Debate contributions by Kim VAN SPARRENTAK

Madam President, at only 14 years old, Roos became a victim of sextortion via Snapchat. A stranger had made fake naked images of her and if she didn't pay, he threatened he would ruin her life. This type of deepfake technology is an enormous danger for the safety of everyone, and especially harms women and young girls. Now, with Grok integrated in social media and many other deep new tools topping search engine outcomes, committing a sexual crime is just two clicks away. How many women still have to find AI-driven deepfakes of themselves in the most disgusting, hateful, graphic scenes just to intimidate, humiliate, blackmail or silence them? Last week, over 50 MEPs from the broad coalition supported a ban on deep new technology. Today I ask you again, Commissioner Virkkunen, will you ensure that women and children are safe in Europe online and offline? Will you ban all AI that facilitates image-based sexual violence in Europe under Article 5 of the AI act?

Mr President, rapporteur, shadow rapporteurs, Commissioner, if you thought only Uber drivers are managed by an app, you are mistaken. Algorithmic management has spread across the entire labour market. In Amazon warehouses, every movement is dictated by algorithms. Call-centre workers receive real-time feedback on their emotions, and office workers have their keystrokes tracked. The European Commission is setting goals to incorporate AI in as many applications as possible – amazing if it takes boring and repetitive tasks away; problematic if it's used to erode workers' rights. We can't treat the introduction of algorithmic management like just another update that's installed. Workers need to be informed and consulted. In the age of AI, workers should still have the right to know how a decision about them is made. Workers should still have the right to explanations and reviews of these decisions. And workers should be protected from their bosses tracking their Spotify to learn about their emotional state or period-tracking apps to know if they are expecting a child. Nine out of ten Europeans, according to Eurobarometer, support rules on algorithmic management. So now it's up to us. Will we vote in favour of this tomorrow?

Mr President, last week, champagne was popped in big tech's headquarters – their business model, based on stealing people's deeply personal information to train AI, will finally be legal in the EU. And while chatbots are emotionally abusing people and even recommending children to take their own lives, our Commission decides to weaken our AI laws. Honestly, Vice-President, I am really disappointed. Rediscussing our tech laws and rolling out the red carpet for big tech's business model is a deep bow to Trump and his tech broligarchy, and a big loss for European citizens and companies. And what do you get in return? Days later, US State Secretary Lutnick asking to settle outstanding cases against Microsoft, Google and Amazon. It will never be enough for Trump. We know the DMA and DSA are next on their wish list. EPP, let's be sensible. Innovation isn't stealing data and exploiting resources. True innovation is choosing our own way, developing the most safe, privacy friendly and energy-efficient technology in the world in Europe.

Madam President, rapporteur and fellow shadows, Commissioners, colleagues, this is a historic vote. A broad majority in this Parliament says 'enough is enough'! We need to ban the addictive, personalised recommender systems based on clicks and interaction for children. And Parliament repeats: we need to ban harmful, addictive design for everyone. We will no longer tolerate that big tech companies profit over the demise of our mental health, society and youngsters. We know the harm the online environment brings to kids. Social media are swamps that drag us into worlds that promote radicalisation, self-harm or eating disorders. We know screen time is going through the roof, with 1 in 4 children displaying behavioural patterns mirroring smartphone addiction – with huge risks for children's development, attention span and health. We know chat rooms of online video games are too easy a gateway for groomers. We know chatbots have recommended young people to take their own lives. We have the knowledge, and now we need the political will to demand from these big corporations that they make the internet a safe place again. Colleagues, it's up to us. Do we allow these big corporations to continue as they want? Or do we take the opportunity of the upcoming Digital Fairness Act to make the internet safe, for once and for all?

Mr President, in this geopolitical reality, Europe cannot afford to be naïve. The way Big Tech's recommender systems work is the perfect handshake between tech-capitalism, foreign actors and the far right. Anti-democratic actors form global alliances. They spread disinformation, outrage and fear to drive us apart, and Big Tech's polarising algorithms spread these messages like a virus to make us feel bad and anxious and keep us glued to our screen, and the tech bros, they just profit from all of this. It has become way too easy for Putin, Xi Jinping and Trump to manipulate our public debates using the manipulation machines in our pockets. Online controversy then trickles down offline to our talk shows, political debates and elections. The Romanian elections already taught us the hard way just how easy it is to turn a whole election via TikTok. Still, after a year, no action from the Commission against TikTok. Commissioner, it's time to really step up and defend our democracies. From right to left, in the European Parliament, there is more support than ever to do so. Please ban manipulative recommender systems based on profiling and engagement.

