Europe Is Getting Serious In Its Push To Regulate Big Tech

From disinformation to privacy violations to inappropriate content geared toward kids, there’s been plenty of criticism to go around within the tech industry in recent years.

But at the same time, most of us rely on social media platforms and other Big Tech companies for our information and communication needs.

That means it’s difficult for regulators to know how far to go in order to eliminate the bad stuff while keeping the positive stuff intact.

The EU model

For their part, officials across the European Union believe that a fairly heavy-handed approach to these regulations will be best for everyone involved. And a slate of new requirements — collectively known as the Digital Services Act — will go into effect later this week.

The overarching aim of the DSA is to bring about some of the most severe regulations and harshest penalties on the planet. And with 27 nations on board, it’s pivotal to comply in order to remain in business across Europe.

A total of 19 companies will be impacted by these rules, including big names like Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Snapchat. While some have pushed back against the new regulations, others see the writing on the wall and are already working to comply.

What the DSA does

Proponents of these new rules say that they will benefit users by eliminating illegal and/or harmful content while protecting their privacy and free speech rights.

Although the consensus seems to be that some smaller platforms should be exempted, some say that the DSA doesn’t include certain companies that should be held to the same standards.

The existing standard is that platforms with more than 45 million users will be bound by the most stringent restrictions … but the list doesn’t include names like Netflix, eBay, Airbnb, and others.

Chris Agee August 23rd, 2023

Share this story: