The European Commission asserted on Tuesday that the bloc has the “sovereign right” to regulate digital services, pushing back against U.S. President Donald Trump’s warning that Washington may impose new tariffs on countries whose technology rules he deems discriminatory. Commission chief spokesperson Paula Pinho told reporters in Brussels that setting standards for online platforms is an internal matter for the EU and its 27 member states. Trump had posted a day earlier that he would consider “substantial additional tariffs” on nations adopting digital taxes or regulations aimed at harming U.S. companies. His latest threat follows a July accord with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that capped most existing U.S. duties on EU exports at 15%, a pact that explicitly left digital-policy issues outside the trade negotiations. Brussels rejected the accusation that its Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act single out American firms, noting that the last three enforcement actions under the DSA targeted China-owned AliExpress, Temu and TikTok. The Commission also dismissed claims that the rules amount to censorship, emphasising that they require platforms to enforce their own terms rather than remove lawful content. Officials added that well-publicised fines against Meta and Apple show the laws apply uniformly and will remain a central pillar of EU consumer protection and competition policy regardless of U.S. trade pressure.