The country of origin principle is set out in EU antitrust
chief Margrethe Vestager's draft rules known as the Digital Services Act which
requires US tech giants to do more to police the internet for illegal and
harmful content.
The principle means Ireland is responsible for regulating
Apple, Alphabet unit Google and Facebook because they have their European
headquarters there while Amazon is subject to Luxembourg's supervision.
France and a few other countries are seeking to broaden the
scope, worried that enforcement concentrated in just two countries may weaken
the rules and also slow down decision-making.
Lawmaker Christel Schaldemose, who is steering the DSA
through the European Parliament and has power to amend or add other provisions
to it, supports the act's core proposal.
"It makes sense to keep the country of origin
principle," she told Reuters in an interview.
Schaldemose however wants to go one step further than
Vestager by including a ban on some targeted advertising in the DSA.
"Targeted advertisements that are based on your
behaviour on Facebook, for instance, that should not be allowed. Advertisements
based on the fact that you have visited websites for buying shoes and things
like that, classic commercial advertisements should probably be allowed,"
she said.
Schaldemoe said she hopes to finalise her draft with other
lawmakers in the next two months so she can thrash out a deal with EU countries
next year before the proposed rules can be implemented. -Reuters