A group of MEPs will be at the US this month to speak with tech companies such as Google, Meta, Apple, Airbnb, eBay, PayPal and Uber, to exchange views on the EU’s digital policy agenda such as the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

An Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee delegation will be at Silicon Valley from 23 May to 27 May, during which time the MEPs will speak with tech companies, local authorities and academic groups. Eight MEPs will be part of the delegation, which will be led by MEP Andreas Schwab.

The MEPs plan to witness the latest digital market advances in the US. Some of the areas the MEPs will focus on include the development and use of e-commerce, AI, consumer protection, online platforms and the gig economy.

The visit will provide an opportunity for the delegation to get an insight on US legislative work on e-commerce and platforms. It will also allow both sides to share their views on the EU’s digital policy agenda, such as the DSA and the DMA. The delgation plans to use this visit to support the committee’s ongoing work on the digital single market and consumer protection.

Landmark legislation

Last month, an agreement was reached among EU lawmakers on the DSA, a piece of legislation which demands tech companies take control of content moderation.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen tweeted that the “historic” agreement on these rules “will protect users online, ensure freedom of expression and opportunities for businesses”.

The DSA was first proposed in December 2020 along with the Digital Markets Act, another landmark piece of legislation that was agreed by the EU in March. These acts follow in the footsteps of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), another watershed piece of EU legislation.

These pieces of legislation could have a knock-on effect across the Atlantic, as happened with the implementation of GDPR. There are legislators in the US who have been calling for tighter regulation of online platforms, and other prominent figures who support such measures.

Last month, former US president Barack Obama spoke of the need for regulation to tackle disinformation while former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was cheering the DSA over the line.

MEP Andreas Schwab at an EPP group meeting. Image: EPP via Flickr (CC BY-ND 2.0)

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