European Film Industry Heavyweights Call for Regulation of Tech Giants in Trump Era

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Prominent figures from Europe’s cinema world have endorsed a plea for stricter control over international technology giants, following the election of Donald Trump and the backing of his administration by tech moguls such as Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk.

A petition named “Protect Our Democracies from Tech Companies,” initiated on January 24th, has accumulated over a thousand signatures from European industry professionals, among whom are renowned figures like Oscar-winning actress Juliette Binoche and director Volker Schlöndorff, multiple Palme d’Or winners Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, as well as filmmakers Marjane Satrapi, Rebecca Złotowski, and Jessica Hausner from the art house scene.

Distinguished personalities from the European film and cultural scene, such as Alberto Barbera, who heads the Venice Film Festival, and Elfriede Jelinek, a Nobel Prize-winning Austrian writer, have added their signatures to the Change.org petition.

The petition expresses concern about how long we’ll continue to accept the defiance of European laws by digital powers from the U.S., Russia, and China, who are seemingly undermining our democracies. Specifically, it highlights an escalating attack on European digital rules by American tech companies, whose intention, according to the petition, is to enable unchecked dissemination of misinformation, harmful speech, incitements to violence, and misleading conspiracy theories.

The petition highlights multiple digital platforms for suspected breaches of European laws, such as Musk’s X, Meta (previously Facebook) led by Zuckerberg, which halted its fact-checking service in the U.S. while continuing to adhere to mandatory fact-checking in Europe, data privacy concerns related to TikTok owned by China, and the proliferation of illegal content on Telegram, a social media network founded by Russian software developer Pavel Durov.

In contrast to the U.S., which has minimal legal barriers for digital companies, the EU has established several laws aimed at enforcing European regulations regarding data privacy and prohibiting harmful content such as hate speech.

The democratic systems in Europe are facing a new danger as digital platforms are being exploited to sow chaos or undermine democracy. Elon Musk has been open about his support for extremist groups in both the U.K. and Germany, often criticizing government officials on Twitter. During the weekend, Musk contributed to the official start of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party by joining their event remotely via video link.

To guarantee a fair, equitable, and safeguarding digital governance for every citizen across Europe, we need widespread public action,” the petition finishes. “Let’s unite in asking for a digital environment that reflects our principles and upholds our rights.

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2025-01-29 21:24