EU hails Biden’s ‘new dawn’ but wants tough tech rules

The European Union hailed Joe Biden’s inauguration later on Wednesday as U.S. president as a “new dawn” for Europe and the United States, while insisting U.S. technology companies should be regulated to stop the “dark forces” of hate speech online.

The EU and the United States are the world’s top trading powers, along with China, and have close cultural, historical, business and defence ties, but Donald Trump sought to sideline the EU, championing Britain’s departure from the bloc.

Expressing relief at the end of four years of Trump’s “America First” policy, the EU’s chief executive and chairman told the European Parliament that shaping new global digital regulation together was paramount.