While the change of heart by Mark Zuckerberg, head of Meta, on fact-checking continues to cause concern or that Elon Musk, head of It was the European Commissioner Henna Virkkunen who came to the plate this Saturday … on X.
“Social media platforms play a huge role in people’s daily lives, but they also have a huge social and economic importance and influence. In Europe, we want to create a safe and fair digital environment”wrote the executive vice-president of the European Commission, responsible for technological sovereignty.
Social media platforms play an important role in people’s daily lives, but they also have great social and economic importance and influence. In Europe, we want to create a digital environment that is safe and fair.
— Henna Virkkunen (@HennaVirkkunen) January 11, 2025
Thus he made it known that Europe would not give up on social media platforms respecting the rights of citizens and respecting their rules. The commissioner took the opportunity to reject the accusation made by the head of Meta (Facebook, Whatsapp), who accused Europe in particular this week of “censorship”.
“Our task is to ensure that the rights of European citizens are respected and that our legislation is enforced. This ensures a level playing field and a safe online environment for everyone,” added Henna Virkkunen in a second post.
American charges
This statement comes after several accusations from the big heads of American technology. Mark Zuckerberg thus took on the anti-regulation diatribe developed by Elon Musk. A new approach after joining him as a supporter of US President-elect Donald Trump.
In an interview with the popular podcaster Joe Rogan on Friday, Mark Zuckerberg asked the future tenant of the White House to act to defend the big American technology companies against EU sanctions. He claimed that Brussels had imposed fines on technology companies “more than $30 billion over the last 10 to 20 years”arguing that his policy towards business was “almost like a customs tariff”.
“I think it’s a strategic advantage for the United States to have some of the strongest companies in the world. And I think it should be part of the American strategy going forward to defend that.”said the head of Facebook.
“One of the things I’m optimistic about with President Trump is that I think he just wants America to win,” Zuckerberg said.
Zuckerberg in the wake of Musk
The interview came days after the Meta Group announced it was abandoning third-party fact-checking in the US – to the dismay of the media and institutions such as the international fact-checking network IFCN – but also a step behind moderation. rules on their networks. He said that now he will return to a model known as “Note of the Community”, popularized by X, where the users themselves moderate and debunk falsehoods.
For his part, Elon Musk, expected to take important positions in the Trump administration, criticized a historic EU law on digital content (DSA). The American-South African billionaire also took the liberty of describing Thierry Breton, former European Commissioner responsible for Digital Affairs, as “tyrant of Europe” for having welcomed the use of this regulation after the cancellation of the presidential election in Romania.
In the face of these attacks, European lawmakers have stepped up pressure on the European Commission, the EU’s digital watchdog, for fear that Trump’s victory could cause Brussels to hesitate in enforcing new technology laws. .
In the latest step to date, French MEP Stéphanie Yon-Courtin wrote to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Friday to urge Brussels to “don’t tremble” under American pressure.
