Status: 05.07.2022 1:57 p.m
The EU Parliament has passed stricter requirements for Internet giants such as Google, Amazon and Facebook. They must therefore take stronger action against hate and false news. In addition, anti-competitive behavior should be prevented.
Online giants like Facebook, Google, Amazon and Apple will face stricter rules in the EU. The European Parliament passed two laws with a large majority, which are intended to ensure stricter supervision of online platforms and more consumer protection.
Limit hate speech and market power
The Digital Services Act aims to better stop societal problems such as hate speech or other illegal content on the Internet. The Market Control Act (Digital Markets Act) aims to limit the market power of Internet giants, ensure fairer competition and give consumers more freedom of choice when it comes to online offers.
Negotiators from parliament and EU states had previously agreed on the laws, and now parliament has formally confirmed them. The permanent representatives of the EU countries in Brussels have also approved the laws, now they only have to be approved at ministerial level. This is considered a formality.
EU Parliament votes for tighter controls on larger companies like Google and Amazon
Bettina Scharkus, ARD Brussels, daily news at 2:00 p.m., July 5, 2022
More responsibility for platforms
The law on digital services assigns more responsibility to platforms and is intended to ensure that certain content disappears from the internet more quickly. Examples are terror propaganda, hate speech or the sale of counterfeit goods. The law is part of a digital pact that also includes the Market Control Act. It prohibits big tech companies from merging data from different sources without explicit user consent. Large messenger services such as WhatsApp and iMessage will also have to open up to receiving messages from other applications in the future.
Much praise for the laws
The project was praised across party lines: The Green MEP Rasmus Andresen called the market control law “one of the most important laws” that was passed in the current legislative period. Both laws are “a milestone in cleaning up the Internet and fighting digital monopolies,” said Left MP Martin Schirdewan. His FDP colleague Svenja Hahn emphasized that there had also been successes for civil rights. Social Democrats and Christian Democrats also praised the laws.