U.S. Congress 'concerned' that Korea's proposed legislation updates may impede U.S. Big Tech and favor China

The U.S. Congress said it was concerned that legislation under consideration by the Korean government could be applied in ways that target U.S. tech firms and could work to the advantage of non-American rivals, particularly companies from China.

The Capitol is seen at dusk in Washington, Sept. 30. 2025. [AP/YONHAP]

In a supplementary report attached to its proposed fiscal year 2026 budget, released on Monday by the U.S. House Appropriations Committee, the U.S. Congress said it was concerned that legislation under consideration by the Korean government could be applied in ways that target U.S. tech firms. Such an approach, the report said, could work to the advantage of non-American rivals, particularly companies from China.

The remarks come as U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has shown heightened sensitivity to foreign regulation of U.S. Big Tech companies. Congress, too, appears to be taking issue with what it views as Korea’s emerging “digital barriers,” signaling a critical stance toward the proposed online platform law.

“The Committee is concerned about online platform legislation under consideration in the Republic of Korea that targets U.S. technology companies in relation to their non-U. S. competitors and would advantage competitors domiciled in the People’s Republic of China,” said the report.

“The Committee directs the USTR [United States Trade Representative], within 60 days of enactment of this Act, to brief the Committee on efforts taken to counteract the proposed legislation’s negative effects on U.S. technology companies and U.S. foreign policy interests.”

The Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations measure released by the House Appropriations Committee is a bipartisan agreement reached through coordination between the relevant committees in both chambers and between Republicans and Democrats. Barring any surprises, it is expected to clear both chambers and be signed by President Trump.

With the deadline for a continuing resolution — a stopgap budget designed to prevent a federal government shutdown — set for the end of January, Congress aims to pass regular appropriations bills before then.

Congress’s concerns about the online platform bill align with the Trump administration’s recent view that Korea’s moves to regulate digital platforms constitute a nontariff barrier and should be corrected.

Sarah Rogers, U.S. under secretary of state for public diplomacy, wrote on X on Dec. 30 her disagreement with Korea's recent passage of the anti-disinformation bill. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

The U.S. State Department recently issued a spokesperson’s statement on Dec. 31, 2025, in response to questions from the JoongAng Ilbo, expressing serious concern over amendments to the Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection (sometimes referred to as the "network act") that were pushed through the National Assembly by the liberal Democratic Party and approved at a Cabinet meeting, citing the risk of undermining freedom of expression.

The amendments, set to take effect in July, center on making those who intentionally spread information they know to be illegal or false or manipulated liable for up to five times the amount of any damages awarded. The vague criteria for determining what constitutes false or manipulated information have raised concerns that the revisions could become a “gag law.”

“Korea’s proposed amendment to its Network Act, ostensibly focused on redressing defamatory deepfakes, reaches much further — and endangers tech cooperation,” wrote Sarah Rogers, the State Department’s under secretary for public diplomacy in a social media post on Dec. 30, 2025.

Rogers added that while deepfakes are a legitimate concern, “it’s better to give victims civil remedies than give regulators an invasive license for viewpoint-based censorship.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY KIM HYOUNG-GU [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]