Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

UK seeks to curb Big Tech ‘dominance’ with launch of new regulator

UK seeks to curb Big Tech ‘dominance’ with launch of new regulator

A new UK regulator tasked with keeping an eye on tech giants has begun operations, and its first assignment is to draft a code of conduct aimed at improving interactions between platforms and news publishers.
The Digital Markets Unit (DMU) was formed in November to help safeguard user data and ensure fair business practices. It was formed by the Competition and Markets Authority, which took action after concluding last year that the dominance of Silicon Valley behemoths such as Google and Facebook was stifling innovation and hurting consumers.

The unit officially launched on Wednesday, with Digital Secretary Oliver Dowden marking the occasion by describing the DMU’s mandate as a “major milestone in the path to creating the world's most competitive online markets, with consumers, entrepreneurs and content publishers at their heart.”

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng was similarly hopeful about the DMU’s prospects, predicting that the agency would “help curb the dominance of the tech giants.”

The DMU’s first assignment will be to examine the relationships between platforms and content providers, as well as interactions between platforms and digital advertisers. The goal is to create a code of conduct that can later become legally binding.

Dowden explained that drafting the new code would help lower the prices of digital services and give consumers more choice and control over their data. He also said the regulator would play an important role in supporting the UK’s news industry, which is “vital to freedom of expression and our democratic values.”

The regulator’s launch comes after Facebook locked horns with Australia over proposed legislation that would force platforms to pay licensing fees to use domestically created news content. Facebook claimed that the law would make operating in Australia unprofitable and in February blocked news content for Australian users for several days. The content embargo was later lifted, and News Corp inked a three-year deal to provide content to Facebook in Australia.

Google, which also opposes the law, reached a deal with Canberra and agreed to pay some publishers to use their content.

Although controversial, Australia’s belief that platforms should pay for content has begun to attract support around the world. Canada announced in February that it was exploring legislation that would give news publishers more control over how their content is used by tech companies. In India, newspapers have demanded an 85% share of ad revenue from Google. Other countries already have guidelines in place. France, for example, has required that tech companies enter into negotiations with publishers regarding financial compensation, without forcing the issue.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Budapest Central European Fashion Week Kicks Off
U.S. Celebrates Labor Day
Hungarian National Team Captain Scores Epic Goal
×