Mr President, Trump threatened tariffs if we did not repeal our European tech laws. A week later, there was a billion-dollar fine from Europe for Google. This is the strong answer I want to see in this unstable geopolitical time: stand up against that tech-broligarchy that thinks it can make up the world. Because Google almost has a monopoly on the entire online advertising system. They sell ads based on the non-stop tracking of your surfing behavior. They know if you're poor or sick, if you're single, what your type is, and then they auction your data and your attention to show you ads. As a true monopolist, Google is also doing everything it can to exclude competitors. They organize the entire advertising system entirely to their own advantage. As if you have already agreed with the buyer, the seller and the auctioneer in advance at an auction and secretly keep in touch about the highest bid. That's no one else's way of getting in. And so we never get European companies that do offer fair and ethical advertisements, for example based on context instead of tracking. Fortunately, Europe is now clear: This is an illegal abuse of power. What's also unfair is that an increasing proportion of the world's advertising budgets are disappearing into Google's deep pockets, rather than going to newspapers, news providers, or your local sports club. This must stop, for the free press and for the support of local initiatives. I am glad that the Commission is intervening, but as far as I am concerned, we are now just breaking through and breaking up that entire advertising market, and making room for European and fair alternatives.

Mr President, Commissioner, colleagues, it's pretty clear that the Trump administration and his tech-bro cheer squad aren't fans of our digital rulebook. But before the Commission listens to the tech lobby and decides to chainsaw Europe's AI and privacy rules, let's do a little fact check. AI to detect diseases and discover new medicines? Perfectly allowed under European tech rules and not covered by the AI Act. AI to make production processes more sustainable and less wasteful? Allowed under European rules and not high-risk under the AI Act. Using AI and its outputs in research and innovation? Completely exempted from the AI Act – and, actually, we encourage all of this. Sure, some things are not allowed. AI companionship, or chatbots recommending you commit suicide? No, that's not allowed under European tech rules. LinkedIn and Meta using all your data to train their AI systems unless you opt out (but they're making it really hard)? No, that's also not allowed under European tech rules. Because in Europe we ensure that AI is safe, and technology actually contributes to people, society and the environment, while fostering innovation. So, the question is: will the Commission be fooled by tech CEOs and their top lobbyist, Donald Trump? Or will the Commission stand up for European tech companies and the citizens of Europe? Because don't be fooled: the people who will benefit from slashing AI or privacy rules are big tech, and not your promising, innovative EU companies. With clear and strong rules, Europe will create the best, most safe and most accurate AI in the world, without being locked into systems that turn out to fail, steal or discriminate. Rules foster innovation.

Madam President, did you know that Chancellor Merz went to Canada this summer to shoot polar bear cubs? No? Good – because that means the Kremlin's latest disinformation campaign did not reach you. Why would Russia spread such a ridiculous story, you might ask? Well, it's easier to sway an election than to win a war. So undermining democratic European leaders is part of their playbook. I'm happy that the Commission will work on mapping these kinds of disinformation campaigns more efficiently, but when is the Commission finally taking action against the spread of disinformation? When is the Commission finally putting an end to the fact that we are all carrying addictive manipulation machines in our pockets? We need to ban addictive design features and divisive recommender systems to make the internet safe for everyone, minors and adults alike. After their latest updates, generative AI models only produce more disinformation and, meanwhile, the Commission is flirting with the idea of reopening the AI Act – the only protection we have. Commissioner, only ambitious and decisive action will protect both our citizens and our democracies.

Mr President, to keep Europe going, we are spending more than EUR 2 trillion per year through public procurement – that's a two and twelve zeros. Right now, public authorities don't feel like they have any other option than going for the cheapest one. Therefore, it is very positive that Parliament calls to move away from the lowest price and start using all this European money in a strategic way to not only keep Europe going, but make sure Europe thrives. European public money should support our European businesses and help greening our economy. We should leverage it to stand up to the dominance of big tech and Trump by becoming technologically independent. As EMPL rapporteur, I specifically urge the Commission to follow up on the calls to make sure that public money goes to quality jobs. Companies that do not respect labour rights and engage in union busting should always be excluded from bidding for public contracts. Public money should never fuel the race to the bottom.

