EXPLAINER: How sweeping EU rules would curb tech companies

By KELVIN CHAN
AP Business Writer

LONDON (AP) — European Union lawmakers have approved proposed rules that would require online companies to ramp up efforts to keep harmful content off their platforms and take other steps to protect users. The 27-nation bloc has gained a reputation as a trendsetter in the growing global push to rein in big tech companies. The legislation that passed a vote Thursday is part of a sweeping overhaul of the European Union’s digital rules aimed at ensuring tech giants like Google, Facebook parent Meta and other online companies protect users on their platforms from harmful content like misinformation and hate speech and treat rivals fairly.