Put the tech giants, fight against foreign interference and cyber attacks, counter the manipulation of information, support the development of a European artificial intelligence ecosystem in the face of American and Chinese compressors … The files including the new vice-president of the European Commission, Henna Virkkunen, inherited are burning. This Finnish who took over part of the portfolio of the former French commissioner Thierry Breton is not a novice in Brussels. Former European deputy of the PPE -The European right -, she has been sailing for ten years in the spans of the European Parliament, took part in the Commission of Inquiry into Spy Software like Pegasus and contributed to the many debates on the place of artificial intelligence engraved in Act. She grants L’Express her first interview in France.
Your portfolio includes “technological sovereignty, security and democracy”. Would you say that democracy is threatened by social networks?
Henna virkkunen Social networks offer the potential to improve debate and participation in our democracies. However, as we have seen recently in Romania or Germany, there are also risks. Let us not forget that what you see on your screen is the result of an algorithm. In fact, the one who is responsible for algorithm has a lot of influence on public opinion. Its operation must therefore be transparent. Free and fair elections are the essence of democratic systems. The Commission remains firmly committed to promoting and protecting democracy throughout the EU, including to help guarantee the integrity of electoral processes. Although elections are still a national competence, under Digital Services Act [DSA]very large online platforms – those with 45 million or more users in the EU – must assess and alleviate a certain number of risks posed by their services. We have already opened a formal survey on the way in which X, Tiktok and Meta manage the risks for civic discourse and elections, and we will continue to examine the evidence that emerges in the context of these investigations.
A formal procedure was opened against X in December 2023. Do you not have enough elements to make a decision?
We build solid files, based on solid evidence. There has been no break or delay in the commission’s execution actions, including with X. The Commission has always applied and will continue to apply our laws fairly, respecting all procedural rights and without discrimination against all companies operating in the EU, in full compliance with global rules.
Investigations take time. At the risk of passing the European Union for weak and helpless?
The EU is respected internationally for having set high standards in terms of online freedom and security. It is not weakness. In fact, I would say that this is one of our greatest forces. We must not rush but ensure that we have solid evidence to support our conclusions. If we made decisions that we could not justify before the courts, we would sapet our international credibility and, above all, would weaken the confidence of citizens in our work.
You argue that Europe should not impose a method to regulate social networks. Isn’t that a little naive?
I repeat: the platforms operating in the EU must respect our rules. It is up to them to determine how they comply to guarantee a safe online experience for all European users. For example, they must assess the risks that their services can present for minors in the EU or for public security and public health, and take appropriate measures to mitigate them. The DSA does not prescribe what these measures should be, as long as they are effective. Our role, as a commission, is to examine them and ensure that this is the case.
How does your vision of freedom of expression differ from that of Elon Musk?
Freedom of expression is a fundamental value of the EU. I want to be clear: nothing in the DSA obliges online platforms to delete legal content. This text introduces mechanisms allowing users to challenge it when this happens. It also exempts the platforms from any responsibility for the illegal content published by third parties if they are not aware of this content. It is precisely to prevent them from deleting too much content! However, we want online platforms to follow rules with regard to illegal content, just as we have rules for this type of offline content. And we want them to give access to data so that researchers can understand how their algorithms give priority to certain content.
Donald Trump has relaunched his trade war against Europe by first targeting steel and aluminum. As a retaliation, could Europe target large American technological companies? For example, by strengthening Digital Services Act?
Let me remind you that the United States and the European Union are the largest business partners with each other. The trade in goods and services between the EU and the United States reached 1,600 billion euros in 2023. This means that every day, goods and services worth 4.4 billion euros cross the Atlantic between the EU and the United States. And it is important to recognize that, contrary to what is sometimes affirmed, the trade in goods and services between the EU and the United States is very balanced. Digital Services Act and Digital Market Act [DMA] are EU laws adopted by democratic processes to protect our citizens and promote competition within the EU. These are not business instruments. They are and will be applied impartially for the benefit of European citizens, regardless of the place where a company has its headquarters, as long as it exercises its activities in the EU.
Europe has invested 200 billion euros in data centers, France more than 100 billion, but they will be filled with American chips, manufactured in Asia. Are the ia chips the weak point of the European strategy in matters of artificial intelligence?
It is true that IA chips pose a challenge for European strategy, but they are not necessarily a weak point. Although most of the advanced equipment operating in European data centers is designed outside the continent and manufactured in Asia, Europe remains a key player in the global value chain of semiconductors. I believe that Europe has everything it takes to succeed. But to achieve this, we need speed and unity. We can count on leading expertise in semiconductor manufacturing technologies, research and materials, all essential for the production of AI fleas.
In addition, the EU plays a pivotal role in advanced lithography, providing critical tools that allow the manufacture of advanced processors. European research institutions are leading innovation in semiconductors, working on new generation flea architectures and collaborating with world industry leaders. In addition, Europe has a solid base of innovative start-ups in the field of high technologies, promoting an ecosystem that will also support the development of specialized equipment for AI. Finally, rather than focusing solely on the location of flea production, it is important to recognize the wider role that Europe plays in the definition of the future of AI material. Although challenges remain, the strategic position of Europe in key parts of the semiconductor value chain gives it influence and opportunities as the industry evolves.
Many votes in Europe ask to soften the Act Act which supervises the development of artificial intelligence on the continent. What do you answer them?
That we have too much bureaucracy in the European Union and heaviness! We will see how to reduce them. Regarding ACT, I will implement it favorable to innovation.
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