Brussels urged to revolutionise rules for Big Tech companies
European parliament wants landmark EU regulation to target power of largest online platforms
The battle to rewrite Europe’s internet rules is heating up.
The European parliament got in on the act on Monday with MEPs voting on draft proposals for reining in Big Tech. They hope these will be part of the European Commission’s landmark tech regulation, expected this year.
Discussions within the parliament on the new Digital Services Act have been going on for months, and they haven’t been smooth. Just one set of motions, by the internal market committee, saw more than 1,200 amendments (including a couple of hundred from another five committees).
The clamour from rival political groups and committees to wade in to the DSA is understandable. The act is among the most significant pieces of legislation to come out of Brussels since the dawn of the Big Tech era. It will be the first time in two decades that Brussels will overhaul online rules. Regulators are seeking to clarify crucial areas including limits on illegal content, ad transparency and disinformation.
Recent evidence suggests the commission wants to bring out the big guns, too. Earlier this month, Thierry Breton, the internal market commissioner charged with leading the digital overhaul, told the Financial Times that regulators want extra powers to break up big platforms, force them to sell divisions and even exclude them from the bloc if they misbehave.
MEPs also smell blood. They are set to ratify recommendations that will call for tough action against giant platforms such as Facebook and Google.
Alex Saliba, a centre-left MEP in charge of drafting recommendations for the DSA, called for proper rules to restrain the growing might of the tech giants.
“This is a golden opportunity to discuss the rules of the internet and place regulations on the services that are affecting our daily lives,” he said.
Some of the most eye-catching proposals MEPs want the commission to propose include:
- Make platforms more liable: Parliament wants products deemed illegal offline to also be prohibited online. They hope that this will give consumers the same level of protection when they buy products on large platforms such as Amazon as if they had bought them in a physical shop.
- Target the big guys: MEPs are also pushing for so-called gatekeeper platforms to face extra obligations to stay clear of anti-competitive practices set out in a clear list of “do’s and dont’s”. A blacklist would include activities such as platforms giving preference to their own services or failing to be transparent about the funding of political advertising.
- Clear rules on taking down content: MEPs will also be pressing for clear rules and processes for illegal content. “We do not want to put private companies in charge of policing the internet, but [instead] a clear notice and action system that provides legal clarity to platforms and guarantees the fundamental rights of users,” explained Tiemo Wölken, a German MEP who is drafting recommendations for the DSA.
He added: “We want to put users in charge of the content they see, rather than leaving them at the mercy of profit-driven algorithms that prioritise attention-grabbing content.”