instance, at a recent international AI summit in Paris, Vice President JD Vance criticized these regulations as creating cumbersome compliance burdens for American firms.
In a concurrent political climate marked by tensions over digital taxation, President Trump had earlier issued a directive threatening tariffs against Europe over what he termed “overseas extortion” of U.S. tech companies. In retaliation, the European Union has reportedly considered the implementation of an “anti-coercion” mechanism aimed at countering economic pressures against its member states.
“It’s a worry for both the people of Europe and for U.S. technology companies that operate here,” Carr articulated, stressing the risks posed by potential censorship stemming from the DSA. He argued that such measures contradict the free expression ethos that U.S. companies have pledged to uphold.
In a panel discussion following Carr’s speech, Henna Virkkunen, the European Commission’s executive vice-president for technological sovereignty, security, and democracy, refrained from directly addressing the critique of European measures. Instead, she reaffirmed Europe’s commitment to enhancing its technological competitiveness through ongoing revisions of regulatory frameworks. Virkkunen disclosed that proposals for several regulatory packages are set to be introduced later this year, alongside a push for a digital single market aimed at streamlining tech and telecom regulations across the EU.
These discussions align with recent calls for significant reforms articulated by Mario Draghi, former head of the European Central Bank, who highlighted the necessity for Europe to bolster its technological competence to better compete with the U.S. and China amidst challenges of stagnant growth and productivity.
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