French President Emmanuel Macron has publicly accused U.S. officials of exerting pressure on the European Commission to postpone or soften enforcement of the EU’s new digital-regulation laws against major American tech firms.

According to Macron, Washington has threatened regulatory concessions in exchange for reductions in U.S. tariffs on European steel and aluminium — a move he described in blunt terms as “extortion”.

The claims come amid ongoing investigations initiated under the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which target several social-media and online-platform companies including Meta, TikTok and X (formerly Twitter).

The European Commission has confirmed preliminary findings that Meta and TikTok violated transparency obligations under the DSA — breaches that could ultimately lead to fines amounting to as much as six percent of a firm’s global annual revenue.

Macron, speaking over the weekend, noted that the probes have been pending for nearly two years — a timeframe he characterized as far too long.

He warned that the United States was trying to link regulatory relief for U.S. tech firms with favourable trade terms.

In response to the allegations, Brussels officials insisted that enforcement remains systematic and independent.

A Commission spokesperson said the probes are focused on building robust cases before any final decisions are taken, stressing that the aim is not simply to open investigations but to win them in court if challenged.

Legal observers note that part of the delay stems from the procedural complexity of the platform-regulation rules.

Already, earlier this year the General Court of the European Union ruled in favour of Meta and TikTok in a separate case challenging the Commission’s method for calculating the annual supervision fees owed by very large online platforms — a ruling that requires Brussels to revise its methodology within the next twelve months.

But even as the procedural work proceeds, the revelations of apparent leverage tied to trade negotiations cast a shadow over the EU’s ability to enforce its digital-regulation agenda independently.

The standoff highlights a growing transatlantic tension — between Europe's efforts to regulate Big Tech, and U.S. concerns about fairness toward American companies.

As regulators and politicians negotiate this disputed terrain, the final shape of digital governance in Europe — and its relationship with Washington — hangs in the balance.