Written statement on the Need to enforce the Digital Services Act to protect democracy on social media platforms including against foreign interference and biased algorithms
Rampant disinformation, vitriolic hate speech and blatant foreign interference: that is the gloomy reality we encounter when scrolling through social media these days.
And some in this house seem to relish this toxic stew.
Do you really think that our societies will prosper if we sacrifice the civility of our public discourse and compromise our elections at the altar of a twisted interpretation of free speech?
For us as S&D, it is clear that this is the time to stand up for our values and protect European consumers.
That is why we are concerned with the Commission’s silence in recent weeks.
When one of our flagship laws is attacked and our democracies suffer, the Commission, as the guardian of our treaties, cannot remain silent.
If we give in on the DSA, the GDPR or the DMA may be next.
If American Big Tech wants to access the European market, it has to play by our rules.
We have the tools to protect European democracy and Europeans.
The Commission should deploy the full force of the DSA, swiftly wrap up its investigations and apply appropriate penalties where necessary.
Let’s step up and face this challenge together as a Union!
