The head of the Federal Network Agency, Klaus Müller, defended the European tech regulation against attacks by US President Donald Trump. “We do not restrict freedom of expression – on the contrary: we protect it,” said Müller of “Zeit”.
The European Digital Services Act (DSA) obliges very large platforms and search engines to contain systemic risks such as choice manipulation or the distribution of illegal content. As a German coordination office, the Federal Network Agency monitors compliance with these requirements, coordinates the cooperation with the EU and acts as a central point of contact for complaints from users. If the platforms do not adhere to EU law, there are sensitive punishments – including fines of six percent of the total global annual turnover.
The law has led to problems in the relationship between the EU and the United States. The US government under President Donald Trump repeatedly criticizes European digital laws such as the DSA as anti-competitive. In the interview of the “ZEIT”, network leader Müller, on the other hand, holds: the EU digital laws are “not negotiable,” he emphasized.
He sees the relationship between the United States and Europe as a burden. “In the past decades, the United States and Europe have met with respect and appreciation despite all the differences. Now we are now experiencing polarization and verbal escalation,” said Müller.
