Henna Virkkunen, Vice-President of the European Commission Photo: ALEXANDROS MICHAILIDIS / Alamy / Alamy / Profimedia
The EU’s digital sovereignty chief said Europe will ensure social media platforms respect citizens’ rights and comply with EU rules, a statement that came after criticism from US tech giants , writes AFP.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg accused the European Union of censorship earlier this week. He thus echoed the comments of Elon Musk, who criticized European legislation on digital content and who is a close ally of Donald Trump.
“Social media platforms play a considerable role in people’s daily lives, but they also have enormous social and economic importance and influence. In Europe, we want to create a safe and fair digital environment,” wrote Henna Virkkunen , executive vice-president of the European Commission in charge of EU technological sovereignty, wrote about X.
“Our job is to ensure that the rights of European citizens are respected and that our law is enforced. That guarantees a level playing field and a safe online environment for everyone,” Virkkunen added.
His comments seemed to echo Mark Zuckerberg’s recent attacks on the European Union, but he avoided directly referring to the Meta boss or Elon Musk, who controls the X network.
The US government, under President-elect Donald Trump, should step in to prevent the EU from fining US tech companies for antitrust and other regulatory violations, Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, said in a podcast with Joe Rogan, one of the president. preferred influencers of -elect.
“I think it’s a strategic advantage for the United States that we have some of the most powerful companies in the world, and I think it should be part of the United States’ strategy going forward to defend that,” Zuckerberg said on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast. . . “And that’s one of the things I’m optimistic about President Trump,” he added.
Zuckerberg complained that the EU has forced US tech companies operating in Europe to pay “more than $30 billion” in fines for violations of the law over the past two decades.
MEPs have intensified their pressure on the European Commission, fearing that Trump’s victory will make the Brussels authorities hesitate to apply new laws related to the online environment.
