Debate contributions by Dóra DÁVID

Madam President, I'm sorry. It is unacceptable that sexualised AI-edited content about women, without their consent, or children is spreading on social media. As a result of the outrage, X blocked the function of undressing real people, but what about the sexualization of AI-generated images of children? They should always be banned, AI-generated or not. Platforms must act against the spread of all illegal content. In Hungary, for example, it is illegal to insult someone's honour with false audio or video recordings. Therefore, it is also illegal for Fidesz to use deepfake videos to put phrases in the mouth of the leader of the opposition that he has never said. These lying content, which the court has now ruled to be lies, is often illegally advertised and spread by fake profiles. This puts the integrity of the Hungarian elections at risk. The Hungarian people therefore rightly expect platforms to comply with the law and the authorities to hold them accountable.

Madam President, we are tabling this oral amendment to protect minorities and ensure their equal protection and treatment in Slovakia. Since Viktor Orbán said that his and Robert Fico's agenda is full, I hope that we, all of us together, can help them. The text of the amendment is as follows: 'Regrets reports of ongoing violations of fundamental rights in Slovakia, including the retroactive confiscation of property based on the collective guilt of EU citizens with various ethnic origins; calls on the Slovak authorities to ensure full respect for freedom of expression and minority rights, as well as the right of property, as enshrined in EU law and the Charter of Fundamental Rights; believes that historical grievances should be addressed through dialogue rather than criminalisation; urges the Commission to assess these developments as part of its evaluation of Slovakia in the annual rule of law cycle'.

Dear Mr President, It is now time to reduce the administrative burden on our businesses. While our companies are drowning in bureaucracy, their competitors outside the EU are innovating. If we do not change this, Europe will fall even further behind. It is also time that SMEs do not have to fill in several different reports in case of cybersecurity incidents, but only one. But we also need to help our companies innovate more easily, with strong data protection guarantees, of course. This is what SMEs expect: less administration, consistent and uniform interpretation of the law and measures to support their compliance efforts. The Commission proposal is a good start. Adapt to reality and find practical solutions to real problems. Only in this way can we strengthen Europe's competitiveness and create prosperity for our citizens.

Since I did not receive an answer from my party partner about child protection, which does not go away, because child protection is not Fidesz's strong point, I would like to ask you the same question now. Fidesz and its propagandists are flooding the internet with false and fear-mongering AI-generated political advertisements and content. Child protection organizations and parents protest, but you don't care at all about the impact it has on children? Who will protect Hungarian children from Fidesz, and where is the government's comprehensive online child protection strategy?

Did you talk about child protection when the Hungarian government and its propagandists flood the internet with political advertisements and content generated by lying and fear-mongering artificial intelligence? Child protection organisations and parents are protesting, but you still don't care what impact these may have on children. Who will protect children from the Hungarian government, and where is the government's comprehensive online child protection strategy?

As decision-makers, you are responsible for our safety. You're like our parents, like our teachers. We come to you when we need help. I ask you to help make the Internet a space that inspires, teaches and respects us. These are the words of Anna, a Hungarian teenager, but she is by no means alone. She speaks for many children across Europe. The internet has so many benefits, but it was not designed with children in mind. Yet, 97 % of children over the age of three in Europe are online and are exposed to risks. Our report targets harmful commercial practices designed to keep children hooked to their services, so we called to ban profiling‐based recommender systems for minors, gambling‐like features in video games like loot boxes, and incentives for 'kidfluencing' that pressure children to intentionally create content for likes and views. But protecting children is about more than bans. We must balance their rights with their safety, which is why we call for an age limit of 16, under which youngsters can access social media, video sharing platforms and AI companions, but subject to parental consent. Our goal is empowerment, not exclusion. We want to help children and parents to navigate the digital space needed, but they need help with this. It is a struggle of David and Goliath. We need everyone to play their part, not just parents, but also platforms. We must close gaps in our laws, strengthen enforcement and enhance education. Like Anna, children see dangers but feel powerless. We have the power. So given the good cooperation between the political groups, I am hopeful that we will indeed use our power to protect minors and not let them down. You can count on us!

Dear Mr President, I am deeply disturbed by the fact that we even have to talk about sex dolls depicting children. This is a truly heartbreaking violation of children's rights and a stain on the EU's core values. The Commission should use all available tools – and now. The case of Temu and Schein is a fierce test. Can Europe protect its consumers and enforce its ethical and legal standards? These platforms don't just sell some problematic products. Their operation is often based on manipulative techniques and delivers harmful, dangerous and illegal goods to our markets. The example of France shows that these online marketplaces still do not take sufficient steps to address and prevent such problems. The safety and dignity of children should never be sacrificed on the altar of commercial gain or loose enforcement of the rules. I call on the Commission to use all instruments of EU law and to hold the perpetrators to account. It is time for decisive action.

