The difference between the EU and the USA, and why Ms Vestager is so effective at her job in protecting Europeans from the predatory surveillance forced upon the unsuspecting users of the monopoly tech media companies, can be traced to Citizens United.
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The social media companies are highly anti-social predatory animals. I hope Ms. Vetager can put them on a very strong and very short leash.
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Looks like these companies will be treated like natural monopolies and be regulated mostly by lawsuits by the EU and US governments.
6
Big tech screams for regulation when people like Mark Zuckerberg makes empty promises about self policing.
His chief of security came to Facebook after missing the debacle at yahoo and its security breach.
American companies are being singled out, because of people like Mark Zuckerberg.
Additionally, the US is the juciest money target.
I don't agree with Mr. Cook's language. While I do believe he could articulate more clearly that the EU is partly prejudice.
Notably, China is left out of sight, beyond regulation and openness, while dominating much in the EU market.
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This is serious. Vestager is the one person who has the knowledge and stamina do this. It's not against freedom, it's in defence. It is against online jungle shunning regulation which claims to be liberty.
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LOVE HER! Thank you, Margrethe!
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Given the gross misunderstandings we're seeing here of the enormous benefit that watchdogs like Vestager are providing, it's pretty obvious why we can't let disaggregated, poorly-informed individuals in an unregulated market make these decisions on their own.
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Vestager has made it clear that she opposes any and all forms of business model innovation, even if it has a direct benefit to consumers.
Case in point, Android. The entire premise was to bundle apps and services together in order to provide a free platform upon which to build. Vestager doesn't like that.
The EU is systematically breaking down the structures by which US companies are achieving success. Notice how this type of behaviour takes place even after choices are pushed onto the consumer via the platform. If people are happy with what they are offered and don't want to use the other options, what moral justification is there for these fines?
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Facebook declares itself a “platform” and as such, feels that it has no responsibility for the content on it.
This is wrong. Facebook monetizes and profits from the content it hosts and promotes, like a broadcaster showing TV shows and keeping the ad revenue. The producer of Facebook content gets nothing. If Facebook was a platform, Facebook would receive a hosting fee and the content producer would receive the ad revenue.
Facebook had left the concept of “social” media – photos and videos of friends and family for viewing by a select few – far behind. Today, Facebook is a full on news and entertainment network, and as such must be made responsible for the validity of all content hosted on its’ site and app. They should be held to the same liability standards as any print publication or broadcast news network.
Would this be expensive? Yes, but, Facebook is a multi-billion dollar company, and this would be a great source of jobs, as they would need researchers and copy editors for every language in every country of the world.
Perhaps these could be the ex-newspapers staff from the papers destroyed by Facebooks theft of their content and ad revenue.
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@Buttons Cornell Okay.
I'm trying to create a startup that provides a similar service. Random User X decides to post child pornography on their page. Should my company be shut down?
I can't afford the $Billion dollar price tag to create machine-learning based moderation technologies. Should I just accept that I can be sued enough to completely close down my business on a daily basis?
Please. What you propose would only further entrench those that have the ability to pay, and eliminate any possibility of future competition under the threat of litigation and government crackdowns.
3
You are assuming that your start up would have the same size audience as Facebook as soon as it starts. That is unlikely.
I believe many, smaller companies would be better that one behemoth. This would allow many Americans to promote their concepts of a social network.
In the current regulatory environment, your start up would be blocked out by Facebook’s might. They would hire away your programmers, or buy your idea and bury it, or steal your content, take away any copyright protection and generate ad revenue for themselves and pay you nothing.
Look at the American history of breaking up monopolies such as Standard Oil. Oil survived and thrived. Or the breakup of the vertically integrated movie studio system. American anti-trust says that one company cannot be producer and exhibitor. Independent movie companies thrived for years.
Look at the history of Bell being broken up into many phone companies. All these Industries were opened up and all were profitable for many more owners and workers.
I also believe that with great power comes great responsibility. Facebook wants to be an irresponsible adolescent. I believe they should be held accountable for their actions.
15
I come from the same village as Magrethe Vestager, and she comes home often. When my public school had a celebration of an anniversary, she made a very good speech. My father always said he had the highest average grades, until Magrethe Vestager came around. Her father now lives in the next town over, and my parents stumbles in to him from time to time.
So all I want say is,
God vind fremover og hilsner fra Skovlund.
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This is what rule by decree looks like, folks. Great when the ruler is "benevolent".
Ever hear of "regulatory capture"? Just watch and enjoy, if you dare.
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@Daedalus You seem confused as to the meaning of regulatory capture. Regulatory capture occurs when the industry supposedly being regulated captures and controls the regulators, exactly the opposite of what you seem to be implying.
In addition, Vestager does not rule by decree; regulations and fines she proposes are reviewed and approved or disapproved by elected EU officials.
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She may be the best hope we have to somehow rein in the all-encompassing power of Google, Amazon and Facebook. I wish her well in her efforts.
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These tech companies provide tremendous benefit as well. Imagine if you were charged $0.20 every time you looked up something on Google Maps. A reality not too far off in her new world.
2
@Russell Instead of paying 20¢, you pay by giving up, without permission, awareness or control, all your personal data, a much, much higher price.
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@Russell
Got it, great. Benefit to whoseoever, fo whatever purpose. I'll keep looking up, I'll even employ a troll for this. It's tremendous benefit.
1
Excellent. As someone who works in the tech industry, I am in-favor of more oversight. Else, tech will end up as corrupt as Financial Markets.
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A genuine hero. Go girl!!!
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