FTC: US tech firms should maintain data security in light of EU laws

U.S. tech companies have been warned by Federal Trade Commission Chair Andrew Ferguson against reducing data security measures and hindering free speech as they comply with the European Union's Digital Service Act and the U.K.'s Online Safety Act, according to CyberScoop.

Adherence to the laws should not prompt censorship or increased foreign surveillance on Americans, said Ferguson in letters sent to Alphabet, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, Cloudflare, Akamai, Discord, Signal, GoDaddy, Snap, Slack, and X, formerly Twitter. "If a company promises consumers that it encrypts or otherwise keeps secure online communications but adopts weaker security due to the actions of a foreign government, such conduct may deceive consumers who rightfully expect effective security, not the increased susceptibility to breach or intercept desired by a foreign power," wrote Ferguson. Such a development comes just days after the UK was noted by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard to have withdrawn its calls for Apple to create a backdoor to encrypted cloud data.