Activities of Francisco GUERREIRO related to 2022/2198(INI)
Shadow reports (1)
REPORT on virtual worlds – opportunities, risks and policy implications for the single market
Amendments (30)
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
Recital B
B. whereas digitalisation brings with it a wealth of opportunities in fields such as medicine, security, education and law enforcement, and has enormousshown potential to solve global problems related to poverty and inequalitydemocratise processes and access to education and knowledge; whereas it also offers new possibilities to advance the transition process towards more sustainable and just societies;
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
Recital C
C. whereas the digital transformation also entails significant challenges that will force us to review many ofidentify the best ways to enforce the concepts and norms that have hitherto underpinned our growth and social progress; whereas digitization has often exacerbated existing power structures in favour of market monopolisation and concentration; whereas in many areas a few big tech companies control the market and thereby power concentrates among a few; stresses the need to reduce technological dependencies on third countries by moving towards a decentralised approach to European virtual worlds, comprising both larger and smaller operators at various levels of the value chain
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
Recital D
D. whereas in the EU, awareness of the challenges posed by the accumulation of power by foreign digital giants and of the EU lagging behind in the global digital race have been translated into political and legislative will; whereas the EU institutions have made the digital and green transition one of their priority areas of action and policy formulation, establishing rules in line with European values and principles and moving away from the path followed by other geographical areas such as the United States and China, among others; whereas the EU still lacks behind when it comes to thinking digital and green transition together; whereas this hampers the EU in forging a sustainable path of technologies for the future;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital D a (new)
Recital D a (new)
Da. whereas digital technologies, including those referred to under the term “virtual worlds” require high amounts of energy, storage space and bandwidth to be developed and run; whereas the digital sector is one of the sectors that records exponential growth which may impact the EU’s climate goals
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
Recital E
E. whereas the transition to Web 4.0 and the development of virtual worlds are an indispensablcan be part of the future of digitisation and a keyone of the potential building blocks for the completion of the digital single market;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
Recital E a (new)
Ea. whereas a definition and clear understanding of "virtual worlds" is lacking, including which technologies may be captured under such a term; whereas inventions such as the “metaverse” have yet to prove their significance
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
Recital F
F. whereas virtual worlds also entail significant risks affecting consumer protection and issues related to competition law, privacy and personal data protection, and cybersecurity; but also raise important concerns on end-user addiction and vulnerable groups that oftentimes lack essential skills for a just and fair digital transition, with a particular emphasis on minors, the elderly, and people with disabilities
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
Recital F a (new)
Fa. whereas the industrial applications and the consumer use cases present different challenges and require tailored approaches
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Welcomes the Commission communication of 11 July 2023 entitled ‘An EU initiative on Web 4.0 and virtual worlds: a head start in the next technological transition’; underlines that this strategy must be sustainable and human-centric, while protecting the values of the European Union and fundamental rights
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Points to the lack of a universally recognised or agreed definition of technologies considered as “virtual worlds” and considers that further work is needed in order to rectify thilaments the lack of clarity and differentiation in the Commission’s initiative; considers that further work is needed in order to rectify this; points out that many of the technologies referred to as “virtual worlds” have existed for years; underlines that a future European strategy should be anchored in research, scientific evidence and societal relevance rather than relying on proclaimed buzzwords;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Underlines that a truthe harmonization of the digital single market can contribute decisively to the development ofto strengthen the EU’s ability to compete globally, including the development of technologies referred to as virtual worlds; considers that a clear and comprehensive regulatory framework is of vital importance; highlights and stresses the need to monitor and address at EU-level potential fragmentation issues within the digital single market;
Amendment 44 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Welcomes the latest regulatory developments in this regard, such as the Digital Services Act (Regulation (EU) 2022/20651 ) and the Digital Markets Act (Regulation (EU) 2022/19252 ); notes also the proposal for an artificial intelligence act, the Right to Repair and Cyber Resilience Act and the ongoing negotiations thereon; considers that the Commission should conduct regular regulatory fitness checks of the digital single market and, where necessary, put forward legislative proposals; believes that the outcome of such checks should be made public; _________________ 1 Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 October 2022 on a Single Market For Digital Services and amending Directive 2000/31/EC (Digital Services Act), OJ L 277, 27.10.2022, p. 1. 2 Regulation (EU) 2022/1925 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 September 2022 on contestable and fair markets in the digital sector and amending Directives (EU) 2019/1937 and (EU) 2020/1828 (Digital Markets Act), OJ L 265, 12.10.2022, p. 1.
