FTC Chair warns tech firms not to weaken data privacy to comply with EU, UK laws

FILE PHOTO: Andrew Ferguson, Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission, looks on as he speaks at a fireside chat at Harvard University's second annual Conservative and Republican Student Conference 2025 at The Charles Hotel in Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S., February 8, 2025. REUTERS/Sophie Park/File Photo

(Reuters) -The chairman of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission warned Apple, Alphabet, and other technology companies on Thursday that efforts to comply with British and European digital content laws could violate U.S. law if they weaken privacy and data security protections for American users.

FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson expressed concerns about the EU Digital Services Act, and the UK Online Safety Act, which are aimed at cracking down on illegal and harmful online content, and the UK Investigatory Powers Act.