Orbán cabinet calls for EU action to promote ‘people’s rights in cyberspace’

Personal rights must be protected “in the cyberspace, too”, Justice Minister Judit Varga said in Parliament on Monday, and called for fast action and for the European Union setting an example.

At a conference dubbed Dialogue on the Future of Europe: Building a Digital European Union, Varga urged efforts to ensure that people can use the internet safely.

Digitalisation now affects the whole of society and offers limitless opportunities, she said, but added that those opportunities involve responsibilities, too. “It is important that we take our future in Europe in our own hands and build a digital future that serves the benefit of the people,” she said.

The minister insisted that the current “digital revolution” was a major challenge, adding that the internet had reshaped people’s lives, society, and culture.

Social media is becoming more and more influential with billions of users worldwide, but “it has spread too quickly and by now the drawbacks are obvious”, she said.