Parliamentary questions .F B .

 

Parliamentary questions	41k  10k
17 April 2021	E-002085/2021
Question for written answer  E-002085/2021 to the Commission Rule 138 Francesca Donato (ID), Marco Campomenosi (ID), Stefania Zambelli (ID)
Subject: Censorship by Facebook

More and more often, Facebook is restricting citizens’ freedom of expression by censoring their posts, citing supposed and vague violations of ‘community standards’. Its censorship is equally serious when it is done without a legitimate reason, to silence MEPs on their social media pages, in flagrant violation of their right to freedom of expression in the exercise of their mandate. What is more, it does so to prevent the publication of scientifically valid and objective information on COVID-19 treatments, which clashes with the its economic interests of its main institutional shareholders, who also hold shares in the pharmaceutical companies producing vaccines. This is a blatant conflict of interest, with repercussions for freedom of expression and provision of comprehensive information, to the detriment of ordinary people. Pending the establishment of a European regulatory framework requiring Facebook and other platforms to uphold fundamental rights such as freedom of expression and of information, does the Commission intend to take prompt, appropriate and effective action on this matter? Supporter(1)

(1) This question is supported by a Member other than the authors: Simona Baldassarre (ID)

Original language of question: IT

Last updated: 3 May 2021