Open Markets Institute Urges Congress to Stop Defending Big Tech’s Monopoly Power and Recognize the Value of Europe’s Digital Regulations
WASHINGTON, DC (September 3, 2025) - The Open Markets Institute submitted a letter to House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD), calling on Congress to reject Big Tech’s fear-mongering campaign against European digital regulation and instead recognize how Europe’s approach strengthens free speech, competition, and democracy.
The letter comes as the House Judiciary Committee holds hearings framing Europe’s new digital laws as a threat to “American free speech and innovation.” In its letter, Open Markets emphasizes that the true threat to free speech and democracy comes not from democratic governments, but from the handful of corporations—Meta, Google, X, TikTok, and others—that dominate global online communications.
“These corporations are not neutral platforms,” the letter states. “They amplify some voices while silencing others, suppress independent journalism, and manipulate what billions of people read, see, and share—all with no accountability to the public.”
Open Markets highlights that:
Europe’s Digital Services Act (DSA) curtails arbitrary censorship by requiring transparency in content moderation and recommender systems, while giving users the right to challenge unfair decisions.
The Digital Markets Act (DMA) addresses anti-competitive practices by breaking down structural barriers to entry, creating a more diverse and open digital economy that ultimately enhances free expression.
Europe’s actions are rooted in the same democratic traditions that shaped U.S. communications law, from common carriage principles to broadcast neutrality.
The letter warns that U.S. opposition to Europe’s reforms reflects not a genuine defense of free speech, but the outsized political influence of Big Tech in Washington.
“Europe is doing what the U.S. once proudly did: setting clear rules so that communications networks serve democracy, not corporate monopolies,” said Barry Lynn, Executive Director of the Open Markets Institute. “Congress should be learning from Europe how to protect democracy, individual liberty, and the free press, from the power of 21st Century platform monopolists.”
The letter also documents recent evidence of Big Tech’s unchecked manipulation in Europe and the U.S.—from X amplifying far-right disinformation, to TikTok boosting Kremlin-aligned candidates, to Meta systematically censoring speech under political pressure.
Open Markets calls for stronger U.S.–EU cooperation to:
Prevent platforms from arbitrarily amplifying or censoring speech.
Break up monopolies to restore competition and choice.
Mandate interoperability and transparency in digital and AI systems.
Enforce copyright, product safety, and liability standards on Big Tech.
“American democracy cannot be safeguarded if Big Tech corporations continue to act as unaccountable private governors of public speech,” the letter concludes. “Europe’s reforms strengthen democracy, free speech, and fair markets. The United States should be working with Europe—not against it.”