Tech Regulation Digest: FTC Targets Amazon in Lawsuit amid Major Changes in Global Antitrust Laws
Overview On September 26, 2023, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), along with 17 states, filed an antitrust lawsuit against Amazon.com. The 150+ page complaint alleges that Amazon uses its monopoly power to raise prices, degrade services...
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Tech Regulation Digest: US Senators Push for New Federal Regulatory Commission to Oversee Big Tech
Overview On July 27, 2023, Senators Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) unveiled the Digital Consumer Protection Commission Act (DCPC), a bill proposing to establish a new commission responsible for enforcing newfound...
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Tech Regulation Digest: Global Powers Move to Regulate AI
Overview Global powers are moving to regulate artificial intelligence (AI), with China and Europe making the first moves. US regulators and AI industry leaders have been working on a regulatory framework for the US over the last few months...
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Tech Regulation Digest: Mobile Wallets and Big Tech in the Financial Services Sector
Overview On January 30, 2023, Twitter began applying for regulatory licenses to offer financial services. A payments model such as the one Twitter is pursuing would be in the same competitive space as Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, and other Big...
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Tech Regulation Digest: Insights on the Digital Divide from the Community Explorer
Overview Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans have become increasingly reliant on technology, as access to the internet has become essential for education, career development, and even health care. A December 2021 report from the US...
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Tech Regulation Digest: GDPR Fines Increasing, but Big Tech Companies Avoid Maximum Fines
Note: All GDPR fine amounts listed in euros in source data are converted to dollars at a 0.97 US dollar exchange rate (effective as of September 26, 2022). Overview The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the European Union’s law...
Tech Regulation Digest: The US Considers Comprehensive Data Privacy and Protection Legislation
Overview On July 20, 2022, the House Committee on Energy & Commerce voted affirmatively (53-2) to send the American Data Privacy and Protection Act (ADPPA) to the floor of the House of Representatives. While momentum was high last month...
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Tech Regulation Digest: A Big Setback for Big Tech: The Adoption of the Digital Service Package in the EU
Overview At the beginning of the month, the European Parliament adopted The Digital Markets Act (DMA) and its companion, The Digital Services Act (DSA). This historically fast adoption of tech regulation legislation has made the European...
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Tech Regulation Digest: Time to Reassess? How Economic Headwinds are Steering China Towards Tech
Overview In our March Digest, we highlighted the impact that China’s strict regulatory environment was having on its domestic tech sector. Since then, key figures in the Chinese government have made a sustained effort to reassure tech CEOs...
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Tech Regulation Digest: In Name Only? The Stablecoin Market and Pending Regulation
Overview At a Senate Banking Committee hearing this month, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen reiterated the need for regulatory oversight of stablecoins—a cryptocurrency whose value is explicitly linked to another asset 1. The Secretary’s...
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Tech Regulation Digest: The Walled Garden’s Side Door – Apple’s App Store Battle
Overview Apple’s business ecosystem is commonly referred to as a ‘walled garden’—with Apple hardware, software, and services all existing in a closed environment with controlled access to third parties. The App Store illustrates the...
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Tech Regulation Digest: Too Much, Too Quickly? The Impact of China’s Tech Regulations
Overview Recent regulatory measures introduced by the Chinese government have started to impact the bottom-line of the country’s major tech companies leading to large-scale layoffs. Despite Chinese top policymakers' recent announcement that...
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Tech Regulation Digest: A Look into China's New Algorithm Regulation
Overview In March 2022, a new law has taken effect in China that regulates the use of recommendation algorithms by internet service providers. China’s new algorithm law, Internet Information Service Algorithm Recommendation Management...
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Tech Regulation Digest: Enforcing the European Union’s New Competition Rules
Overview EU member states came to an agreement this month on who will enforce new tech regulation. Government ministers decided to delegate sole enforcement authority to the European Commission for the proposed Digital Markets Act. The...
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Tech Regulation Digest: Clamping Down: Tech M&A in the US
Overview In January 2022, Microsoft announced that it will acquire gaming giant Activision Blizzard for $68 billion—the largest acquisition ever in the tech sector. However, the deal could run into trouble as US legislators and regulators...
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Tech Regulation Digest: New York State’s Social Media Bill and Section 230
Overview In December, New York state Sen. Brad Hoylman introduced a bill that if passed would make social media platforms liable for recommending unlawful and false content such as vaccine misinformation. This bill seeks to challenge...
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Tech Regulation Digest: Big Tech, HIPAA, and the GDPR: Balancing Patient Privacy and Data Sharing in Health Tech
Overview As Big Tech companies face continued scrutiny over their handling of personal health information, the limitations of US health privacy regulation in a digital age are becoming more evident. Policymakers, both in the US and around...
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