02/09/2025
The Good Lobby joined more than 50 civil society organisations and independent experts in signing an open letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. The letter urges the EU to take a firm, united stance against escalating attempts by the Trump administration to undermine Europe’s sovereign right to regulate its digital space.
Despite last month’s US-EU trade deal, which left the EU’s digital rulebook formally intact, Washington has intensified its attacks on European regulation. President Trump has threatened new tariffs and export controls targeting countries that dare to enforce democratic oversight of US tech giants. US diplomats have even been instructed to launch a lobbying campaign against the Digital Services Act (DSA), while reports suggest sanctions may be imposed on EU and national officials responsible for its enforcement.
Such moves are not the actions of a partner engaging in good faith but of an administration determined to shield powerful corporations from accountability. They also expose the limits of Europe’s conciliatory approach, which so far has only emboldened US pressure.
Together with our co-signatories, we are calling on the European Commission to:
- Press ahead with ongoing investigations under the DSA, Digital Markets Act (DMA), and EU competition law.
- Consider stronger countermeasures, including the application of the EU’s new Anti-Coercion Instrument and export controls.
- Coordinate closely with other nations facing similar US pressure to defend democratic rulemaking.
As the letter makes clear, Europe’s democracy, sovereignty, and citizens’ rights cannot be traded away. At a time when Big Tech and its political allies are consolidating their influence, the EU must show that it will not bow to external interference.
The Good Lobby is proud to stand with this diverse coalition of organisations and experts in defending Europe’s ability to ensure that technology serves the public interest.
Read the full letter here.