- Mark Zuckerberg in Brussels: let's talk about taxes and regulations
- EU, the White Paper on Artificial Intelligence arrives: moratorium on facial recognition
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17 February 2020 The appointment has already been set: on Wednesday 19 February the European Commission presents the "Digital Package" in Brussels, the first draft of the EU proposal to regulate the sector, in particular on artificial intelligence, including facial recognition, within the broader framework of a digital strategy that could have important consequences for technology giants such as Facebook, Google, Apple, Amazon Microsoft.Facial recognition in the foreground
The presentation of the draft 'white paper' will be followed by statements to the press by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Vice President Margrethe Vestager and Commissioner for the Internal Market and Digital, Thierry Breton. The text is the result of public discussion on how to face the challenges posed by technology as a whole, and should contain restrictive rules on facial recognition: there is talk of a three to five year moratorium in Europe.
Digital Europe
“Europe wants to become the ideal place for the production and use of high quality data to feed artificial intelligence. The need to define a data strategy stems from the fact that 'we are what we eat', even when it comes to data that feeds artificial intelligence: if you eat poor stuff, the algorithm is likely to be too, "he said Commissioner Vestager in a meeting with the press. "But the artificial intelligence package that will be presented on Wednesday will be part of a larger plan that aims to achieve a fully digitalized Europe".
After Google and Microsoft, Facebook arrives
"One of the reasons why we don't have a Facebook or a Tencent is that we have never given European companies a complete single market in which to expand their businesses," said Vestager. And it is no coincidence that Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg, just on the eve of the presentation of the 'Digital package', decided to fly to Brussels to meet the vice president, the commissioner for industry Thierry Breton, as well as the commissioner for values and transparency Vera Jourova.
The visit to Brussels by the founder of the largest social network in the world comes one month after that of Sundar Pichai, head of Alphabet, the parent company of Google - who invited the EU to a "proportionate approach" to regulate the artificial intelligence - and Brad Smith, president of Microsoft.
The 'white paper' of the social network, the EU response
Facebook publishes, just on the day Mark Zuckeberg is in Brussels to meet three key European commissioners for the development of digital, his 'white paper', signed by Monika Bickert, vice president of content policy for Menlo Park. He calls for the development of rules on harmful online content, which should involve legislators, private companies, civil society, users, based on reflections on the freedom of expression, technology and the global nature of the internet.
But Europe is waiting for facts: "I am pleased to see that Facebook's thinking is changing and is more aligned with the European approach on different regulatory aspects. I see Big Tech as part of the solution to the problems that they themselves have contributed to creating "commented EU Commissioner for Transparency Vera Jourova after meeting with Mark Zuckerberg in Brussels. But he also said he expected compliance with the European privacy regulation, with "a strong and diligent application of all these rules, at least in Europe".
Much more incisive, however, Commissioner Thierry Breton: "If all the platforms operating in Europe do not meet the conditions" outlined by the EU to curb hatred and disinformation online, "we will be forced to intervene more severely", is the warning launched after the meeting with the Facebook CEO.