The European Union will require big tech companies to tighten online content controls, risking billions of dollars in fines. The bloc has agreed to pass legislation that, for the first time, sets rules about how companies must keep users safe online.
In the early morning hours of Saturday (23rd), Friday evening (22nd) in Brasília time, after almost 16 hours of negotiations, lawmakers in Brussels approved measures that limit the targeting of online advertising to minors in companies such as Facebook and Google to forbid.
Manipulation techniques that force users to click on content are also prohibited. Big tech giants will be forced to disclose to EU regulators how they deal with misinformation a goal that has gained new momentum since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Digital Services Act (LSD), signed in Brussels between EU member states, the European Commission (the bloc’s executive body) and the European Parliament, is part of a broader effort to lead the way in internet regulation.
Earlier this year, the EU passed another piece of legislation, the Digital Markets Act, aimed at tackling big tech’s market power.
The series of legislative measures to regulate the world’s largest technology companies, which have opposed the law, represents the most significant overhaul of the laws governing their operations in more than two decades.
Countries like the US, Canada and Singapore are expected to follow Brussels’ lead and introduce similar rules in the coming months.
The measures come after years of frustration with antitrust enforcement, which is seen as slow or ineffective.
“The days of big online platforms behaving like they’re ‘too big to care’ are coming to an end,” said Thierry Breton, domestic market officer.
The law aims to make the Internet safer for consumers. Internet companies must offer terms and conditions that children can understand. Targeting online users based on their religion, gender or sexual preferences is among the practices to be prohibited.
Platforms like Twitter need to be transparent about how they recommend content to their users.
Anyone who violates the rules faces high fines and operating bans in the 27 EU countries.
Margrethe Vestager, the EU’s Executive VicePresident in charge of digital policy, said the new rulebook “will help create a safe and responsible online environment”.
“Platforms must be transparent about their content moderation decisions, prevent dangerous misinformation from going viral and prevent unsafe products from being offered on marketplaces. With today’s agreement, we ensure that platforms are held accountable for the risks their services can pose to society and citizens.”