The rules, which have been the subject of fierce
lobbying from the tech industry, look set for
approval from lawmakers, though they still face
tough negotiations next year with EU bodies.
The regulations, and similar ones in the United
Kingdom to curb harmful online content, show
Europe’s role as a pacesetter for regulating the
tech industry as a global movement picks up
pace following whistleblower Frances Haugen’s
allegations that Facebook put profits ahead
of safety.
One set of EU rules, the Digital Services Act, aims
to make tech companies more responsible for
content on their platforms. The lead committee
working on the rules said Tuesday that it
approved amendments before sending the draft
to the full EU Parliament for a vote, expected
in January.
“We are now democratically reclaiming our
online environment,” EU Parliament member
Christel Schaldemose said. “The DSA is bringing
EU tech regulation into the 21st century, and it is
about time.”
The committee approved a ban on platforms
using “dark patterns” — deceptive or nudge
techniques to influence users to do things that
they don’t intend to — as well as restrictions
on targeting ads to children and requiring
porn sites to register the identities of users
uploading material.
EU officials want to use another set of rules,
known as the Digital Markets Act, to clamp down
on the biggest online companies, dubbed “digital
gatekeepers,” by laying out a list of dos and don’ts.
With those rules, the bloc is seeking to prevent
tech giants from dominating digital markets, a