US Tech Giants Need To Be Vigilant, EU Tightens Rules On Illegal Content!

JAKARTA - The European Union (EU) has agreed to launch new rules to curb the power of the United States (US) tech giant in its countries, and force them to provide strict supervision of illegal content on social media.

While social media companies have worried enough, they will have to finalize the final details with EU lawmakers, who have proposed tougher rules and higher fines.

The head of the EU's Competition Unit Margrethe Vestager has proposed two rules - the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the Digital Services Act (DSA) - targeting Amazon, Apple, parent company Alphabet Google and Facebook out of frustration with the slow pace of antitrust investigations.

Under the rules of the Digital Markets Act, it has a list of do's and don'ts for online gatekeepers, under which companies controlling data and access to their platforms are enforced with fines of up to 10 percent of global turnover.

Meanwhile, the Digital Services Act (DSA) is forcing tech giants to do more to tackle illegal content on their platforms, with fines of up to 6 percent of global turnover for non-compliance.

The general position adopted by EU countries follows the main points proposed by Vestager, with some adjustments, with the European Commission as the main enforcer of the new rules.

Despite initial proposals that France would give the national watchdog more powers. The negotiations are expected to begin next year, with the rules likely to be adopted in 2023.

"The proposed DMA demonstrates our willingness and ambition to regulate big technology and will hopefully become a worldwide trend," said Slovenian Minister of Economic and Technological Development Zdravko Počivalšek as quoted by Reuters on Friday, November 26.

Changes agreed by EU countries include new obligations on technology companies that increase end-user rights to unsubscribe from core platform services, and shorten deadlines and increase criteria for appointing gatekeepers.