EU chief invites US to work on big tech regulation

BRUSSELS: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday urged the United States under President Joe Biden to work with Brussels on regulating the tech giants.

"Together, we could create a digital economy rulebook that is valid worldwide: from data protection and privacy to the security of critical infrastructure," she said in a videolink address to the World Economic Forum.

"A body of rules based on our values: Human rights and pluralism, inclusion and the protection of privacy."

The EU in December unveiled landmark draft legislation aimed at curbing the power of the internet behemoths that could shake up the way Silicon Valley can operate in the 27-nation bloc.

The move comes as big tech companies are facing increasing scrutiny around the globe, including in the United States, where Google and Facebook are facing antitrust suits.

Regulators worldwide are pushing to rein in the ability of firms to dominate markets and are pushing to make them more accountable for content published online.

"The business model of online platforms has an impact 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.

"That is why we need to contain this immense power of the big digital companies."

She said the storming of the Capitol in the US highlighted "the darker sides of the digital world" in spreading hate speech and misinformation.

But she insisted there should be legislation governing issues of free speech online and that those choices should be not left to the tech firms.

"No matter how tempting it may have been for Twitter to switch off President Trump's account, such serious interference with freedom of expression should not be based on company rules alone," the EU chief said.

"There needs to be a framework of laws for such far-reaching decisions."