Dear Mr President, Our competitiveness, our way of life and our values are at stake. There are compelling reasons why we have adopted our digital laws. The Digital Services Act serves the online safety of Hungarians and Europeans, so that dangerous products cannot be sold, such as Temun and Sheinen, so that illegal and harmful content cannot spread online. Especially if it puts our children at risk. And the Digital Markets Act gives our small and medium-sized enterprises a chance to make their mark on very large platforms. These rules were adopted by an overwhelming majority by representatives and governments of Hungary and other EU Member States. We Hungarians and Europeans still have to decide what should and should not be done online, not by foreigners. Our sovereignty is at stake here. Because if you don't protect your digital borders, sooner or later you will lose your sovereignty.

Dear Mr President, The report rightly highlights the problem of insufficient competition in public procurement markets in the European Union and the lack of transparency in the evaluation process. This is particularly challenging in Hungary. Under the Orbán government, Hungary has become the most corrupt country in the European Union, where a dozen oligarchs, including the prime minister's childhood friend, Lőrinc Mészáros, dominate the domestic public procurement market. In Hungarian public procurement, the primary criterion is usually not the best value for money, not even to ‘buy European’ or ‘buy Hungarian’, but to ‘buy Fidesz’. This ‘buy Fidesz’ logic results in fattening NER companies working at a huge mark-up while passing on substantial work cheaply to subcontractors. This does not make them competitive on the EU market at all, while harming citizens. That is why we welcome the report's efforts to make public procurement processes more transparent, to reduce burdens for small and medium-sized enterprises and to better support competitive European companies, including Hungarian ones. The future Tisza government will restore confidence in the Hungarian public procurement market. We will also support small and medium-sized enterprises and work to ensure that Hungarian companies are competitive in cross-border tenders.

If you ask me about child protection, I will give you my opinion about child protection and the measures taken by the Hungarian Government. We know that a year ago, a pedophile-assisting criminal was pardoned, and to this day, we don't know who, why. No one apologized and no one took responsibility for it. In addition, the child protection system is in ruins, with one in five children being exposed to social exclusion and poverty. There is a demographic crisis, so few children have ever been born in Hungary, and this is what the government can show after 15 years of government. We believe that child protection begins with the child. You're not protecting children, you're protecting your own power.

Dear Madam President, Big Brother sees everything. No, it's not Orwell 1984. This is Hungary 2025. A regime building a digital surveillance state under the watchword of child protection. According to the new law, a seemingly harmless street camera captures our faces. Authorities identify with artificial intelligence. The fine will be collected as a tax in a few days. We defend Hungarian interests, unlike the government, which does not protect children, but their own power. We criticise the actions of the Hungarian government, and rightly so. In connection with this, I expected Fidesz to attack, but to my surprise, the old opposition got into the Tisza more than Fidesz did. Not only Fidesz, but also DK does not want a change of regime. The Hungarian people and the Tisza, on the other hand, want regime change. We feel the support of the Hungarian people in their criticism of the government. We launched our national referendum initiative just two weeks ago, and almost 600,000 people have already joined. We have 10,000 volunteers in the country. The Hungarian people want change. We are working together to make Hungary a free, livable, European and peaceful country again, not a digital dictatorship.

Mr. President, please. Julcsi is an average Hungarian teenager who loves makeup. One day, on the recommendation of your favorite influencer, you order your dream makeup kit from an online store. To his delight, the postman rang the next day. The box is smaller than you expected, but it opens happily. Immediately try it, but after a few minutes you will be faced with allergic reactions. With a swollen mouth, you open the webshop's page to file a complaint with the customer service. You will not find any contact information to your surprise. After consulting his doctor, he turns to the consumer protection authority at the encouragement of his mother. But what needs to be done to make consumers feel safe in Europe despite similar situations? And here's the message: not necessarily new legislation, but stronger, bolder and faster action by the authorities. Whether using new technologies or blocking websites. Don't be afraid to use them. We also need conscious customers who know their rights and are not afraid to use them. Julcsi experienced that it is worthwhile to complain against the infringers, since it is in everyone's interest that reliable and high-quality products of companies that comply with the rules should be put in the basket of European consumers. This requires strong consumer protection, which will make Europe an even better place.

Madam President, I'm sorry. SMEs are the engines of our economy and important hopes for our competitiveness. Simplifying the rules is an important part of creating an environment that supports them, so that our companies do not drown in bureaucracy, but focus on operation and growth. For example, do we know how many rules an average SME currently has to comply with? Tax rules, financial rules, customs rules, labour rules, consumer protection rules, data protection rules and so on. In addition, ESG compliance is a particular challenge for Hungarian SMEs. Many of them are facing the new requirements for the first time, while they do not have a dedicated specialist or sufficient resources to deal with them. The Commission's omnibus package is therefore an encouraging and good start in creating an SME-friendly environment, as it can exempt up to 80% of companies from reporting. But we need to act quickly, because businesses are already working to meet ESG expectations, at the cost of large resources. In 2025, in Hungary alone, this challenge affects tens of thousands of SMEs. In addition to simplification, it is important that the rules are understood by businesses. Speaking of an omnibus package, let the ordinary person traveling on the Clapham omnibus understand. It is the standard used in the English legal system. So let's let our businesses breathe, so they can not only survive, but also thrive. If they are successful, so is Europe.

