Von der Leyen warns massive know-how firms that the EU “will not delegate child protection to Silicon Valley” | Economy | EUROtoday

The severe threats from the President of the United States, Donald Trump, concerning Greenland have, for now, overshadowed the conflict between Washington and the massive North American know-how firms with the European Union. But that is certainly not a resolved challenge, as has been seen this starting of the yr with Grok, the factitious intelligence instrument of the social community X that creates sexualized photos of girls and kids. An episode that has led the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to challenge a transparent warning: “We will not outsource child protection and consent to Silicon Valley. If they do not act, we will.”

“I am horrified that a technological platform allows users to digitally undress women and children on the Internet. It is inconceivable behavior. And the damage caused by this is very real,” Von der Leyen mentioned in a dialog with a small group of European media, together with EL PAÍS.

The matter attracts much less consideration than the forcible seize of Venezuelan Nicolás Maduro in Caracas. Or the following threats made by Trump that “by hook or by crook” he’ll take over Greenland (an autonomous territory belonging to Denmark, a member nation of the EU). The head of the Community Executive, who visited the Arctic island final yr, assumes that “of course, security in the Arctic is a European issue that matters enormously.”

But, deep down, there may be not that a lot distance between the Greenland challenge, the seize of Maduro or the open conflict with know-how firms and the US Administration over European regulation. It’s all about sovereignty. Because what Washington and the massive know-how firms demand is that the EU make its digital regulation extra versatile (rules on digital markets, digital companies, information or Artificial Intelligence), guidelines authorised by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU, based mostly on the sovereign jurisdiction of the 27 EU Member States.

X, la pink social propiedad de Elon Musk —uno de los tecno-magnates del círculo de Trump, el más cercano al presidente—, y dueña de la herramienta de inteligencia synthetic Grok, ya fue el motivo de un choque importante entre las dos orillas del Atlántico en diciembre. The European Commission fined the corporate 120 million for failing to adjust to the digital companies regulation (DSA) and Trump himself described the sanction as “disgusting.” This week Brussels has requested X to retain all documentation associated to the creation of sexualized photos of girls and kids till the top of this yr to research what occurred.

This final chapter has not solely provoked Von der Leyen’s response. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer, additionally described it as “disgusting.” And his Swedish counterpart, Ulf Kristersson, acknowledged emphatically: “The world needs fewer idiots.” She was referring to the episode suffered by her quantity two, Ebba Busch, when a picture of her in a bikini created by Grok was revealed.

In addition to this, Von der Leyen, in a evaluation of the problems of this starting of the yr, has additionally spoken about Trump’s threats to Greenland. The president of the Commission has not moved from the argument heard nowadays in Brussels: “Greenland belongs to its people. It is up to Denmark and Greenland, and only them, to decide on the issues that concern Denmark and Greenland. Nothing about them without them,” she famous, after which assume that safety within the Arctic, the primary argument that the Republican president exposes to defend his expansionist aspirations, “of course it matters.”

A brand new journey to India is highlighted on the agenda of the President of the Commission for 2026. He will do it on the finish of this month and will probably be the second he has achieved in lower than a yr. In February 2025, he traveled there with the President of the European Council, António Costa, and a lot of commissioners to carry a high-level assembly and toughen commerce negotiations between the 2 events. “My ambition and that of Narendra Modi [primer ministro de India] “It is having the agreement ready to sign,” says the German.

Von der Leyen units this goal simply within the week by which the EU Council gave its approval to the signing of the pact with Mercosur. It hasn’t been simple in any respect. The French opposition has made Brussels put its all into convincing Italy, proposing to the agricultural sector a number of concessions such because the advance of funds for the Common Agricultural Policy within the subsequent multiannual finances of the EU or lowering tariffs for the import of fertilizers.

“In addition to all the added economic value – the largest free trade area in the world, with 700 million inhabitants – the signal that the EU-Mercosur agreement sends is the most important. The signal that it is possible today to have this agreement, to support each other, to have an equal partnership, is a true win-win situation,” Von der Leyen remarks.

At a time when the EU is in search of dependable allies, the Commission additionally has ongoing negotiations (along with the settlement with India) with Mexico, Australia and “soon”, says Von der Leyen, with the United Arab Emirates.