Strasbourg (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The European Commission’s tech chief, Henna Virkkunen, upheld the executive’s enforcement of online platform regulations before the EU Parliament after MEPs urged her to increase efforts against tech owners for alleged violations of the Digital Services Act (DSA).
European Commissioner for tech sovereignty, security, and democracy, Henna Virkkunen, said,
“Foreign interference requires a powerful response.”
“In recent days the European Commission has asked X to provide information on the recommender systems. Strong and timely enforcement is required as well as decisions that stand in court,”
she expressed.
“I will advance with the cases – come to conclusions as legally possible with solid evidence,”
She stated.
European Commissioner also said that she intends to increase the number of teams working on the DSA, which came into effect in 2023, to 200.
What measures are proposed to counter misinformation online?
MEP insisted the EU Commission wrap up pending investigations under the DSA in light of the recent foreign interference on social media platforms in the German and Romanian elections, during a debate in Strasbourg.
In her remarks, MEP Iratxe Garcia Perez stated that Europe is at a
“crucial point for the defense of democracies”.
“Social media were seen as a tool for progress but are now a dangerous weapon in the hands of those that want to attack EU values. The silence from the Commission is not acceptable. We need to show leadership from the side of the EU.”
MEP Andreas Schwab said,
“We need to ensure that sanctions are taken without hesitation when violations are confirmed. “We need urgent investigations to identify the mechanism that leads to misinformation, stop the online recommender systems, and support better social media that cannot be controlled by tech oligarchs,”
Geese stated.
How is the Commission addressing Digital Services Act violations?
The European Commission has opened probes under the Digital Services Act (DSA) by pursuing several steps considered to ensure conformity on the side of very large online platforms. It could conduct interviews of persons likely to have information in respect of investigation but that’s done with prior consent.
The European Commission has intensified its investigation into Elon Musk’s platform X as a result of potential violations of the DSA. This inquiry began in December 2023 and is linked to X’s content moderation practices as well as its algorithm changes.
The European Commission has also launched several investigations against Meta, this time for violations of the DSA. On April 30, 2024, the Commission launched formal proceedings to determine whether Meta’s platforms, Facebook and Instagram, complied with DSA obligations.