25-01-2021 )
The stunning events in Washington on 6 January not only showed the fragility of modern democracies but also demonstrated the untamed power of Big Tech, writes Marc Sundermann, Paolo Cesarini and Christophe Leclercq. EPA-EFE/JIM LO SCALZO
Big Techâs choice: Work with Brussels or face EU regulatory patchwork
Big Tech (FAANG) faces a choice: work with the European Commission on strict regulation or deal with technology regulation of each individual nation inside the Eurozone.
Author:
Jan 20, 2021
Big Tech (FAANG) faces a choice: work with the European Commission on strict regulation or deal with technology regulation of each individual nation inside the Eurozone.
The big picture: the EU Commission in Brussels has proposed to discuss 2 pieces of legislation in the coming months: regulating digital competition in the “Digital Markets Act” and the “Digital Services Act” to protect users, regulate hate speech and protect individual’s free speech. Companies that do not comply risk fines up to 10% of European turnover or even breakup.
Silicon Valley’s big beasts are set to face their biggest challenge yet
After a bonanza year the outlook for Big Tech in 2021 presents a far more nuanced picture
As an exercise in seasonal goodwill, it takes some beating.
When MacKenzie Scott, Jeff Bezos’s ex-wife, decided to dish out some of her wealth to charity this year, she didn’t mess around.
The $4.2bn (£3.15bn) she shelled out in just four months to US food banks and emergency relief funds smashed previous records for philanthropic giving.
Scott can afford it. Her 4pc stake in Amazon, worth nearly $61bn, has risen by $23bn over the last 12 months, making her the world’s fourth richest woman.
The Digital Services and Digital Markets Acts must deliver a real European digital single market, explains Pablo Arias Echeverría
If the EU wants to lead in the global digital race, then it must do so in its own way, based on European values, writes Spanish EPP deputy.
Adobe Stock
23 Dec 2020
Both the European Union and the rest of the world are facing challenging times. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live and visualise our future, and has brought with it many structural changes that will likely stay with us well in to the future.
One of these changes is the accelerated digitalisation of society. Technology and digitalisation are proving to be essential in addressing the economic, health and social challenges that have arisen from the pandemic.
Updated on
16/12/2020 at 14:34
Reacting to the European Commission’s much-awaited proposals on the Digital Services and Digital Markets Acts, MEP Agius Saliba said that both proposals have a major role to play in determining that ‘maximising’ huge profits of tech giants are not prioritised over safer digital space for all users, where fundamental rights and public interests, the users’ and consumers’ rights are protected online.
Alex Agius Saliba, S&D negotiator on the Digital Services Act initiative report in the European Parliament’s Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection, welcomed the Commission proposals on both Acts. He said that this is a long-overdue reform of 20-year-old rules, which are no longer fit for purpose, adding that there is no doubt that both these proposals will be a game-changer for Europe and the world’s digital future.