U.S. diplomats have been ordered to campaign against the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA), with Secretary of State Marco Rubio warning that the law stifles free speech and imposes costs on American tech firms.
The directive, dated 4 August and seen by Reuters, instructs U.S. embassies across Europe to lobby national governments and regulators to repeal or amend the DSA, a landmark EU law requiring tech firms to tackle illegal online content such as hate speech and child sexual abuse material.
Signed by Secretary Rubio, the State Department cable describes the DSA as “undue” and a threat to free expression, particularly for American users and businesses. It also directs diplomats to report cases of censorship affecting U.S. citizens or companies.
“Posts should focus efforts to build host government and other stakeholder support to repeal and/or amend the DSA,” the cable said, citing concerns about overly broad definitions of “illegal content” and financial penalties.
The European Commission has rejected accusations of censorship and said the DSA is not under discussion in trade negotiations with Washington.
“Our legislation will not be changed. The DMA and the DSA are not on the table,” Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said in March.
President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance have criticised the DSA publicly, claiming it suppresses conservative voices. In February, Vance met with Germany’s far-right AfD party and accused the EU of democratic backsliding.
The cable reflects a broader push by the Trump administration to export what it describes as “America’s free-speech tradition,” a stance that has caused friction with European allies.
Tech firms including Meta and Tesla CEO Elon Musk have also raised concerns about the DSA, with some calling its content moderation rules incompatible with U.S. free speech protections.
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