Tech chief says EU will make sure digital platforms follow rules

BRUSSELS: The EU’s top digital enforcer said on Saturday that Europe would make sure social media platforms respect citizens’ rights and comply with its rules, after criticism from US big tech.

Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg this week accused Europe of “censorship”, echoing comments by tech billionaire Elon Musk who has slammed a landmark EU digital content law, and is a close ally of the incoming US president Donald Trump. Brussels rejects the charge.

“Social media platforms play an important role in people’s daily lives, but they also have a huge social and economic importance and influence. In Europe, we want to create a digital environment that is safe and fair,” Henna Virkkunen said on X.

“Our task is to make sure that European citizens rights are respected and our legislation is followed. This ensures a level playing field and a safe online environment for all,” she added in a second post.

Virkkunen’s comments appeared to be a defence against Zuckerberg’s recent attacks on the bloc, but she made no direct reference to him, or to Musk.

In an interview on Friday with popular podcaster Joe Rogan, Zuckerberg called on Trump to act to defend US big tech firms from EU penalties.

“I think it’s a strategic advantage for the US that we have a lot of the strongest companies in the world. And, I think it should be part of the US strategy going forward to defend that. And it’s one of the things that I’m optimistic about with President Trump, is I think he just wants America to win,” Zuckerberg said.

He also said the EU had fined tech companies “more than US$30 billion over the last like, 10 or 20 years”, arguing its policy on the firms was “almost like a tariff”.

European regulators have slapped Meta with billions of euros in fines for violations of data protection and antitrust rules in the past few years.

The interview came days after Meta announced it was scrapping third-party fact-checking in the US and would turn to a model known as “Community Notes”, popularised by X, where users themselves moderate and debunk falsehoods.

EU lawmakers have upped the pressure on the European Commission, the EU’s digital watchdog, amid fears Trump’s victory will see Brussels waver in its enforcement of new tech laws.

In the latest move, French MEP Stephanie Yon-Courtin wrote to commission president Ursula von der Leyen Friday urging Brussels “not (to) buckle” under US pressure.