House Hearing on Overseas Technology Law
House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, a Republican from Ohio, has invited British politician Nigel Farage to a hearing at Capitol Hill set for next month. This session, titled “European Threats to American Speech and Innovation,” is scheduled for September 3rd.
According to the committee, the hearing will address how “European online censorship laws,” including the UK’s Online Safety Act and the EU’s Digital Services Act, impact the rights of Americans to express themselves freely online.
Additionally, the hearing will explore how the UK’s Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Law and the EU’s Digital Markets Act affect American companies and stifle innovation.
This announcement comes on the heels of President Trump’s recent threats to impose additional tariffs on nations that maintain digital taxes, suggesting these taxes are detrimental to U.S. tech businesses.
“As the U.S. president, I stand up against nations that undermine our remarkable American high-tech companies. Digital taxes and regulations are intended to harm or discriminate against American technology,” Trump stated on Monday evening.
The focus of the upcoming hearing will primarily revolve around the UK’s online safety law enacted in 2023, which aims to safeguard users, particularly children, from harmful online content.
The legislation’s age verification requirement launched last month, limiting access to several types of content like hate speech, pornography, and violent videos. Users in the UK must now submit photos and IDs for age verification to access certain materials.
Farage, known for his right-wing populism in the UK, has openly criticized this online safety law. In July, he mentioned that this law is starting to alter consumer feeds.
“Millions are noticing that what appears in their feeds is different from just last week. It’s beginning to feel like we might be experiencing a true suppression of free speech,” he remarked.
In addition to Farage, Jordan has also invited former European Secretary Thierry Breton to participate in the hearing next month.
