Over the last few years, the European Union has clarified that it is pushing back against the United States technology industry. The European Commission has orchestrated several investigations into the operations of U.S. tech giants like Amazon and Apple, looking into cases of abuse in online advertising and app store practices. Most recently, TechCrunch announced Apple was fined €8 million in France over data privacy breaches. Meta has also been fined $400 million in Ireland over EU privacy breaches.
Around The World
It is not just the European Union cracking down on the technology sector and introducing internet-related regulations in the United States, though. Even lawmakers in certain US states recognize the dangers of the freedom and flexibility that technology has brought. For example, PIA reveals that lawmakers in Louisiana passed a bill that now requires residents to show government-issued IDs when accessing websites with pornographic material. The bill, called HB142, aims to hold websites accountable for showing harmful material to minors. Several other states in the US have since proposed similar bills.
Likewise, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) also created a new framework called STIR/SHAKEN. The FTC introduced this caller ID authentication framework to reduce illegal robocalls cases as this type of caller ID spoofing reached high levels in the country in 2019. For instance, RoboKiller reported that nearly $1 billion was lost in the US in 2019 to phone scams.
The European Union, however, is more focused on issues such as the sharing and selling of data by tech companies like Amazon, Apple, Meta, and Twitter. That’s why the EU created the Digital Services Act, which now restricts these companies’ approach to data selling. The Digital Services Act works alongside the EU’s Digital Markets Act, which seeks to make the digital economy fairer. As Brookings highlights, the Digital Services Act will have a significant impact outside of EU nations and on the United States.
Of course, the European Union and the United States are not the only players involved in this debate over whether the technology industry needs more regulation. Countries like Australia are also making significant moves, with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) cracking down on online influencers. Online influencers have become an essential aspect of most companies’ marketing strategies, and IMH reports that influencers can earn up to $10,000 per post on Instagram.
But what started as a smart business move has turned sour quickly, with companies capitalizing on the reliability and ease with which consumers can access influencer posts. In Australia, influencers have stopped disclosing sponsored posts, and many of these posts don’t include crucial product information, which the ACCC believes is malicious marketing.
Sign Of The Times
Over the next few years, we will see more technology regulations put in place as governments and lawmakers become increasingly concerned over privacy and safety issues. Currently, the EU is leading this movement, deciding to focus much of its efforts on the United States, but that will not last long, with others, such as Australia, following suit.