Madam President, dear colleagues, Commissioner, Budapest Pride was a historic moment. Not only for the opposition movement against Orbán, it was a victory for those Hungarians in the LGBTIQ community who, after years, finally felt at home in their country and even felt hope that one day, maybe they have a beautiful future there. But despite the goosebumps and tears of joy during the Pride, the reality is that the illegal Pride ban is still in place and the organisers are still at risk. This Pride was safe because 300 000 showed up. But what about a demonstration somewhere else in Hungary, without such a great mayor, with a few hundred participants? Nobody knows what will happen. We shouldn't depend on a brave mayor and hundreds of thousands showing up. We should be able to depend on the European Commission. Please do your job. Protect the rule of law. Protect people who want to protest for their rights, request an interim measure and suspend this man. 3 % of the Hungarian people showed up for democracy. Will you?

Mr President, dear colleagues, Commissioner, when I went to my first Pride, it finally struck me. I was not alone. I deserved to be loved. And the people I belong to know how to organise a damn good protest. I hope that in 2025, in a European Union, we would have reached a moment where human rights of LGBTQI+ plus people and the fundamental freedoms, such as the freedom of assembly, are non-negotiable. That when a pride is banned, the European Commission would jump into action and immediately draw a clear line. Commissioner, the values enshrined in Article 2 are not merely a suggestion. Please take action. And for the people on my right, queer people exist and have the same rights to visibly participate in public life. You might not like it, but you and your hate are also not really invited to our party. You can't ban our existence and you can't ban our Pride. Budapest I can't wait to march with you next week!

Mr President, a few weeks ago I visited Silicon Valley, in the midst of Trump's tariff chaos, to get to the bottom of the question of Europe's role in the world and how to deal with our current dependence on big tech. And I learned a lot. Europe needs to shake off the idea that we can't compete against the big tech companies, and that building European alternatives is simply not possible. What is simply unthinkable is to stay as dependent on the US for digital technology as we are today. Even more so now the big tech CEOs are backing Trump, because it's bad for our democracy, the economy and our security. Europe is full of talent, and all American companies follow the amazing work of our universities closely. We are, however, lagging behind in turning innovation into businesses. We need to make sure that our talent gets the support, access to financing, and mentorship to build great ideas into successful businesses. To develop our own tech, we need massive investments. We need to make it easier to invest across borders, and need to give preference to European companies when spending public money. With the federal government stepping back in the US, we are seeing fragmentation. Our answer cannot be deregulation at the European level, but should be clear rules that provide a stable investment environment and no barriers for start-ups when they want to expand to another Member State. I am convinced that if we make the right choices and investments now, we can put Europe on a path to a flourishing tech economy that's also sovereign.

Madam President, Commissioner, Minister, colleagues, when I heard Orbán banned Pride, I realised it is not going well for him in the polls, because this is the boring old playbook of wannabe autocrats. And I'm furious that, again, he's using us, spreading lies and hate about the LGBTQI community and validating the hate crimes which always peak after these legislative changes. He's making our lives miserable, all as a disguise to keep his power – because we know it is not his ultimate goal to get rid of the rainbow flag. His goal is to get rid of democracy. Banning Pride is just his next step to silence even more voices. We know he changed the law to get rid of freedom of assembly. But you can't ban Pride. Pride is a protest for equal rights. And on 28 June, I will stand side by side with my queer siblings in Budapest and I hope to see many of you there.

Thank you for this question. I think there are very important decisions to be made around what we do with these companies. I think that they are very harmful. I think that these companies are a danger to our democracy and to our health and to our societies as a whole. That's why I think it is very important that we start doing a cost-benefit analysis on what these companies actually bring to the European Union and what harm they bring. If the decision is that they are more harmful than actually beneficial, then maybe they don't belong in the European Union.

Mr President, today we celebrate consumer protection in the EU. But when I look at addictive apps like TikTok, Tinder, Instagram and Netflix, I don't see so much to celebrate. Too many platforms and websites manipulate consumers into spending time and attention there. This is one of the challenges of our time. Nearly everyone – children, youngsters, students, adults and grandparents alike – feels they have lost control over their time spent online. More than a year ago, Parliament was very clear: stop manipulative tricks to glue us to our screens in the Digital Fairness Act and ban the most harmful features, like the autoplay of videos and the endless scroll. But there are plenty of rumours that the Commission will actually go soft on US tech companies to please Trump. Surely it's us determining our own rules, not the tech oligarchy across the ocean? We should take control of our own time, with our own rules, on our own ethical design of apps. Commissioner, I expect you to deliver on this.

