Earlier this year, Mark Zuckerberg announced that fact-checking on Facebook and Instagram will soon be something of the past. This means everyone must learn how to find real and liable information on social media. All kind of conspiracy theories, fake news and rumours are now totally legal, even though they can cause harm.
The end of fact-checking puts democracy at risk. In an age of misinformation, facts suffer. During the January session, the European Parliament members debated the influence that large tech companies have on our societies today. It seems that left-wing and right-wing parties can not agree on the exact definition of freedom of speech.
The rise of tech giants has challenged the rule of law and regulatory frameworks in many regions, including the EU. These companies, such as Tesla, Google, Apple and Meta, operate across borders, making it difficult for countries to regulate them effectively. This has led to concerns about their influence over markets, political processes, and personal data and their ability to evade certain legal restrictions and the rule of law.
The EU has been proactive in trying to regulate big tech through initiatives like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and, more recently, the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the Digital Services Act (DSA). However, enforcement is complex, and tech giants often have the resources to push back, delay, or navigate around regulations. This can undermine the effectiveness of EU laws and create a sense of unequal treatment, especially when smaller companies are subject to stricter rules.
Many Big Tech companies gather vast amounts of data about their users, raising concerns over privacy and surveillance. The EU has strict rules about data protection, but enforcement can be inconsistent, especially when tech giants operate in multiple jurisdictions. If their data practices are not effectively regulated, these companies could erode individual privacy rights or undermine the liberty of EU citizens.
Given their global reach and influence, tech giants wield significant geopolitical power. Some argue that these companies can undermine EU sovereignty by prioritizing business interests over national or EU-level policies. Their ability to influence public opinion through platforms like social media or by shaping policy debates through lobbying raises concerns about their impact on democratic processes and governance within the EU.
However, what is happening today has happened before. All the phenomena we see around us today have happened before - perhaps in a slightly different way, with slightly different consequences, with different means, on a different scale - but all the same very similar.
Politicians and opinionmakers squealing about the dangers of immigration? It has been done before. Super-rich oligarchs who turn out to be racists and supporters of authoritarian regimes? We have seen it before. Crooks spreading extreme, unscientific lies and propaganda to the vulnerable masses. It happened before.
A leader who constantly lies, repeats the same catchy phrases over and over again, attacks the media, and demands total submission and loyalty? Nothing original, all dictators did the same. Victor Klemperer has described all these tricks in detail almost seventy years ago. And what about all those everyday citizens who suddenly fall victim to such leaders, unbelievable conspiracy theories and rampant scaremongering?
In 2017, Timothy Snyder published "On Tyranny". The book describes what 20th-century history teaches us about authoritarianism and the dangers that threaten liberal democracy. The author, horrified by Trump's first election, explains the similarities between the MAGA movement and the fascist movements of the 20th century in their messages, behaviours, promises, and rhetoric. As he writes, "Americans are no wiser than the Europeans who saw democracy yield to fascism, Nazism and communism. Our one advantage is that we might learn from their experience." Yet to be confirmed.
Picture : Unsplash - Colton Duke
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