US President Donald Trump has alluded to negative consequences for Irish regulators enforcing the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA).
The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) and Coimisiún na Meán could soon face US visa restrictions or other sanctions in what would be an unprecedented move targeting individual officials for upholding EU law.
Earlier in the week Trump threatened on his social media app to “impose substantial additional tariffs” against EU nations if they implemented the DSA.
The DSA was brought into law with the aim of creating a safer online environment by imposing stricter requirements on large digital platforms.
It requires that companies remove illegal content like hate speech, child abuse imagery, and counterfeit products, while improving transparency around algorithms and protecting peoples data.
The DSA has drawn sharp criticism from Trump and senior figures in his administration, who argue that the law imposes excessive costs on American tech companies and restricts the free expression of Americans.
Many of the world’s largest tech companies, like Meta, Google, and Apple have their European headquarters in Ireland.
This puts Irish regulators at the centre of enforcing the EU’s digital rules, and they have not shied away from holding tech giants accountable.
The DPC alone has issued fines exceeding €4 billion, with Meta bearing the brunt.
Meanwhile, Coimisiún na Meán, the DSA enforcement body in Ireland, has begun implementing the new regulations despite political pressure.
In recent internal meetings, US officials reportedly discussed targeting individual European regulators for their role in implementing what they describe as discriminatory and ideologically driven restrictions.
According to Reuters, a directive circulated earlier this month that instructed American diplomats to urge EU member states to resist or amend the DSA.
Trump has since publicly threatened countries that enforce digital regulations perceived to harm American firms with retaliatory tariffs and export controls.
Despite these warnings, Irish regulators are ploughing ahead.
Des Hogan, chairperson of the DPC, emphasised at a press conference in recent weeks, that political considerations have no influence on the agency’s work.
Hogan also confirmed that meetings with US justice and trade officials had been “very good” and they had generally been “positive meetings”.
He went on to add, “We’re keen to make sure that companies have a fair playing field when it comes to Europe, but part of that is abiding by EU values and principles.”
European Union officials immediately pushed back in a statement released after Trump’s Truth Social post, insisting that the DSA applies equally to all platforms, regardless of their country of origin.
Chair of the European Parliaments Renew group, Valerie Hayer, stated that, “Europe will not rewrite its laws under threat.”
Recent penalties under the law have actually been against Chinese companies such as TikTok, AliExpress, and Temu, undermining claims that the DSA unfairly singles out American businesses.
While Trump’s threats have alarmed some in diplomatic circles, EU officials have made clear that their regulatory independence is not up for negotiation.
A spokesperson for the European Commission underscored that regulating economic activity within the EU is a “sovereign right”, and recent trade talks between Washington and Brussels deliberately excluded digital rules from discussion to avoid precisely this kind of conflict.
Tánaiste Simon Harris also recently spoke with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, discussing trade policy and tariffs.