WASHINGTON — Ireland’s foreign minister defended the European Union’s Digital Services Act during a visit to the U.S. capital, arguing the online safety law protects consumers and children without undermining free speech, even as a House Judiciary Committee hearing questioned whether the framework infringes on Americans’ First Amendment rights.
Helen McEntee, Ireland’s minister for foreign affairs, trade and defense, met U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington as part of advance preparations for Ireland assuming the European Union’s rotating presidency in July. She said she made “very clear” that the Digital Services Act, or DSA, is “about protecting consumers,” and stressed it does not weaken free expression in Europe or elsewhere.
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“In Ireland, we have laws to protect free speech. In the European Union, we have laws to protect free speech and that will not change because of these regulations,” McEntee said. She added that the EU is focused on supporting growth in the digital sector and investing in research and innovation, while still ensuring that illegal or harmful content — especially where young people are at risk — is regulated.
McEntee acknowledged differences with U.S. counterparts over elements of the DSA but said dialogue was the priority. “There are certain elements of this that we don’t agree on, and for me, it’s important that we engage on the areas that we disagree on,” she said. Despite debates over specific provisions, she said both sides share the principle that “irrespective of whether somebody is online or offline, they are protected,” and that what is illegal offline should be illegal online.
Looking ahead to Ireland’s European Union presidency, McEntee signaled openness to cutting red tape in the digital economy without diluting core safeguards. She said there is a U.S. view that “perhaps there’s an element of red tape that could be removed,” and noted Ireland supports efforts to simplify economic rules as part of a broader push on competitiveness. “This has possibly been a way to do that without removing the protections that I’ve said are so important,” she said.
The minister also addressed trade tensions, including a general 15% tariff on EU imports to the United States agreed last summer and more recent threats by President Donald Trump to use tariffs to pressure the handover of Greenland to the United States. McEntee called that approach “completely unacceptable,” and said the EU would respond if such threats re-emerge.
“We are very clear. We had an agreement in place from last year on the U.S.-EU trade agreement we want to implement. We want to work with the U.S. However, the EU will respond if these kind of threats re-emerge in the future,” she said.
McEntee said her talks with Greer focused on implementing the existing trade agreement and resolving practical issues around tariffs and non-tariff barriers. She pointed to scope for deeper alignment in sectors including agriculture, medical technology, steel and aluminum, and aviation.
In a separate meeting with the U.S. deputy national security adviser, McEntee discussed Ukraine and transatlantic security. She described the toll of sustained Russian strikes on critical infrastructure as “simply unacceptable,” noting the hardship faced by Ukrainians left without heat, light, food or water in extreme winter temperatures. “It’s absolutely essential that the U.S. continue their support and engagement to bring this to an end,” she said.
McEntee also raised the protection of subsea cables and infrastructure in the North Atlantic ahead of a new Irish maritime strategy. The issue has grown in strategic importance for Europe and the United States as undersea networks carry the bulk of global internet and financial data.
Despite pressure points on free speech, digital regulation and tariffs, McEntee said the overarching goal is to strengthen the U.S.-EU relationship. “Nobody benefits from tariffs,” she said. “So how do we move beyond this point, while at the same time, it’s important to say that the EU will remain cautious, the EU will remain unified and firm in our response if these kinds of threats were to emerge again.”
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
