The European Union on Thursday (14/3) implemented new digital laws to pressure TikTok and seven other platforms over artificial intelligence (AI) risks in the upcoming elections in the 27-country bloc, including from deepfakes. In a series of actions taken under the Digital Services Act (DSA), the European Commission asked TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, X, Google, YouTube, Snapchat and Bing about what they were doing to address the risks.
The commission also announced an official investigation into Chinese internet retailer AliExpress for several alleged violations of the DSA, including the sale of illegal drugs and dietary supplements and not preventing minors from accessing pornography. Additionally, Brussels asked Microsoft’s professional social network, LinkedIn, about how users’ personal information is used to target advertising.
“The DSA is now running at full speed,” after coming into force last year, the EU’s top digital enforcer, commissioner Thierry Breton, posted on social media apps Bluesky and X. “Enforcement teams are fully mobilized,” he said.
Regarding a request for information to eight platforms regarding measures to mitigate the risks of generative AI, the commission said in a statement that it was considering issues, “Such as so-called hallucinations when AI provides false information, the spread of deepfake viruses, as well as automated manipulation of services that could mislead voters.”
Formal requests made to the platform, as well as requests to LinkedIn, do not necessarily mean further action is taken. It depends on the information obtained.
Instead, the investigation into AliExpress gives Brussels the power to dig deeper into its documents and internal processes and take testimony. The extent of such action against a company, depending on the outcome, could potentially expose the company to DSA fines of up to six percent of platform turnover globally or even a ban in particularly severe cases.
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European Commission officials said the focus on generative AI and how big platforms are handling it stems from concerns about how AI could be used to influence voting in June’s European Union elections. “We want to equip ourselves and we want to equip the platforms and warn the platforms to be completely prepared for any kind of incident that may occur in connection with the upcoming elections, especially, of course, the EP (European Parliament) elections,” said one officials to journalists.
The announcement regarding the risks of AI comes a day after the European Parliament voted to adopt new legislation aimed at curbing the abuse of artificial intelligence. The law will come into force once it is officially signed by EU member states.
Overall, Brussels’ legal powers to enforce order in the digital sphere have been greatly enhanced in recent months through the DSA and the Digital Markets Act and the AI ​​Act. The aim is to better protect European citizens and businesses while still encouraging innovation. The combined weight of these laws will likely serve as a guide for other countries to follow, especially Western countries.
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The United States, which has an executive order regarding AI safety standards, could potentially ban TikTok if it remains under the ownership of Chinese company ByteDance. US lawmakers on Wednesday overwhelmingly backed a bill that would ban TikTok unless ByteDance divests from the app within six months. The bill still has to be approved by the upper house of the US Congress.
A European Commission official said of Brussels’ actions including TikTok that, “There is no bullying of China,” taking place at the EU level. All online platforms are given the same treatment under the DSA.
They added that Thursday’s announcement was certainly not the final measure. “There will be more action to come as we continue to work on the material we’ve acquired.” (AFP/Z-2)
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