Tech companies are poised for a big win if Europe waters down its digital regulations overhaul and makes compliance voluntary. Regulators are expected to ease the Digital Networks Act, which aims to modernize and unify the EU’s telecom market, later this month, Reuters reported citing sources. What could have required companies like Google, Meta, and Amazon to fund Europe’s network development — something they argued were protectionist measures intended to make US companies pay for a European tech build-out — will instead have them comply on a voluntary basis.
It’s the latest sign that Europe has been easing up on the regulatory onslaught in recent months, especially after President Donald Trump accused it of being too hard on American companies. The EU has denied the US having any involvement in its rulemaking, but the bloc is certainly tempering its regulation-first status to better compete with the US and China.