The Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen has high hopes for European plans to develop new rules for online corporations. The Digital Services Act (DSA) has the potential to set global standards, Haugen said on Monday at a hearing in the European Parliament in Brussels.
Possible role model for the USA
It could induce other countries – including the USA – to introduce new rules, she stressed. “But the law must be formulated strongly and implemented consistently. Otherwise we will miss the opportunity to reconcile the future of technology and democracy.” Such opportunities exist only once per generation. The EU could establish rules that contain the risks posed by online platforms and at the same time protect freedom of speech. “You can show the world how transparency and oversight must work.”
The former Facebook employee Haugen downloaded a large collection of internal documents and made them available to the US Congress, authorities and selected media. According to her, the information shows that the group puts profits above the well-being of its users. The Facebook group Meta rejects the allegations.
At the Brussels hearing, the company emphasized in a blog entry, among other things, that current developments do not support the thesis that Facebook and other social media are the reason for the polarization of society. In the elections in the Netherlands and Germany, for example, parties in the democratic center increased and “support for more divisive parties stagnated or declined” – while Facebook is widely used in these countries.
Far-reaching EU plans
The pillars of the EU plans are the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the Digital Services Act (DSA). The law for digital markets (DMA) deals with the aspects of competition law. The DSA addresses social issues. Before the proposals of the EU Commission are implemented, the EU states and the European Parliament still have to agree on a line.
(mho)
– .
