Poland vs. Meta: Can Europe control Big Tech? | Control Room Brussels

Poland is pushing for Meta to face a major financial penalty over harmful and fraudulent content, including deepfakes and misleading advertisements. As the European Commission examines the case, the debate raises a much bigger question: Do European governments and institutions have enough power to regulate the technology companies that increasingly shape our lives?

On this episode of Control Room Brussels, host Grzegorz Nawrocki speaks with Members of the European Parliament and leading experts about whether Europe's existing rules are strong enough, whether financial penalties can really change Big Tech's behavior, and whether Europe needs to become less dependent on American technology platforms.

Michał Szczerba, Polish MEP, EPP Group, said that “an ordinary citizen cannot be expected to confront a global corporation alone.”

Sergey Lagodinsky, German MEP, Greens/EFA Group, Vice-Chair, added that “it is not only an individual plight – this is also a huge risk for our democracies.”

“€250 million? That’s what Meta makes in roughly 12 hours. So, it’s nothing,” said Alexandre Alaphilippe from EU DisinfoLab.

Agustín Reyna, Director General, BEUC - The European Consumer Organisation, said, “It is not only a political question. It’s a question about democracy and the rule of law.”

The dominance of technology giants over the choices we make – in politics, business, and our personal lives – is becoming an increasingly urgent political issue. For millions of users, the consequences are already real. Of 122 fraudulent ads identified by Polish cybersecurity experts, Meta reportedly refused to remove 106 – a figure that raises a question far bigger than individual scams. When deepfakes, fake endorsements, and manipulated advertising can cost people their life savings, the failure to act quickly is not only a consumer protection problem – it can also become a vulnerability for democracy itself.

Chapters:
00:00 Can Europe control Big Tech? Meta, deepfakes, and accountability
01:23 Does the EU have the power to regulate Big Tech?
03:38 Can a €250 million fine really change giants’ behavior?
07:28 Fraudulent ads, deepfakes, and the real human cost
09:13 AI manipulation, disinformation, and threats to democracy
11:30 Digital sovereignty and Europe's dependence on Big Tech
15:08 Why is EU enforcement still too slow?
19:10 Should Big Tech risk losing access to the European market?
21:49 Democracy, the rule of law, and Europe's digital future

🔴 Watch our 24/7 livestream - https://youtube.com/live/9RY46AUtIl4

Bringing you all the latest daily news and updates, TVP World is Poland's first English-language channel where you can find world news as seen from the Polish perspective and the latest news from the CEE region. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram.

https://tvpworld.com/
https://www.facebook.com/tvpworldcom
https://twitter.com/TVPWorld_com
https://www.instagram.com/tvp_world/
https://www.threads.net/@tvp_world
https://bsky.app/profile/tvpworld.bsky.social
https://www.tiktok.com/@tvpworld.com
https://t.me/tvp_world

#Meta #MarkZuckerberg #Poland