Thank you for your question. You have to ask Meta because I wasn't the lead lawyer. Speaking of censorship, let's talk a little bit about the Hungarian public media that dominates the country, as the public media government propaganda factory is not impartial, does not inform and suppress opposition voices. Let me read some data... (The Chair interrupted the speaker) We're talking about censorship. According to Hungarian data, by February 2022, the pro-Fidesz media had lost nearly 400 lawsuits. In 2023, the government press lost 62% of the press rectification lawsuits against it, i.e. lied and censored the opposition in these cases.

Dear Madam President, Freedom of speech is a fundamental right, but it should not be confused with the amplification and dissemination of false and misleading content, which may even affect election results. This is why the trend for very large platforms, most recently Meta, is to abolish independent fact-checking, as fact-checking is not censorship. Mark Zuckerberg admits he will be able to spot fewer bad things. This would clearly represent a systemic risk that platforms should effectively mitigate under the DSA. Unfortunately, we have seen examples in the world of disinformation leading to violence. Cessation of fact-checking is particularly worrying in countries where a large part of the media is controlled and systematically misled by the government. Such was Poland and such is Hungary today. Social media is therefore important and necessary, but the removal of fact-checkers allows disinformation to spread and can cause serious damage to democracy. This will not work in Europe. We have rules. It is now up to the authorities to enforce them. Please, just do it.

Oh, Mr. President. Who's Ada Lovelace? He is a true pioneer in the world of technology. He was the first computer programmer. His 19th-century work laid the foundations for the digital age in a male-dominated world. His work demonstrates the importance of professional curiosity and the quality of education for technological development. Today, in Europe, we are lagging behind in terms of technological skills. Only 22% of tech positions are held by women. The situation in Hungary is even more worrying. But just like Ada did, women today can drive change. Doubling the share of women in the tech sector by 2027 would close Europe's skills gap and bring up to €600 billion in GDP growth. This requires education from a very early age that encourages knowledge of the world and strengthens girls' self-confidence. Let's invest in women to accelerate progress.

Dear Mr President, I'm not expressing myself online because I'm afraid of being harassed. It's a little scary to think about why free apps have so much money. Maybe they'll sell my pictures, my data? These are the concerns of children aged 12-16 years. Social media is more dangerous to children than public transport. One-third of 6- to 14-year-olds still use it regularly. What can we do to ensure that the Convention on the Rights of the Child is implemented online? The answer could be ‘Child Rights by Design’, i.e. when designing the digital environment, the best interests of the child should be the primary consideration. That's why we encourage, for example, designers of apps and video games that compete for children's attention, and influencers who determine children's body image or purchases, to take the time to learn about the convention. Respect for children's rights is not only a legal obligation, but also a shared moral responsibility.

Dear Mr President, European markets have been disrupted by high-traffic Chinese online platforms. It is worrying that the products offered on their platform come from uncontrolled sources, are potentially dangerous and even illegal, and therefore do not comply with European rules. In turn, compliant businesses may be placed at a significant competitive disadvantage vis-à-vis online traders that do not comply with EU standards. Hungarian consumers deserve not only affordable, but also high-quality and safe products. Companies competing on the Hungarian market must ensure a level playing field. We trust that the newly restructured Hungarian consumer organisations are also prepared to take action with appropriate expertise, quickly and efficiently against online traders selling potentially dangerous and illegal products that flood the Hungarian market.

Dear Madam President, We all agree that we want a more competitive Europe and a stronger single market. We know that regulatory simplification, reduction of administrative burdens and innovation are crucial for our competitiveness. Two weeks ago, the Hungarian Prime Minister named competitiveness as the number one priority of the Hungarian EU Presidency in this House. But unfortunately, the Hungarian government's domestic measures strongly contradict this objective. How can Hungarian businesses innovate, grow and reap the benefits of the single market and cross-border trade when the government creates an unpredictable business environment for them? Firstly, regulatory governance leads to an opaque and often changing legislative environment. This reduces legal certainty and discourages investment. In addition, the government is making innovation more difficult on several sides. A real chance in business is given only to entrepreneurs loyal to the regime. This reduces the incentive to innovate. And it has cut off our researchers from key innovation sources in Horizon Europe. That is why the economy is suffering and Hungary has become the poorest Member State. Creating a well-functioning single market and competitiveness starts at home.