You are the umpteenth person talking about ideology today, and saying that you're worried about ideology going over biology. And I just want to ask you: what do you mean by this? Because in the animal kingdom we have swans, ducks, geese, dolphins, bisons, giraffes, lions, bats, elephants, whales, monkeys, sheep, hyaena, lizards, dragonflies – and this is a non-exhaustive list – that are also homosexuals, like me. Can you please tell me what is ideological about this and not biological?

Madam President, dear colleagues, I hope we all agree family life shouldn't be a privilege, let alone something that we deprive a child of, and the same goes for the rights of free movement. Unfortunately, right now, this does not reflect the situation of many rainbow families. When a child in Europe has two mothers or two fathers and moves to another country, from one minute to the other, they can legally lose their parent – one parent that, for example, can't take medical decisions in case of dire need. This is simply unacceptable! Meanwhile in 2020, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen already said, 'If you are a parent in one country, you are a parent in every country'. And I want to emphasise, the Commission President did not say if you are a parent in one country, I will definitely keep my fingers crossed and hope that one day you are a parent in every country. Since 2022, we've had a legislative proposal on the table that could make sure that many children in the EU don't lose their parents when they move to another Member State. The European Parliament has been very clear about its support. The European Court of Justice has ruled that parents shouldn't lose their rights when they cross a border within the EU. The Commission President was pretty clear. The courts are clear. We, Parliament, have been clear. We even called for a change in legislative instruments to make sure that governments who discriminate against rainbow families can't simply block this legislative proposal. I think it is high time that the European Commission shows some commitment to the Union of Equality that you're always talking about, especially after the incomprehensible withdrawal of the Equality Directive. Commission, do the work, and please make sure that the parenthood regulation is adopted.

Madam President, dear colleagues, this summer I am getting married and I honestly can't wait to call my beautiful fiancée my wife. I can't wait to celebrate with all our friends and family and use our legal rights to be recognised as partners for life. And two weeks later, one of my best friends is also getting married and I know he is as excited as me to tie the knot with his girlfriend. But the sad reality is that within our union of equality, my friend and I aren't equal, because there are still Member States that disavow a marriage between me and my girlfriend. They are allowed to prevent us from accessing our social security or our claims to residency and they can disregard the other if we have to make unthinkable medical choices. They are still allowed to hinder us in our right to free movement. Some marriage certificates are apparently more meaningful than others. And this is definitely not about me. It is about baby Sara, who is a toddler by now, and her mums, who have been fighting for their child not to grow up stateless. This is about Adrian Coman, whose partner was prevented from living with him in his home country of Romania. It is about Arian Mirzarafie-Ahi not having to fight for the legal gender recognition he already obtained, especially when the possibilities are limited and dehumanising. The courts are clear: freedom of movement means that if you are a parent in one country, you are a parent in every country. If you are a spouse in one country, you are a spouse in every country. If you obtain legal gender recognition in one country, you obtain legal gender recognition in every country. Commission, I'm looking forward to you putting this into law and I'm especially looking forward to seeing that happen within the new LGBTIQ equality strategy.

Mr President, Commissioner, depression, anxiety, stress, sleep problems, low self-esteem, loneliness, poorer emotion regulation, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, overstimulation, burnout, attention disorders, impulsivity, worse memory and even impact on the development of your eyes. If you, as a young person, have characteristics of a smartphone addiction or excessive screen use, these are the possible consequences. In the EU, this concerns one in four young people. By doing nothing, we are throwing more young people and children into a mental health crisis every day. More than a year ago, the European Parliament demanded rules against addictive design. But the Commission is apparently too busy with the possibility of deregulating the tech sector. It's totally absurd. The Commission is turning a blind eye to tech billionaires, and in the meantime – by doing nothing – is putting the health and safety of entire generations at risk. This is no longer possible. This year, the Commission will come up with rules against addictive design and ban the most harmful design features, such as endless scrolling and the automatic playback of movies.

Madam President, in this unstable world, we need a strong Europe. We need to stand on our own two feet and that is why, Commissioner Virkkunen, I ask you to be loud and clear on enforcing the DSA. Because types like Trump, Putin, Musk thrive if the EU is polarised, divided and therefore weakened. And we all carry their favourite weapon to influence us in our pockets and stare at it for hours a day. In Romania we had to redo elections after foreign interference via TikTok. Musk uses his own platform X to promote one of the most extreme parties of Europe, and Zuckerberg is actively promoting his platforms as a place for hate against queers and women. A true free internet is one where not a small bunch of tech oligarchs, but our democratic institutions – and therefore the people – make the rules. Commissioner. Make it happen. Stand up for democracy and enforce the DSA.

