EU Sees Deal On Big Tech Rules Policing Content Coming In April

A deal between EU countries and the European Parliament that would require tech giants to do more to police content on their platforms could be finally clinched next month, EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager said on Monday.

Vestager proposed the Digital Services Act, (DSA) which forces tech giants to do more to tackle illegal content or risk fines up to 6% of their global turnover, just over a year ago.

EU lawmakers and national governments are now thrashing out the details, with debates remaining over the definition of an online marketplace subject to the rules and the criteria for banning targeted advertisements.

“There is a very strong momentum to get things done. And the leadership of the French presidency may allow us to finalise the Digital Services Act before the end of April. But if we work hard, and we’re lucky, it may be possible,” Vestager told Reuters in an interview.

Vestager last week secured the green light from EU countries and EU lawmakers for her other landmark proposal, called the Digital Markets Act (DMA), targeting big tech like Google, Amazon, Apple, Meta and Microsoft.

The DMA sets out a list of do’s and don’ts and gives companies designated as online gatekeepers, which control access and data on their platforms, six months to comply with the rules. Businesses, however, say that is too short for such complex legislation. Vestager has said there would be no extensions, as companies are aware of what constitutes anti-competitive practices.

“Well, actually I think we in our work and the companies should be very happy that we have six months because it was one of the things that were intensively discussed during the negotiations,” she said.

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