The European Union is almost as happy as the Americans who wanted a respite from Trump’s chaotic ruling style. It hailed Joe Biden’s inauguration as the United States president as a ‘new dawn.’ However, the EU also insisted that US tech companies need to be regulated.
The EU hopes to stop the ‘dark forces’ of hate speech from being spread online.
The EU and the US are the top trading partners of this world, along with China. Their close cultural and historical connection is mirrored in everything, including business and defense. However, Donald Trump sidelined the EU, even championing the Brexit fiasco.
Related: Europe wants to work with new US administration on tech governance
In the words of Von der Leyen
The EU’s chief executive and chairman, Ursula Von der Leyen, expressed how relieved she was after four years of the ‘America First’ policy instituted by the Republican government. She also told the European Parliament that shaping the new global digital regulation and the US should be paramount.
She said that the new dawn in America is what the EU has been waiting for.
Even with that, she cautioned that the European leadership’s sense of relief should not lead to making illusions. Trump may have left in disgrace (impeached twice and left office more unpopular than any president in history), but his followers remain.
Unity is the only option
Von der Leyen acknowledged that it might not be possible to completely uproot all the dark forces that led to the US Capital’s storming on January 6th. However, she added that hate speech and fake news must not circulate with such abandon on the internet.
EU lawmakers are debating new policies aimed at controlling the digital world. They could have implications for big tech operations. However, without big tech companies of their own, their antitrust and privacy laws can only go so far. The US will have to work it out too.
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