Silicon Valley Bonn-based digital expert keeps an eye on Google and Meta

Alexandra Geese, a member of the European Parliament from Bonn, is working with other EU politicians to find out whether internet giants like Google and Meta are complying with the new EU network rules. So far, the reactions of the big companies have been mixed.

 Alexandra Geese, Member of the European Parliament, is from Bonn.

Alexandra Geese, Member of the European Parliament, is from Bonn.

Foto: Benjamin Westhoff

"What is certain is that Europe is a global pioneer regarding digital legislation and is also perceived here in Silicon Valley, in the cradle of the tech industry, as a global standard setter and trailblazer," is the interim conclusion of Bonn MEP Alexandra Geese. The Green Party expert on digital services is currently on a flying visit to the big internet companies in Silicon Valley with other MEPs.

It is something like a trip into the lion's den that members of the EU's Internal Market Committee are currently undertaking. They have just decided to chain up the internet giants, and now they are coming face to face with them. Google, Apple & Co. now have to come to terms with the regulations on digital service providers and digital markets if they want to continue to make billions in business in the EU. If they do not adhere to the new rules, it can become painfully expensive for them, too. Accordingly, the transatlantic need for talks with the MEP group is great.

Special rules for platforms with over 45 million users

It is headed by CDU politician Andreas Schwab, the parliament's chief negotiator for the Digital Market Act. But Geese has also set out to "discuss with the most powerful tech companies what the new European legislation for digital platforms means concretely in terms of implementation", as she said. According to her impression, all companies have already "intensively" dealt with the new EU rules. Geese is convinced that they will dispel the impression of the internet as a lawless space. Orders from national authorities and courts will have to be enforced consistently in the future. Special rules apply to platforms with over 45 million users. This means that large providers such as Google, Meta (Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp) or Twitter will be obliged to check their algorithms for risks to fundamental rights - in other words, how they deal with freedom of expression and non-discrimination.

Different reactions

So far, unfortunately, the opposite has been the case: the loudest and weirdest posts that trigger the most interactions are given more visibility. Up to now, attention has brought a lot of money into the coffers of platforms like Youtube and Facebook, because they can earn more advertising revenue through longer stays. "So far, we have tolerated that the profit interests of powerful corporations undermine social values," regrets the Greens' digital expert. The Digital Service Act would become the new basic law for the internet and would for the first time give independent scientists and non-governmental organisations insight into the mechanisms of the platforms, so that they could assess the risks for society from the outside.

The reactions of the big corporations in California have been mixed so far, Geese reports after the first days of the trip. While some see the new regulations as over-regulation, others have recognised them as „groundbreaking".

A Meta spokeswoman had already made it clear before the trip that companies needed "clear, global rules" to be able to protect transatlantic data traffic in the long term. The impact of the legislation on European business would be monitored on an ongoing basis.

(Original text: Gregor Mayntz; Translation: Mareike Graepel)
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