EU meets Facebook founder: Legal regulation of Facebook and other high-tech giants

(Patria) – The founder and CEO of the most famous social network Facebook met on Monday in Brussels with EU representatives to discuss the bloc's new proposals on regulating the field of artificial intelligence.

Mark Zuckerberg is the latest in a series of American high-tech company leaders to visit the EU headquarters, which plays an increasingly significant role in regulating technologies on European territory.

Zuckerberg visited Brussels after warning that future stricter regulations could stifle innovation in the high-tech sector.

During the visit, Zuckerberg met, among others, with Margrethe Vestager, the Executive Vice President of the EU whose portfolio includes EU digital development.

Vestager will announce on Wednesday the first draft of proposed EU regulations on artificial intelligence, including facial recognition, as well as a digital strategy that will have enormous implications for Facebook, Google, and Apple.

Recall, the EU has already introduced and enforces strict privacy rules, which has led to penalizing Google and similar companies with astronomical amounts of several billion dollars.

Zuckerberg previously stated that he believes large tech companies like Facebook need even stricter oversight by relevant governments.

- I believe that legal regulation could harm Facebook in the short term, but ultimately it will be better for everyone, including us.

Facebook representatives believe that tech companies should not be penalized for publishing prohibited/illegal speech because it would be highly impractical to require internet platforms to approve every post, reports Euronews.

They recommend that tech companies establish easily accessible channels through which harmful content can be reported, and that governments should define what constitutes 'harmful content'.

EU representatives who met with Zuckerberg stated after the meetings that he is beginning to accept the European approach to regulating the mentioned field, but that it is not okay for him to shift responsibility to authorities 'because regulations cannot solve every problem'.

- Whether Facebook will be a force for good or evil is not for governments or lawmakers to ensure, commented Vera Jourova, Vice President for Values and Transparency, who also met with the Facebook founder.