EU calls on US, Biden to help create common rulebook for tech giants

The European Union on Tuesday urged President Biden to join the 27-nation bloc in creating a common rule book designed to rein in the power of Big Tech companies and combat the spread of misinformation. 

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at a speech to the Davos World Economic Forum that the “darker sides of the digital world” were partly behind the violent riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6 and called on the Biden administration to join the EU in regulating the tech industry. 

“The business model of online platforms has an impact and not only on free and fair competition, but also on our democracies, our security and on the quality of our information,” von der Leyen said, according to The Associated Press. “That is why we need to contain this immense power of the big digital companies.”

Along with the U.S., the EU could “create a digital economy rule book that is valid worldwide,” she added. 

The European Commission in December unveiled sweeping new compliance rules regarding content and competition regulation. 

The Digital Services Act would introduce a series of new EU-wide obligations for companies to remove harmful and illegal content. The Digital Markets Act would establish a series of obligations for digital “gatekeepers” to implement to ensure fair and open digital markets. 

Under the proposed new rules, tech companies that don’t comply could face fines and possible break-up threats. 

A spokesperson for the White House was not immediately available for comment. 

Biden is starting his presidency amid mounting scrutiny over the power of tech giants and the content regulation methods implemented by the platforms. 

During his presidential campaign, Biden said he supported revoking Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act, which grants tech companies a liability shield for content posted on their platform by third parties, but the president has largely not detailed his administration’s plans regarding tech regulation.