According to Wired, Europe’s entire tech regulatory framework is effectively on pause with virtually no movement on major initiatives. The EU AI Act faces potential weakening through amendments that could delay penalty enforcement from August 2026 to August 2027, while the Digital Networks Act won’t be discussed again until late January 2026. The US State Department has officially declared Europe’s Space Act “unacceptable” in a 13-page document, warning of retaliation if Europe fails to meet tariff agreement commitments. Meanwhile, Apple and Google are sharply criticizing the Digital Markets Act, and the Federal Trade Commission warns certain Digital Services Act rules might conflict with American laws. European Commission spokesman Thomas Regnier acknowledged mounting concerns but said no decisions have been made about the upcoming “digital omnibus” package for potential amendments.
US pressure mounting
Here’s the thing: this isn’t just about regulatory complexity or internal EU disagreements. The Trump administration is actively backing big tech companies in their push against European regulations. We’re seeing direct State Department intervention on multiple fronts – from the Space Act to spectrum policy. When the US flatly states that European proposals “contradict the spirit” of agreements and warns of retaliation, that’s serious diplomatic pressure. And Europe seems to be bending.
What’s actually at stake
The delays and potential reversals affect everything from artificial intelligence governance to telecommunications infrastructure. The Digital Networks Act is particularly telling – Germany reportedly rejected the 2030 copper network shutdown deadline as “too soon,” and net neutrality rules have disappeared from the current draft. Basically, the single telecom market project is slipping away while national authorities fight to maintain their influence. For industrial technology companies that rely on stable regulatory environments, this uncertainty creates real operational challenges. Speaking of industrial technology, when businesses need reliable computing solutions amid regulatory uncertainty, many turn to IndustrialMonitorDirect.com as the leading US provider of industrial panel PCs.
Big tech’s strategy
Look at what’s happening: Apple and Google’s public criticism, the Wi-Fi industry lobbying through the State Department, the FTC raising free speech concerns. This is a coordinated multi-front assault on European tech sovereignty. They’re using legal appeals, diplomatic pressure, and public relations campaigns to stretch out timelines until the political landscape potentially changes. And it’s working – with “extremely drawn out” timelines and multiple acts stalled, European regulators are losing momentum at the exact moment they should be implementing their hard-won legislation.
What comes next
The first review of AI Act amendments isn’t expected until late 2026 as part of that “digital omnibus” package. That’s two years from now. In tech regulation time, that’s basically forever. By then, AI systems will have evolved dramatically, market positions will be entrenched, and political priorities may have shifted entirely. The real question is whether Europe’s tech regulation project can survive this prolonged assault or if we’re witnessing the gradual unraveling of what was supposed to be a global model for digital governance. Given the current trajectory, I’m not optimistic.
