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With the EU presidency in hand, Denmark has a historic opportunity to set the digital course for Europe. However, this requires politicians to show the courage to challenge the global giants and insist on transparency, accountability, and respect for fundamental rights.

That is why the association Digital Compass, in collaboration with JP/Politikens Hus, gathered some of the most experienced and prominent voices for a national hearing, where a catalogue of recommendations was presented with contributions from experts such as Margrethe Vestager, Christel Schaldemose, Stig Ørskov, Dan Shefet, Hans Franke, Mikkel Flyverbom, and David T. Madsen. The presentation not only pointed out the greatest challenges but also offered tangible solutions, which ultimately form the basis of the recommendations.

The aim is to provide politicians with a solid foundation to act swiftly and effectively, so Denmark can seize the momentum of the presidency to take the lead in the fight for a more just and human-centered digital landscape.

From digital infrastructure to children’s well-being

At the hearing, a catalogue of proposals was presented and will be sent to the Danish Parliament and the EU with an urgent call for action. The recommendations cover the following areas:

• Decoupling from American and Chinese digital infrastructure. Developing European platforms as alternatives to American and Chinese ones through the creation of a unified “Euro-stack.” This includes Danish local alternatives—such as a Danish AI trained on Danish sources and data.
• Strengthening traditional media through measures such as tax-deductible media subscriptions and the establishment of a fund to defend investigative journalism in court cases.
• Significantly increased enforcement of EU rules against social media and platforms through faster case processing and larger fines for violations.
• Stronger protection of consumer privacy with bans on facial recognition, cookies, and data harvesting from minors under 18, as well as a consumer right to much easier access to obtain and delete one’s own data.
• Eliminating anonymity, bots, and fake profiles by introducing requirements for user identification at login.
• Protection of children and young people with age restrictions and bans on retention mechanisms, as well as classifying some tech companies’ products as harmful to children and seeking to have them banned.
• Payment for data and IP rights, requiring tech giants to compensate rights holders for the use of their content on platforms or for training AI systems.
• Implementation of collective class actions in Denmark against tech companies for legal violations and distribution of compensation to consumers.

Class actions become reality

At the hearing, Hans Franke, director of the organization SOMI—approved by the EU to lead collective class actions—announced the start of what could become the first Danish class action lawsuit against Meta (Facebook/Instagram). Meta is accused of harming the health of children and young people by exposing them to addictive products, despite being fully aware of their harmful effects. The scope and aggressiveness of this deliberately unsafe software have been increasing for several years. This initiative is organized in collaboration between SOMI, the law firm Lassen Ricard, and the Center for Digital Health. The parties have now initiated a legal process in Denmark to compel Meta to change or remove the products so that they are no longer harmful and to pay compensation to the Danish children and young people who have been exposed to them.

The class actions are a response to more than ten years of inadequate enforcement of EU directives, while the problems caused by tech companies’ behavior have only worsened. Therefore, SOMI and the Center for Digital Health view class actions as a new tool in Denmark to change the behavior of tech companies. SOMI is currently pursuing class actions in the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium against TikTok, X, Facebook, and Instagram.

Thus, one of the central recommendations from the hearing has already been translated into concrete action in Denmark.

Best regards,
HAVE Kommunikation

For further information, please contact:
Kathrine Clemmensen // 22 90 26 45 // kathrine@have.dk
Karoline Maltha Jannerup // 30 30 70 20 // karoline@have.dk