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Welcomes the Commission’s commitment to monitor the development of virtual worlds; invites the Commission to draft a report on this subject every two years and to transmit it to Parliament and the Council; asks the Commission to pay attention to the potential emergence of problems in the Web 4.0 that already exist in the Web 3.0, such as the proliferation of fake news, infringement of intellectual property rights, cyberterrorismcluding deep fakes, terrorist content online, fraud of all kinds, addictive design, foreign propaganda, various forms of gender based violence, sexual abuse of minors and cyberbullying, among others;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Underlines that existing imbalance in the consumer trader relationship online might be exacerbated in virtual worlds and stresses that deceptive practices need to be addressed before allowing such systems to enter the European Union; notes in this regard that possible harmful impacts on consumers can occur; underlines that technologies must not be designed to distort consumers’ transactional behaviour leading them to make decisions they would not have made otherwise;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Points to the great economic growthdevelopment potential of virtual worlds, and the growing levels of investment in the necessary infrastructure and in related research, innovation and new technologies; stresses that the overall costs of such investments shall not result in the increase in final consumer prices; acknowledges the need to increase available resources at EU-level to fulfil these objectives; highlights the role of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (XR) as crucial technologies for the development and growth of virtual worlds, providing users with immersive and interactive experiences;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Signals also the potentially positive impact that these developments willcan have on employment, including the creation of new jobs in domains such as virtual world architecture or content creation; highlights the importance of investing in and promoting the development of appropriate skills to ensure the supply of talented and skilled workers fit for these jobs in the EU, as well as of creating appealing conditions to keep EU talent, attract foreign talent and promote entrepreneurship and innovation in the territory of the EU; stresses the need to invest in reskilling initiatives to educate existing workforce in the EU, paying specific attention to underrepresented groups in this sector, such as women;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
Paragraph 8
8. Recalls that most companies leading the development of virtual worlds are established outside the EU and many projects are led by dominant players in the tech industry; considers that the EU should take the lead in shaping virtual worlds as ecosystems in which EuropeaUnion values and principlefundamental rights are respected and promoted, with users and not commercial interests at their centre; signals the importance of fostering the creation of a level playing field that promotes the expansion of decentralised and interoperable ecosystems developed by European small and medium-sized enterprises, innovation and growth; stresses the need of raising European citizens’ awareness about their responsible usage;
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
Paragraph 10
10. Stresses the need to ensure that virtual worlds are open, inclusive and accessible, contributing to the greater participation of people with disabilities in the digital transition; signals the potential of virtual worlds to increase the participation of people with disabilities in different activities such as virtual tourism, which offer the possibility of visiting virtual places without having to overcome the mobility barriers that traditional tourism requires; warns of the potential challenges that users with disabilities may face in interacting with virtual worlds, arising from inadequate accessibility features or designs that do not cater to their specific needs;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
Paragraph 10 a (new)
10a. Notes with concern that growing use of virtual worlds could also exclude certain groups of people who lack basic skills or resources to participate in this environment, but also people living in rural and remote areas, like outermost regions; highlights that the regulators need to be vigilant about preventing the manifestation of bias in the development of virtual worlds to avoid that existing discriminatory practices are perpetuated in virtuals worlds; emphasises that fostering digital literacy and access to quality and affordable internet is a precondition to any EU-level framework on virtual worlds;
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
Paragraph 11
11. BelievStresses that the debate over the need for the identification of users in virtual worlds should be a priority area in the development process of virtual worlds and that thereanonymity in the digital world is a key pillar of the internet and should be a profound reflection on the possible configuration of this digital reality, bearing in mindtected also in the development of new technologies; underlines that, in some cases, anonymity may be preferable; points out that anonymity in the digital world is always possible under a username (alias), behind which there must always be an individual identifiable only by the competent authorities in case of need;case of abuse, competent authorities should have the resources, such as a properly trained workforce, to fight criminal behaviour
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
Paragraph 12
12. Reiterates the importance of protecting users’ personal data and privacy; points out thahighlights that virtual worlds may negatively impact data privacy of consumers at an unprecedented level and points out that it is unclear to what extent the General Data Protection Regulation3 might not be enoughis sufficient to address the challenges posed to data protection in virtual worlds and adhere to general principles of data minimization and privacy by design; calls for greater attention to be paid to the data protection implications of user-generated contentvirtual worlds, taking into account the processing of sensitive data, such as biometric data; highlights that technologies allow access to the most intimate spaces of consumers, such as their home; underlines the need to prevent illegal data harvesting and use of sensitive user data for commercial surveillance practices; _________________ 3 Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation), OJ L 119, 4.5.2016, p. 1.
