Here’s the latest news from the technology industry, which is coming under increasing scrutiny from governments around the world.
UK Regulations to Create New Digital Markets Unit
U.K. antitrust regulators are creating a Digital Markets Unit that will be given the duty to enforce rules applicable to Big Tech firms. That new division will fall under the country’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
The rules, which are set to take effect in the spring, will provide consumers with the right to opt out of tailored advertising and make firms share more about the way in which they harness consumer data, among other elements.
“Millions of people share creative content or advertise their small business’ goods online,” the British government said in a press release. “But there is growing consensus in the U.K. and abroad that the concentration of power amongst a small number of tech companies is curtailing growth in the tech sector, reducing innovation and potentially having negative impacts on the people and businesses that rely on them.”
According to the U.K. government, the digital industry contributed almost 150 billion pounds (roughly $201 billion) to the country’s economy in 2018.
Apple Faces $12M Fine Over iPhone Marketing
Italy’s antitrust regulator has hit Apple with a 10-million-euro fine (approximately $12 million) for allegedly unfair business practices when it comes to its iPhone promotion in Italy, MacRumors reported.
The news comes after Italy’s antitrust watchdog issued a 10-million-euro penalty in 2018 over “planned obsolescence” of phones.
Apple reportedly noted in promotional materials related to various iPhones that the devices were water resistant for one to four meters for as long as a half hour, depending on the version purchased.
But the watchdog contends that the messages didn’t make clear that the assertions held when certain conditions were in place (i.e., a lab with pure water). Regulators also called out the tech company’s warranty terms for not covering water damage.
Canada Looks to Tax International Tech Firms
Canada is proposing a new digital levy on international tech companies like Google, Amazon, Facebook and Netflix. A potential “Netflix Tax,” which is forecast to bring in more than $1.2 billion over five years, could come in effect as soon as next July 1.
The digital tax would be collected from clients, and digital services companies would remit it. The levy would take the place of the current “honor system” through which residents are supposed to provide their fair portion of local and federal taxes on any merchandise or service they buy online.
Google Unveils Healthcare Interoperability Readiness Program
Google is rolling out the Google Cloud Healthcare Interoperability Readiness Program ahead of approaching implementation deadlines for the U.S. 21st Century Cures Act, according to a press release from the company. The legislation, enacted in 2016, requires patient information interoperability for payers, healthcare groups and providers.
Google said the program aims to help healthcare groups make sense of their present “interoperability maturity levels” and plan a “stepwise journey” to allow for interoperability.
It’s also meant to help them steer through transformations and bolster their readiness for novel Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) regulations.
Apple, Amazon Have Not Joined French ‘Tech For Good Call’ Program
Apple and Amazon have not joined a new French program to have Big Tech firms publicly agree to tenets like providing their fair portion of taxes, Reuters reported, citing government leaders.
Advisers of French President Emmanuel Macron said officials had requested that tech firms join a “Tech For Good Call” program.
The country’s government disclosed a list of 75 tech company leaders that had joined the effort to date, such as Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft President Brad Smith. However, Amazon and Apple were reportedly not included.
Macron has aimed to convince large tech companies to work with governments on many international efforts, like combating hate speech on the web.
We’re always on the lookout for opportunities to partner with innovators and disruptors.
Learn More