New EU landmark law targets Big Tech companies for hate speech, disinformation

The The European Union reached an agreement On Saturday, landmark legislation forced Big Tech companies like Google and Facebook’s parent company Meta, as well as other internet services, to fight hate speech and misinformation or threats. billions of dollars in fines.

Under the new Digital Services Act, companies will be required to tightly control their online platforms by establishing new policies and procedures to quickly remove hate speech. flags, terrorist propaganda and any other content deemed illegal by European Union countries.

The new law also bans ads targeting minors on these companies’ platforms, as well as ads based on users’ gender, ethnicity or sexual orientation. It will also cause companies to disclose how their services spread or amplify divisive content.

“With today’s agreement, we ensure that platforms are held accountable for the risks their services can pose to society and citizens,” said EU Commission Vice-President Margrethe Vestager. in a statement.

“The days of big online platforms acting as if they were ‘too big to care’ are coming to an end,” added EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton.

The Digital Services Act, half of an overhaul to the 27-nation bloc’s digital code of conduct, is the European Union’s third major piece of legislation targeting the tech industry – helping to strengthen its reputation in the industry. Europe’s reputation as a global leader in efforts curb the power of social media companies and other digital platforms.

While the new rules are intended to hold tech companies more accountable for user-generated content and amplified by their platforms’ algorithms, online platforms and tools Search with more than 45 million users in the European Union will face additional scrutiny, including fines of up to 6 percent of the company’s annual global revenue and a ban on repeat offenders.

A Google spokesperson told NBC News in a statement that while the company welcomes the European Union’s effort to “make the internet safer, more transparent, and more accountable,” it looks forward to “Working with policymakers to understand the remaining technical details to ensure the law works for everyone.”

Similarly, Twitter has responded to the new regulations by saying that the company looks forward to a detailed regulatory review.

A Twitter spokesperson told NBC: “We support smart, forward-thinking regulation that balances the need to tackle online harm with open Internet protection – while understanding that the right approach of any size regardless of the diversity of our online environment. News in a statement.

Amazon did not comment specifically on the new Digital Services Act, but said the company welcomes “all measures that benefit the single market, enhance confidence in online services, and improve experience for both customers and businesses in Europe.”

A spokesperson for TikTok told NBC News: “While we are awaiting the full details of the Digital Services Act, we support its aim to harmonize its approach to online content issues to show accountability. “

Apple, Microsoft and Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The contract reached on landmark new legislation that is now being formally approved by the European Council and the European Parliament. If passed, it could be enforced as early as 2024.

Cristian Santana and Related press contribute.

at Blogtuan.info – Source: nbcnews.com – Read the original article here