The EU will force major technology companies to control online content more aggressively after approving a major piece of legislation that, for the first time, sets out rules on how companies must protect the safety of consumers online.
In the early hours of Saturday morning, after nearly 16 hours of talks, lawmakers in Brussels approved measures that prevent companies like Facebook and Google from targeting minors with online advertising, while manipulative techniques that force people to click on content also will be banned.
Leading technology groups will be forced to reveal to EU regulators how they fight disinformation and military propaganda to curb the spread of false information, an effort that has gained momentum since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Digital Services Act, agreed in Brussels between the Member States, the European Commission and the European Parliament, is part of a broader push in Brussels to guide how the internet should be regulated. Earlier this year, the EU approved a separate piece of legislation, the Digital Markets Act, aimed at tackling the market power of Silicon Valley companies.
The package of legislative measures, which the world’s largest technology companies have bitterly lobbied against, represents the most significant revision of the laws governing their operation for more than two decades.
Countries such as the United States, Canada and Singapore are expected to follow similar rules in the coming months.
This comes after years of frustration that the application of antitrust rules is too slow or ineffective. Senior EU officials hailed it as a turning point in the regulation of major technologies.
Thierry Breton, Commissioner for the Internal Market, said: “The time for big online platforms that behave as if they are ‘too big to care for’ is coming to an end.”
The DSA aims to make the Internet safer for consumers. Internet companies will have to offer rules and conditions that are understandable even to children. Targeting users online based on their religion, gender or sexual preference will be among the practices that will be banned.
Internet platforms like Twitter will need to be transparent in the way they recommend content to their users. They will also need to have appropriate staff to deal with content moderation, as users will have the right to complain in their own language.
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Those who break the rules face heavy fines and bans from operating within the 27 EU countries.
The new legislation sets clear obligations for platforms that are designed to be proportionate to size, impact and risk, Breton said.
The Commission will be able to “impose effective and dissuasive sanctions of up to 6% of world turnover or even a ban on the EU’s single market in the event of repeated serious infringements,” he added.
Margrethe Vestager, the EU’s executive vice president for digital policy, said the new rulebook would “help create a safe and responsible online environment”.
She said: “Platforms need to be transparent about their content moderation decisions, prevent the spread of dangerous misinformation and avoid placing dangerous products on the market. With today’s agreement, we ensure that the platforms are held accountable for the risks that their services may pose to society and citizens. “
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