Merkel urges EU to ‘keep regulating’ social media, AI

STRASBOURG, France — Longtime German leader Angela Merkel called on Europe Tuesday to stay the course in its push to regulate social media and AI — warning the “foundations of democracy” were at stake. The former chancellor issued the appeal as she accepted an award at the European Parliament — in a speech urging the bloc to live up to the “promises” made to its citizens on protecting peace, prosperity and democratic values. “Continue along the path of regulating social media,” she urged. “Continue along the path of regulating artificial intelligence.” “To believe that responsibility for spreading information is no longer necessary — that one will not be held accountable for lies — will undermine the foundations of democracy,” warned the German liberal, who served as Germany’s chancellor from 2005 to 2021. The 27-country EU has some of the world’s strictest rules regulating the digital space and is currently weighing the possibility of banning social media for those under a certain age. Merkel is one of 20 laureates of a newly-created European Order of Merit, bestowed in March to