The EU’s industry chief, Thierry Breton, has journeyed to Silicon Valley to prepare tech companies for new laws concerning social media, AI, and data. Breton also inaugurated the EU’s first office in Silicon Valley to establish the EU’s presence in Big Tech’s territory. During the visit, EU officials conducted a stress test with Twitter to analyse the company’s handling of issues such as fake news, Russian propaganda, and criminal activity. The objective of the test was to prepare Twitter for the EU’s new Digital Services Act (DSA), which aims to crack down on illegal content, disinformation, and online hate speech.
After the challenge, Breton praised Twitter for taking compliance with the DSA very seriously but noted that Twitter still has work to do before EU enforcement of the law begins in late August. Under the DSA, dealing with disinformation is a legal obligation, and the EU had previously alerted Twitter owner Elon Musk that the platform risked a total ban in Europe or fines of up to 6% of its global income if it failed to comply with the regulations. However, Musk has confirmed that Twitter will adhere to the rules.
Among the 44 companies participating in the EU’s code of practice are Google, Facebook, and Twitter. The bloc introduced the code as a means for social media platforms to prepare for the upcoming laws. After August 25th, these businesses will have to comply with the new rules, or face the same penalties as Musk.
Breton is also meeting the big tech bosses, including Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, Sam Altman from OpenAI, and Jensen Huang, the head of microchip designer Nvidia. Breton is pitching the AI Pact, a voluntary, non-binding technology firms’ pledge to comply with particular principles when devising AI technologies. The EU is currently negotiating the AI Act, the world’s first comprehensive legislation governing AI development and usage.
The DSA, along with the new AI regulations, has put Brussels ahead of the game in efforts to clamp down on Big Tech, setting a standard for the rest of the globe. Although the EU is taking a tough stance, it may encounter obstacles in implementing the new regulations.
