By Sam Schechner
PARIS--French Prime Minister Manuel Valls called Saturday for
the European Union to update regulation of the Internet and digital
economy, as France begins work on a new package of "digital"
legislation aimed for next year.
Speaking at a startup incubator in central Paris, Mr. Valls said
that only at a European level can French policy makers hope to
"influence the functioning of a transnational network like the
Internet," adding that if the continent isn't up to the task, "then
it will drop out of history."
The French premier spoke at the opening of a public consultation
the government says will serve as the basis for new digital laws in
France, as well as informing France's position under the new
leadership at the European Union.
"We can no longer be satisfied with legislation in small brush
strokes, and sometimes conflicting ones," Mr. Valls said.
The call for updated digital rules at a European level is the
latest from France, which has been pushing forms of regulation for
large Internet "platforms" such as Google Inc. or Facebook Inc. for
more than a year. It echoes similar appeals from countries such as
Germany, and comes as European officials have been putting
unprecedented pressure on big tech firms such as Google Inc. and
Apple Inc. over questions ranging from competition and privacy to
taxes.
The consultation launched on Saturday includes a website for
individuals or groups to weigh in, and includes topics such as of
how to digitize the French government and help boost economic
growth by broadening Internet use by French small businesses, where
usage lags behind European averages.
It also delves into thornier issues such as guaranteeing
personal privacy, and how the government should regulate Internet
firms.
One idea developed by France's advisory digital council is to
create rules that require a new concept of "loyalty" by large
firms, for instance to determine how they use personal data, or
establish contracts with small companies.
"We have been completely passive on the European level when it
comes to the big Internet platforms," said Axelle Lemaire, France's
minister for digital affairs at Saturday's event. "Facebook today
is bigger than the entire Internet a decade ago. We have to make
adjustments," she said.
Write to Sam Schechner at sam.schechner@wsj.com
Subscribe to WSJ: http://online.wsj.com?mod=djnwires