Europe must defend its citizens from the abuses of large corporations
The European Commission has opened an investigation into the Chinese company Shein for alleged violations of EU regulations due to the addictive design of its website, the lack of transparency in its recommendation systems, and the sale of illegal products, such as child-like sex dolls. This is an important step in defending the rights of European consumers, who often find themselves defenseless against large Chinese or American corporations that disregard EU regulations and, frequently, even flout them. In Shein's case, it is clear that the sale of sex dolls with childlike features cannot be permitted because that would be tantamount to promoting pedophilia. But the Commission's warning to Shein that it cannot create addictive effects in shoppers with techniques such as awarding more points for browsing time is particularly interesting, because online shopping addiction has long been identified as a problem that needs to be addressed.
On the same day the European Commission made this announcement, Spanish President Pedro Sánchez asked the Public Prosecutor's Office to investigate major US tech companies like Meta and X for allowing their respective AI tools to create child pornography. It's far from clear how far the Spanish justice system can go in this matter, but what is evident is that it's time for the European Union to take action and set limits for these large corporations. Exactly the same limits that are set for all other companies. If Europeans have decided to protect children and combat pedophilia, we must be able to do so regardless of the size or origin of the companies.
The EU is often criticized for excessive regulation that can reduce competitiveness, but it's also true that many of these rules aim to protect citizens. And in fact, these large corporations spend a lot of money trying to circumvent any regulations that limit their activities. And in a world where it seems the only universal language that works is that of force, Europe must assert its economic weight and represent a market of 500 million consumers.
It goes without saying that Brussels has been remarkably lenient with these large corporations until now. It has allowed them to exploit legal loopholes to engage in large-scale tax avoidance, has permitted them to maintain monopolistic positions, and has encountered significant difficulties in compelling them to pay the multimillion-euro fines it has imposed. But at a time when European strategic autonomy has become an imperative, we can no longer turn a blind eye. Let's also consider what is happening globally. If Trump's United States has forced the Chinese company TikTok to sell its US operations, and China is hindering European companies seeking to establish themselves there, don't we have the right to defend our commercial interests and the system of values that defines us as Europeans?
