The Trump administration wants Ireland to push back against EU attempts to extend its regulatory powers over content posted on social media platforms. A note sent in August from the US state department to media regulator Coimisiún na Meán also urged the Government to ensure that national-level oversight of hate speech remains in the hands of each member state, effectively pushing back on efforts to harmonise content moderation.
The memo chimes with other more public attacks by figures such as US vice-president JD Vance on EU laws such as the Digital Services Act. But Ireland’s position as a location for the European headquarters of many of the largest tech companies means, not for the first time, that it finds itself caught between conflicting pressures.
On one side is the US, commercially powerful, politically pugnacious and intent on defending American tech giants from what it views as overreach. On the other is the EU, insistent that these companies be reined in to protect European values, democratic stability and sovereign regulatory authority.
Ireland occupies a precarious position on the front line. Any push by the EU to further regulate content moderation, platform accountability, data use or algorithmic transparency will directly impact the profits of US companies operating on Irish soil. The State will therefore have to tread a narrow and delicate path. To refuse to engage with US demands could strain relations and risk retaliation. But to do Washington’s bidding would violate Ireland’s obligations and political alignment within Europe, reinforcing a perception that Dublin is submissive to US corporate interests.
RM Block
In addition to defending the commercial interests of some of America’s largest companies, the Trump administration’s resistance to regulation of hate speech or misinformation is grounded in a particular US view of First Amendment-style rights. But Ireland, as a sovereign state and member of the EU, must preserve its own right to regulate expression, especially incitement and other harms. Any one-size-fits-all absolutism would erode the meaningful autonomy of EU member states to fashion rules that reflect their societal values and constitutional traditions.
That autonomy is also challenged by the widely varying definitions and thresholds that exist across Europe for different forms of speech. Some member states favour more restrictive laws, while others take a more liberal approach. The subject became a live political issue here last year during the controversy over a hate speech bill that was subsequently abandoned. That episode illustrated how for Ireland to maintain a coherent position that respects both freedom of expression and public safety, while not being dragged towards extremes, will be no easy feat.
