Microsoft President Brad Smith on Wednesday affirmed the company’s commitment to complying with European laws, including the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), distancing Microsoft from recent criticism by the White House over EU enforcement actions against U.S. tech giants.
Speaking in Brussels, Smith said Microsoft respects local legal frameworks wherever it operates.
“We understand that European laws apply to our business practices in Europe, just as local laws apply to local practices in the United States and similar laws apply elsewhere in the world. This includes European competition law and the Digital Markets Act, among others,” he stated.
His comments come after the European Commission imposed €700 million ($796.5 million) in fines on Apple and Meta Platforms for DMA violations, prompting a rebuke from Washington. In contrast, Smith emphasized Microsoft’s approach to compliance, “We’re committed not only to building digital infrastructure for Europe, but to respecting the role that laws across Europe play in regulating our products and services.”
Smith also outlined steps Microsoft plans to take to address EU concerns over the concentration of U.S. firms in the cloud computing sector. These concerns have led some EU governments to propose limiting major U.S. companies’ participation in public-sector tenders.