For the first time in Europe, in Romania, elections were annulled because of online foreign interference via TikTok. We need to wake up. Hyper-personalised recommender systems based on clicks and interaction are a threat to our democracy and national security. Whoever knows how to play them can manipulate the information people get to see online. Big fear mongering or extreme narratives – platforms will spread them to as many people as possible, because people will respond and that makes platforms the most profit. Then use bot networks to interact with your account, because with more clicks, the algorithms will spread your message like wildfire. Then pay influencers to spread your messages to new audiences without being transparent about it, and you can spread messages to an entire population. This is how pro-Russian forces and Georgescu manipulated an entire election via TikTok. The way Big Tech's recommender systems currently work is the perfect handshake between tech capitalism, populism and foreign actors, and the Commission needs to make the DSA election proof before the German elections in February. Enforcement after foreign interference has already happened is simply too late. The Commission needs to make crystal clear and binding that recommender systems based on clicks and interaction are a direct threat to our democracy, and we should stop using them in the EU.

Madam President, dear Colleagues, I want to protect children. Unfortunately, we see a trend in Europe where politicians undermine the rule of law, take away basic human rights, and then use the LGBTQ+ community as a diversion tactic: they spread hate about us to disguise corruption, to hide their silencing of civil society or simply just hoping to win elections. But censoring knowledge on gender identity and sex characteristics – basic scientific facts – in and around schools does not protect kids: which intersex kid benefits from not learning that intersex people exist? Which kid is protected by depriving them of their basic right to health care, such as gender-affirming care, when they struggle with gender dysphoria? And how do we protect the mental health of kids who think there is something wrong with them without knowing that yes, queer couples exist? The best Europe for kids to grow up in is a Europe where, when you wonder why you feel that your assigned gender doesn't suit you, or when you doubt what is going on when you suddenly feel butterflies for your best friend, you have access to information and the ability to meet peers. It fosters an environment where parents don't have to be in lawsuits against their government to ensure they still have legal rights over their children. It is a Europe where all children can be themselves and feel loved.

Mr President, walk into an average school class and most boys have some content online. manfluencers They see it, and they are impressed by it. They also come tradwives More and more online, and of course they glorify a worldview in which women are subordinate to men. We also see that the acceptance of the LGBTI community has fallen drastically. Is this a coincidence or is it our own fault? The algorithms of social media serve up more and more extreme messages to people. Because at fuss is clicked the most often and the platforms earn the most money. And the anti-gender movement and other anti-democratic forces know how to play this exactly in such a way that people are led to extreme content in a personalized way. The tech billionaires are only getting richer. We now need to intervene firmly and concretely in the recommendation algorithms that are based on tracking, clicks and interaction. If we continue to allow big tech to pump hateful narratives around for profit, our public debate, our security and, ultimately, our democracy are at stake.

Mr President, colleagues, can the EU do with less bureaucracy? Absolutely, yes. Two examples: we could implement the 'once only' principle so that companies and others only have to report information once, and getting access to EU funds for small youth organisations or social economy actors should be made a lot easier. Slashing climate and nature laws, human rights obligations or data protection – I wouldn't think this is the recipe for competitiveness. Please stop playing the broken record of deregulation. Blindly getting rid of reporting obligations and last minute U-turns on implementation will only serve polluters, the cheaters and the multinationals to get a competitive edge over their competitors that wish to do business that is good for people and planet. I think if we go further down this path, we better start preparing the obituaries for the level playing field that we are trying to create here. What businesses need is predictability, clarity and clear guidance in the implementation of the rules. So we do need to step up efforts in supportive measures and guidelines and companies need to count on enforcement, so that everyone plays by the same rules.

Madam President, dear Mr Letta, you stated in your report that further development of the single market can only be successful if it includes a genuine social dimension that ensures social justice and cohesion. I couldn't agree more. In the coming years, we will invest massively to make our industry greener and more competitive. And these public investments can't be blank cheques. They have to come with social conditionalities to ensure quality jobs, the right to training for workers and collective bargaining. These conditionalities need to be common across the EU to avoid shopping around. The revision of the public procurement rules that is being prepared also has to ensure that this lever of EUR 2 trillion, 14 % of our GDP, is used in a strategic way to achieve our social and environmental ambitions. Social and green criteria have to become mandatory rather than nice-to-haves. The single market and our economy are drastically being transformed, and we need to put the improvement of the daily lives of the people of Europe at the centre of this transformation. Only then can we say we've been successful.