Europe pitches tech ‘principles’ to rule the internet

Europe is putting its foot down on how it wants the internet to run. The European Commission presented its so-called Digital Decade Principles aimed at defining the 27-country bloc’s vision of how the digital economy should abide by values such as democracy, privacy, solidarity, freedom of choice and security. It's Europe's attempt at turning its approach to internet governance into the global standard. The text reiterates what the bloc has tried to do using laws and proposals in past years: putting privacy, fundamental rights and strong consumer protection at the heart of technology requirements. It is expected to reference what the European Union has done with its General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and is trying to achieve with new legislation covering areas like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and online platforms. The European Commission also notes in its charter that risks from technology — including artificial intelligence, cyberattacks and mass surveillance — can have “far-reaching effects for citizens, our democratic values, our security. Within the bloc, EU countries including Poland and Hungary have allegedly been using technology to spy on journalists, lawyers and opposition journalists. The text pushes for European governments to put inclusivity and freedom of choice at the core of their own plans to expand the digital economy.