The European Union (EU) will apply conditions of the Digital Services Act (DSA) to ensure that major US tech firms comply with strict new rules designed to protect minors from online harms.
EU Tech Commissioner Henna Virkkunen of Finland’s European People’s Party (EPP) announced the initiative this morning
Addressing reporters in Denmark, Virkkunen confirmed that four Requests for Information (RFIs) have been issued to Google, YouTube, Apple and Snapchat, seeking detailed evidence of how each platform safeguards children from harmful content, environments and data exploitation.
“These measures are about accountability,” Virkkunen said. “When minors use online services, a very high level of privacy, security and safety must be ensured. That’s why we have the Digital Services Act in place.”
The RFIs form part of a broader European strategy to enforce Article 28 of the DSA, which requires online platforms to adopt proportionate safeguards for minors, prohibit targeted advertising to under-18s, and design services with safety and privacy by default.
The commission’s investigation coincides with ongoing meetings in Copenhagen between EU digital ministers, where the bloc is expected to sign the Jutland Declaration, an EU-wide mandate to strengthen online child protection and align Member State standards.
Protecting minors from adult and harmful content
Under the DSA, platforms accessible to minors must take “appropriate and proportionate” measures to restrict exposure to adult and harmful material, including the application of age verification and assurance mechanisms to prevent minors from accessing pornographic, gambling or violent content.
Media platforms must have algorithmic controls and recommendations to avoid exposing minors to political or extremist material or content promoting self-harm, eating disorders, gambling or substance misuse. Duty of care rules are placed on advertisers and publishers who must ensure that adult-related products and campaigns are not targeted or served to minors (targeted at +21 audiences).
The rules form part of a wider European initiative to make digital environments “child-safe by design,” aligning online safety measures with long-standing consumer and broadcasting standards.
Irrespective of the DSA, many European nations are developing their own bespoke legislative standards for digital environments. The UK’s Online Safety Act (formerly the Online Harms Bill) has already set a domestic precedent for regulating social media and platform accountability.
Meanwhile, France, Germany and Denmark are each advancing separate national laws: France’s parental consent requirement for under-15s; Germany’s NetzDG hate-speech enforcement model; and Denmark’s proposed restrictions on youth social-media access.
Each diverges in scope, enforcement and definition of “online harm,” illustrating that Europe’s regulatory landscape for digital safety is fragmenting even as the EU pursues bloc-wide alignment under the DSA.
US resistance against anti-competitive DSA
While the DSA has become a cornerstone of Europe’s digital governance, US tech giants have repeatedly questioned its application, warning that it imposes high compliance costs across fragmented EU markets and risks undermining innovation of technology incumbents.
Executives from Apple, Google, Microsoft and Snap have argued that some provisions amount to regulatory overreach, potentially restricting free speech and forcing platforms to apply moderation policies inconsistent with US First Amendment standards.
Conflicts soared as the Trump Administration cited the DSA as a point of contention in its trade negotiations with the EU, even linking its enforcement to wider tariffs on European exports in which President Trump insists that US tech must be exempted from rules.
US tech firms have broadly complied with the DSA since its introduction in 2022, but many have grown increasingly frustrated by the regulation’s expanding scope and the escalating costs of compliance, and whether its remit is effective with the individual laws of member states.
US regulators, including the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), have also warned American companies not to apply DSA-style moderation rules in ways that could conflict with domestic free-speech protections.
Europe stands firm on data rights
Despite these transatlantic frictions, European leaders, led by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, maintain that the DSA remains the best instrument to defend the digital and privacy rights of EU citizens.
Speaking on the EU’s Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles, von der Leyen said: “The rights put forward in our declaration are guaranteed for everybody in the EU, online as they are offline. And the digital principles enshrined in the declaration will guide us in our work on all new initiatives.”
Brussels acknowledges inconsistencies in national implementation, but insists that enforcement is improving as the commission’s Digital Services teams expand their supervisory remit.
For now, the EU cites no threat of penalties against the US tech giants. However, the commission has warned that formal investigations could follow if responses to the RFIs are incomplete or fail to demonstrate credible compliance with DSA child-protection standards,
Whether or not Apple, Google, Snap and YouTube fully comply with the EU’s latest tech orders will likely determine the tone of digital relations between Washington and Brussels in the months ahead.
