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Sweden has been pushing for a tougher line in the EU against internet companies like Google and Facebook for some time when it comes to fraudulent and illegal material posted on their platforms.
In a series of articles, Dagens Nyheter has examined how fake ads lure small savers to fraud and risky investments. It is not uncommon for victims to lose all of their savings.
Despite the phenomenon of counterfeiting Ads have been known for many years, they continue to appear on Facebook, through Google’s advertising system, and even on Twitter.
Digitization Minister Anders Ygeman says companies are not doing enough to stop it.
– I do not doubt that companies do a lot, but it is not enough and the arguments become a bit hollow when you see what income is generated in these companies. And, in a sense, companies have prioritized one over another.
You mean, like, crackers and the like, huh?
– Yes, says Anders Ygeman.
On December 9, the European Commission will present a package of legislative proposals on digital services. Anders Ygeman hopes that the Swedish requirements will be included: that companies are jointly responsible for the content published on their platforms, that they are obliged to download illegal content and also keep illegal content out.
– We also want stricter requirements to be introduced to confirm the identity of corporate clients so that it is easier for consumers to make demands and report companies that abuse the services of the platforms and thus also be able to block those who engage in this type.
Companies that do not comply with the new laws you should be liable to heavy fines.
– It must be a fine of the order of magnitude that the fine is greater than the income you can get, so I also think that the reputational losses that these large social media companies will do for this will increase.
It is unclear how the potential legislation will work, whether it will be at national or EU level, and by whom and how it will be controlled.
Anders Ygeman believes that the threat of legislation as such will have the greatest effect.
– The knowledge that large fines can be paid both with the economic consequences of large companies will lead to a significant degree of behavior changes in companies.
Anders Ygeman says Sweden has the support of several EU countries for stricter requirements for companies, including Germany, France and the Netherlands. Any new law can be in effect in at least 1.5 years.
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