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EU reveals plan to regulate Big Tech

bbc.com

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Re: EU reveals plan to regulate Big Tech

#11

Post by ben_w »

hpoe wrote: post #4

>" so would only come into force after the Brexit transition period has ended." Well so this isn't going to do anything for 40 years. > "Furthermore, the law specifies that local officials can send cross-border orders to make tech firms remove content or provide access to information, wherever their EU headquarter is based." I feel that this is very open to abuse especially with this example provided >"A commission s…

I don’t see why that Airbnb example is problematic — enforcement of local laws using information not stored locally. The other option is requiring data to be stored within whichever jurisdiction the data concerns, which could be done but seems contrary to the point of the single market (not a huge difficulty if they can afford local translators and content moderators, but still against the point of the single market).

Can you give a better example of how this could be abused?

Re: EU reveals plan to regulate Big Tech

#14

Post by foota »

hpoe wrote: post #4

>" so would only come into force after the Brexit transition period has ended." Well so this isn't going to do anything for 40 years. > "Furthermore, the law specifies that local officials can send cross-border orders to make tech firms remove content or provide access to information, wherever their EU headquarter is based." I feel that this is very open to abuse especially with this example provided >"A commission s…

That part's not about law enforcement, especially given the example it's probably about Ireland's use as a tax haven.

Re: EU reveals plan to regulate Big Tech

#15

Post by FleaFlicker99 »

throwaway894345 wrote: post #7

> The operators of online platforms - such as social media apps and video-sharing sites of any size - must prioritise complaints raised by "trusted flaggers", who have a track record of highlighting valid problems. Who determines which problems are valid? Unless I overlooked something, this article seems really vague. > Likewise, all online stores must be able to trace traders selling goods via their platforms, in ca…

> must prioritise complaints raised by "trusted flaggers"

That's the real concern here. Speech must be handled very carefully, but now we're elevating some specific people to be 'more equal' than others? Who are these people, and why do they get more say? I can see that opening a can of worms.

I don't live in the EU, but just like that well intentioned but shortsighted cookie law, the rest of us will have to deal with the fallout of that for a long time to come.

Re: EU reveals plan to regulate Big Tech

#16

Post by thrower123 »

908B64B197 wrote: post #10

If you can't compete, better slap successful companies with regulations, more red tape and arbitrary fines! That creates good unionized civil servant jobs to work out all these new compliance regulations! Good for reelection I assume.

Moreover, you're cutting your throat by introducing yet more regulation that only established players can afford to comply with.

All of the previous steps in this direction have been massive boons to Facebook, Google, Amazon, Apple, etc.

Re: EU reveals plan to regulate Big Tech

#17

Post by a_diplomat »

richwater wrote: post #12

Once again governments pushing their responsibilities onto corporations.

Actually no, it's the opposite. It's governments regulating companies, and thereby taking responsibility. Going a step further would make governments actively intervene in day-to-day-operations.

Re: EU reveals plan to regulate Big Tech

#18

Post by core-questions »

throwaway894345 wrote: post #8
Majestic121 wrote: post #6

A interesting point missing from the BBC article is that they have different levels of expectations between small to medium businesses and large ones, to avoid regulatory capture ? : > Platforms that reach more than 10% of the EU's population (45 million users) are considered systemic in nature, and are subject not only to specific obligations to control their own risks, but also to a new oversight structure. Another…

> A interesting point missing from the BBC article is that they have different levels of expectations between small to medium businesses and large ones, to avoid regulatory capture ? : It's easy to overlook, but the BBC article does have this line: > It introduces a sliding scale, under which firms take on more obligations the larger and more influential they are. > Another interesting tidbit is the answer to the com…

> they don't have a responsibility to protect free speech because they are a private entity

It continually amazes me when I see people who are ostensibly on the left trotting out this chestnut like as though it's even remotely a valid argument for the curtailment of one of the most important rights over the past few centuries. It's like as though they're in complete denial about the idea that this kind of speech control could ever negatively impact them. Must be nice to be completely aligned with corporatism to the extend that your personal set of values is literally dictated to you by the Google HR department.

Re: EU reveals plan to regulate Big Tech

#19

Post by plandis »

> Furthermore, the law specifies that local officials can send cross-border orders to make tech firms remove content or provide access to information, wherever their EU headquarter is based.

That just sounds like the opposite of privacy and additionally restrictions on free speech. If Poland doesn’t like a YouTube video criticizing their government it sounds like they now have a legal framework to get that removed, for example.

Re: EU reveals plan to regulate Big Tech

#20

Post by youeseh »

tedunangst wrote: post #13

Does this prevent Apple from shipping iMessage by default on iPhones unless they bundle Facebook and WhatsApp, etc.?

I think what they're trying to do is force Apple (and other OS makers) to provide the ability to uninstall built-in apps. So, your iPhone will come with Apple's default messaging app, but you would potentially have the ability to uninstall it.
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