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 13
Paragraph 13
13. Warns about the potential health problems that may arise from accessing virtual worlds, such as addiction, cybermental health issues, motion sickness or disturbances in sleep patterns, especially among minors and young people; underlines the need for age appropriate design and parental control measures to ensure the safety of minors in such environments
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14
Paragraph 14
14. Recalls the potential of virtual worlds to offer unique experiences that can help minors develop their appetite for learning through, for example, learning through play, which can help them to develop skills in collaboration, communication, critical thinking, innovation and confidence; underlines the importance of protecting minors in virtual worlds, especially against abuse, harassment and bullying; underlines that schools and educators need to be made aware of possible risks and harms of such systems before deployment is in effect, highlights the need for educators to be trained adequately to ensure they have the necessary digital skills and literacy
Amendment 107 #
14a. Calls on the Commission to promote safety by design and the inclusion of appropriate information for consumers, especially in terms of potential negative impacts and the introduction of safety limits, in particular for vulnerable categories; notes that the industry needs to become more active on this topic and the need for regulation must be assessed as soon as possible, before the mass market of such technologies;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
Paragraph 15
15. Notes that virtual worlds will generate high-resolution images, graphics and video to ensure immersive user experiences, further requiring high- performing infrastructure; notes that, in particular 5G and 6Gthe next generation mobile networks with low latency and high bandwidth will be key, as will technologies such as edge computing; such as assessment of environmental impact of such technologies;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
Paragraph 16
16. Calls on the Commission to conduct an assessment of how to ensure that the infrastructure needed is delivered to consumers, paying particular attention to the possible harms to the environment; highlights that a true single market for telecoms is key in this regard;
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
Paragraph 16 a (new)
16a. Notes with concern that the development and deployment of virtual worlds may have a great impact on the environment, due to its need for high amounts of computing capacity in data centres and overall use of energy and creation of electronic waste; stresses the need for the establishment of energy efficient technologies, including the ability to measure environmental impact across the entire value chain; highlights the importance of raising consumer’s awareness about the environmental impact and sustainability of these new technologies;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 b (new)
Paragraph 16 b (new)
16b. Laments that the Commission has failed to include obligations to protect the environment into recent digital landmark legislative proposals, and thereby failed its promise to deliver a true twin transition;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
Paragraph 18
18. Is convincedNotes that virtual worlds can make a positivemay contributione to the fight against climate change and forto environmental sustainability, for example by facilitating remote working, thereby reducing commuting and associated carbon emissions;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
Paragraph 19
19. Recalls the need to take advantage of technological advances to reduce the energy consumption and environmental footprint of the activities related to the production, use and development of virtual worlds, such as advanced recycling techniques and renewable energies; by incentivizing the development of technologies that reduce impact on the environment; urges caution and prioritisation in developing industrial and critical use cases first