Grok/AI: 54 MEPs urge VDL to ‘build European social media now’
Tomorrow, MEPs will debate the urgent need to tackle AI deepfakes and sexual exploitation on social media by fully enforcing the EU’s digital rules. Ahead of the debate, Greens/EFA MEP Alexandra Geese and Renew MEP Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová initiated a joint letter signed by 54 Members of the European Parliament from EPP, S&D, Renew, Greens/EFA, and The Left. The letter, addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, urges the Commission to ‘build European social media now’.
Greens/EFA MEP Alexandra Geese, Member of the Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield and the ITRE Committee, comments:
“Hundreds of thousands of offensive deepfake images have been generated, with children and women suffering irreparable damages. The European Commission is doing nothing to combat this. We have the DSA and very clear legislation to combat CSAM, but no courage to enforce it. Appalling predators are free to commit crimes and build a business on sexual violence - as long as they‘re tech oligarchs allied with the Trump administration. The Commission President Von der Leyen called this content unacceptable, but doesn‘t lift a finger to protect European women and children.“
More:
In our letter, we call on the European Commission to:
- Invest in private European initiatives supporting homegrown social media innovation,
- Enable the development of user-centric, European-owned platform alternatives,
- Guarantee users robust portability rights for their posts, connections, and interactions.
This appeal is set against a backdrop of intensifying transatlantic tension, increasing concern in Europe over dependence on US tech infrastructure, and mounting pressure on European tech law from US stakeholders, including the current administration and major technology companies.
Please find the letter again here: https://extranet.greens-efa-service.eu/public/media/file/1/9172
