Europe Takes on China, US With Plan To Regulate Global Tech
The legislative plans, outlined on Wednesday by the European Commission, the bloc's executive body, are designed to help Europe compete with the U.S. and China's technological power while still championing EU rights. The move is the latest attempt by the bloc to leverage the power of its vast, developed market to set global standards that companies around the world are forced to follow. Big U.S. companies, like Facebook and Alphabet's Google, won't get any reprieve from the Commission, which in its Digital Services Act plans to overhaul rules around legal liability for tech firms, and is also exploring legislation for 'gate-keeping' platforms that control their ecosystems. "It's not us that need to adapt to today's platforms. It's the platforms that need to adapt to Europe," European Industry Commissioner Thierry Breton said at a press conference in Brussels. If they can't find a way adapt to the bloc's standards, "then we will have to regulate and we are ready to do this in the Digital Services Act at the end of this year."
The legislative plans, outlined on Wednesday by the European Commission, the bloc's executive body, are designed to help Europe compete with the U.S. and China's technological power while still championing EU rights. The move is the latest attempt by the bloc to leverage the power of its vast, developed market to set global standards that companies around the world are forced to follow. Big U.S. companies, like Facebook and Alphabet's Google, won't get any reprieve from the Commission, which in its Digital Services Act plans to overhaul rules around legal liability for tech firms, and is also exploring legislation for 'gate-keeping' platforms that control their ecosystems. "It's not us that need to adapt to today's platforms. It's the platforms that need to adapt to Europe," European Industry Commissioner Thierry Breton said at a press conference in Brussels. If they can't find a way adapt to the bloc's standards, "then we will have to regulate and we are ready to do this in the Digital Services Act at the end of this year."
