EU Digital Chief Defends Bloc's Tech Regulation

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00:00On your agenda and your calendar this week, I believe you've met already with Tim Cook and Sundar Pichai.

00:06You will meet with leaders like Anthropix, Dario Amadei.

00:11What were those conversations about and what was the focus for your visit?

00:15Especially, of course, I want to meet American tech companies because for them,

00:19the European Union is the biggest external market and many of them,

00:23they are having more users in the European Union than in the USA.

00:26So, of course, it's very important that we have good dialogue with the tech companies.

00:31Especially in the European Union, we want to boost investments and innovations when it comes to technologies

00:37and we want to make sure that, for example, in AI, we are building our own capacities also on AI.

00:42So, especially, we are speaking about our innovation agenda where we are willing to boost investments,

00:48innovations, create one single market, simplify the processes.

00:52So, we want to make Europe faster and easier for businesses.

00:55The top story in the world today is the idea that the President of the United States has made an appeal to Tim Cook

01:02to move production of the iPhone, many millions of iPhones in Europe, from India to the United States.

01:09Does the European Union have an offer to American technology companies to think about moving some of their industrial base to the bloc?

01:18We have, of course, our own strengths when it comes to the European Union.

01:22So, we are a very stable place for investments, of course.

01:27And I think we have also a very predictable regulatory framework also.

01:32And, of course, a very talented workforce.

01:34So, I think these are our great strengths in the European Union.

01:37And we really want to encourage also more investments and innovations in the European Union when it comes to technologies.

01:44Executive Vice President, it's interesting that you say a predictable regulatory environment

01:49because many executives from big tech companies find it a frustrating regulatory environment.

01:56They think that it's too tough.

01:57What would your response be when you're going to meet Mark Zuckerberg, in particular,

02:00who has lobbied the President of the United States, we understand,

02:04because of some of what he sees draconian regulation coming from the EU?

02:07What we want to make sure in the European Union is that we want to have a fair and safe and democratic environment

02:16also when it comes to digital world.

02:19So, we have very clear rules.

02:20So, we don't think that it's good to have, for example, monopolies

02:24because those gatekeepers, they are often blocking them new innovations to enter into the market.

02:30So, we want to make sure that we have fair competition, we have level playing field for everybody.

02:34And also, when it comes to big online platforms, they also have to take the responsibility there

02:40to make sure that they are not, for example, spreading illegal content or selling illegal products.

02:46And they have to take care, of course, for example, of safety when it comes to protection of minors, for example.

02:54So, we have some very important priorities.

02:56Now, we are also discussing with our online platforms.

02:58And especially, the priorities are very much connected to our democratic processes and protection of minors, for example.

03:06And transparency is something that we are also obliging from the very large online platforms

03:11because they have a great economic power nowadays in the world and also a great power in our society.

03:18So, that's why it's important that they are also respecting our rules and values.

03:23And your fines. And you did just levy, what was it, €500 million fine to Apple recently, €200 million to Meta

03:31because you feel that they didn't align themselves with the Digital Markets Act in particular.

03:37But some would say those fines were smaller than expected because we're worried about the repercussions within the tariff negotiation.

03:44How do you respond to that, Executive Vice President, that perhaps you're going softer because suddenly Trump is going harder?

03:50It's not something that we are seeking, that we are posing fines for the companies.

03:57Of course, the main idea is all the time to make sure that everybody is complying with our rules.

04:03And the main tool, how we are working with the digital companies is to have all the time dialogue with them

04:09and look at what we are expecting from them and how they could comply with our rules.

04:14And, of course, all of them are always defending their business interests.

04:19But I think we have also good dialogue with them and constructive discussions.

04:23Executive Vice President, last month Bloomberg reported that President Trump was pressuring Europe

04:29to get rid of the AI code of practice, which is the framework attached to the EU's Artificial Intelligence Act.

04:38What conversations have you had with this administration about that issue?

04:42The administration feels it is too burdensome on U.S. technology companies operating in the block.

04:49It shouldn't be because we see also that it's important that now when we are implementing our AI Act,

04:55that we are doing it in a very innovation-friendly manner.

04:58And code of practice is really something that is supposed to help also businesses and industries and SMEs to comply with our rules.

05:06So we are still finalising code of practice, but there has been months of discussion with the different stakeholders

05:12and public hearings about it, and we are still working on it.

05:15But how we want to implement our AI Act is very much that we want to support our industries and SMEs

05:21to really develop AI in the European Union.

05:24But at the same time, we see that it's important to be aware of the risks.

05:28You brought news with you, and that is the TikTok news today.

05:30The EU says that the TikTok ad system breaks consumer protection rules.

05:36Why? What is your argument?

05:38They haven't been transparent in their actions.

05:41So it's something what is core in our Digital Service Act legislation,

05:45that online platforms, they have to be transparent with their actions.

05:49And that's why we saw that TikTok is not complying with our rules.

05:53So we published preliminary findings today, and now they have time also to review and respond and comply.

06:00We have several investigations going on in a pipeline now.

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