US tech firms are leading lobbying efforts to convince the Trump administration to put pressure on the EU over new product liability rules that they fear could expose them to an avalanche of class-action lawsuits over digital products, the Financial Times reported.
A group of five major trade associations, led by the US Chamber of Commerce, earlier this year wrote to top administration officials requesting “active engagement with the European Commission” over the rules, which would force companies to prove their products are not at fault if a customer alleged injury, the paper reported.
Digital products
The changes, due to be implemented from December as part of an update to the EU’s Product Liability Directive, expand the scope of the directive to include digital products.
An unnamed business executive said US technology and pharmaceutical companies are most focused on lobbying against the new rules.
