EU hails Biden's 'new dawn' but wants tough tech rules

European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen addresses European lawmakers during a plenary session on the inauguration of the new President of the United States and the current political situation, at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, January 20, 2021. Francisco Seco/Pool via REUTERS

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - 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.