Members of the European Parliament (EP) approved the Digital Service Act, a new EU law on tech rules to tackle illegal content and hold online platforms accountable.
The EP gave the green light to the trilogue negotiations between the EU member states and Parliament. The Commission will coordinate, and there is a chance to adopt the law's final version by the end of the French Presidency.
Europe has finally spoken up
"Europe has finally spoken up to stop Big Tech from using surveillance advertising. The European Parliament stood up for fundamental rights of the European citizens. This vote means that our digital future is built on the freedoms and values that will ensure the internet is a safe, predictable and trusted environment where freedom of expression and privacy are both respected and protected", said Eva Simon, senior advocacy officer at Civil Liberties Of Europe.
"With the vote, European lawmakers saved us from last minute amendments to reintroduce upload filters, and obligations to remove content even while the legality of the content is under discussion. It would have been a menace to free speech, healthy debates, and fair elections."
On targeted ads: the protection of vulnerable groups and children is a great step towards a safe digital environment. It is welcomed that members of the European Parliament want to put an end to dark patterns, and they expressed their willingness to stop the abusive data harvesting targeting method by big platforms.
Enforcement will be key
But the challenging part is still yet to come in the trilogue, the final agreement between the Council and the Parliament. The parties will have to fine-tune the law and adopt more safeguards for fundamental rights while pushing back all Big Tech lobby. Moreover, the enforcement of the law is still a question. The enforcement of the law will depend on independent, well-staffed, and properly financed authorities.
Citizens will very much rely on national authorities and the European Commission. Strong and meaningful enforcement will be key to protect the fundamental rights of people.
