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Some of the Big Tech companies affected have presence on virtually every phone in the world, Source: Depositphotos
The European Commission has named 19 heavy-weight online platforms that will have to play by the book
The European Commission has named 19 large and influential digital companies, whose influence in the online space is considered to be crucial and substantial, as the target of stricter rules regarding safety protocols and the spread of illegal and false content.
Among these companies are Google, Meta, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Twitter, TikTok and AliExpress, examples of enterprises that command an oversized share of the global Internet audience.
We consider these 19 online platforms and search engines have become systematically relevant and have special responsibilities to make the internet safer," EU Industry Commissioner Thierry Breton told reporters yesterday, as quoted by Reuters.
The new rules will be implemented in the framework of the Digital Services Act (DSA), adopted last year, which aims to harmonize regulatory gaps between member states and provide unified requirements for platform operators. It also aims to rein in the proliferation of illegal content in terms of a variety of categories, such as hate speech or disinformation.
Among the measures that are foreseen under the DSA are:
Commission Breton also indicated that the platforms would have a grace period in which they can readjust to the new conditions and implement a review in their internal policies, but that the “countdown has started” for them. The companies have until 25 August to synchronize their practices with the law.
Failing to do so would put them under the possibility of fines (up to 6 percent of their global turnover) or even a temporary ban to exercise their activity in the EU.
The Commission’s list includes Google’s five services (search engine, Maps, Play Store, Shopping and YouTube), the social networks Facebook and Instagram of the Meta group, as well as the Bing search engine, the LinkedIn professional social network of Microsoft, the AppStore application of Apple and the online trade giant Amazon.
The rest are AliExpress, the logistics brand of the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, the social network Snapchat, the photo-sharing service Pinterest, the online encyclopedia Wikipedia and the European leader in online sales of fashion goods Zalando complete the list.
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