Trending Now
We have updated our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use for Eurasia Group and its affiliates, including GZERO Media, to clarify the types of data we collect, how we collect it, how we use data and with whom we share data. By using our website you consent to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy, including the transfer of your personal data to the United States from your country of residence, and our use of cookies described in our Cookie Policy.
{{ subpage.title }}
US pushes back on EU's proposed laws impacting US tech companies
Marietje Schaake, International Policy Director at Stanford's Cyber Policy Center, Eurasia Group senior advisor and former MEP, discusses trends in big tech, privacy protection and cyberspace:
What are the EU's digital gatekeeper rules, and why does the US want them changed?
Now, the EU is working on a series of legislative proposals, for example, to ensure risk mitigation around the use of AI, or the protection of fundamental rights, but also to make sure that there is fairness and competition in the digital economy. And the Digital Services Act still under negotiation between the European Commission, member state governments, and the European Parliament, seeks to impose proactive obligations on large gatekeeper tech companies, to basically extend antitrust principles and protect smaller players.
And now at the eleventh hour, the Biden administration through Commerce Secretary, Raimondo, but also a number of senators, is voicing its concern. The political leaders worry that the EU rules would discriminate unfairly against American tech companies and really single them out. But what's easily overlooked in their statements is that US-based tech companies have grown exceptionally large, and that a law that wishes to put specific obligations on the largest companies would inevitably include many American companies.
So you might think of the situation we find ourselves in as the consequence of their success. But besides that, concerns about the outsized power of a handful of monopolists is not unique to Europe. Americans also worry about harms caused by competition that is lacking or harms to society, for example, democracy or the protection of minorities. So it may be better for the US political leaders to prioritize focusing on those voices, instead of writing papers to Europeans that have nearly finished their years long deliberations.
- Europe and the US can't agree on how to regulate Big Tech ... ›
- Big Tech's big challenge to the global order - GZERO Media ›
- The technopolar world: A new dimension of geopolitics — Kevin ... ›
- A “techlash” is coming this year - GZERO Media ›
- EU's proposed DSA and DMA laws would broadly regulate digital ... ›
- Elon Musk to buy Twitter: will misinformation thrive? - GZERO Media ›
Can we control AI before it controls us?
COVID has accelerated our embrace of the digital world. The thing is, we don't always know who’s running it.
Instead of governments, Ian Bremmer says, so far a handful of Big Tech companies are writing the rules of digital space — through computer algorithms powered by artificial intelligence.
The problem is that tech companies have set something in motion they don't fully understand, nor control.
But China does. Beijing is using AI do some pretty bad stuff, such as surveillance of Uyghurs in Xinjiang (and also some fun stuff, like publicly shaming jaywalkers).
Will we learn to control AI before AI controls us? Find out on GZERO World.
- Kai-fu Lee: What's next for artificial intelligence? - GZERO Media ›
- Artificial intelligence from Ancient Greece to 2021 ›
- Democrats and Republicans unite! At least against China. - GZERO ... ›
- Ian Bremmer: How AI may destroy democracy - GZERO Media ›
- Ian Bremmer: How AI may destroy democracy - GZERO Media ›
- AI at the tipping point: danger to information, promise for creativity - GZERO Media ›
- The AI arms race begins: Scott Galloway’s optimism & warnings - GZERO Media ›
- Ian Explains: The dark side of AI - GZERO Media ›
- Tech innovation can outpace cyber threats, says Microsoft's Brad Smith - GZERO Media ›
- Artificial intelligence and the importance of civics - GZERO Media ›
What is Coinbase, the first major cryptocurrency company to go public?
Marietje Schaake, International Policy Director at Stanford's Cyber Policy Center, Eurasia Group senior advisor and former MEP, discusses trends in big tech, privacy protection and cyberspace:
What is Coinbase and why is it such a big deal that it's going public?
Now, Coinbase runs the US's largest cryptocurrency exchange and holds tens of billions of dollars' worth of bitcoins. When it went public on Wednesday, it was the first major cryptocurrency company to do so.
Are there any privacy issues you see looming around cryptocurrency and digital assets in general?
And I would say trust is a big question with cryptocurrencies and the question that goes beyond matters of privacy protection. Some customers of Coinbase, for example, reported losing their assets through account takeover attacks and were very disappointed with the lack of support the company offered. Digital currency transactions that are impossible to reverse or to be traced to a person, make them an attractive asset to steal. And the security rules that we know for banks do not yet apply equally to digital currency exchanges. And that has clearly had its pluses for some users, but steep downsides for those who lose their savings in the blink of an eye.
Cryptocurrency going mainstream but EU & US regulators face challenges
Marietje Schaake, International Policy Director at Stanford's Cyber Policy Center, Eurasia Group senior advisor and former MEP, discusses trends in big tech, privacy protection and cyberspace:
Has cryptocurrency finally gone mainstream?
Well, it certainly looks like that because after some people had invested in bitcoins out of curiosity or the quiet hope to make a fortune, now the EU and the European Central Bank are considering a digital euro. And this week, Visa announced that it would accept crypto coins, too. So those developments may help facilitate trust in an area that is also known to be a safe haven for criminal money.
How are different governments dealing with the continued rise of cryptocurrencies?
Well, EU regulators are working on incorporating them and allowing for pilots and regulatory sandboxes to test innovative blockchain applications and governance. But in the US, regulation looks at know-your-customer type requirements to build trust and accountability. And not surprisingly, enthusiasts of the unregulated cryptos have complained. So this is a question not yet settled.
- The dangers of deepfakes and the need for norms around trust ... ›
- What are NFTs, and how do they fit into the crypto landscape ... ›
- What can governments do about cryptocurrency? - GZERO Media ›
- What is Coinbase, the first major cryptocurrency company to go public? - GZERO Media ›
- NFTs: Hype, mainstream growth - & implications - GZERO Media ›
- Crypto fans ignore its ups and downs - GZERO Media ›
Section 230: The 90's law still governing the internet
The technology of the 1990s looked nothing like today's connected world—and the internet hosted just a fraction of the billions of people who now use it every day. Yet, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, passed in 1996, is the law that governs rights and responsibilities of social media companies…that weren't even around when it was written. Ian Bremmer explains on GZERO World.
Do the Democrats have enough power to rein in Big Tech?
The Democrats shocked the country by eking out a 50-50 majority in the US Senate earlier this month, securing control of the House, Senate and Executive. But do they have enough power to impose the kinds of restrictions to Big Tech that many believe are sorely needed? Renowned tech columnist Kara Swisher is not so sure. But there is one easy legislative win they could pursue early on. "I think it's very important to have privacy legislation, which we currently do not have: a 'national privacy bill.' Every other country does." Swisher's wide-ranging conversation with Ian Bremmer was part of the latest episode of GZERO World.
Kara Swisher on Big Tech’s big problem
Renowned tech journalist Kara Swisher has no doubt that social media companies bear responsibility for the January 6th pro-Trump riots at the Capitol and will likely be complicit in the civil unrest that may continue well into Biden's presidency. It's no surprise, she argues, that the online rage that platforms like Facebook and Twitter intentionally foment translated into real-life violence. But if Silicon Valley's current role in our national discourse is untenable, how can the US government rein it in? That, it turns out, is a bit more complicated. Swisher joins Ian Bremmer on GZERO World.
How can the Biden administration rein in Big Tech?
Renowned tech journalist Kara Swisher has no qualms about saying that many of the country's social media companies need to be held accountable for their negative role in our current national discourse. Swisher calls for "a less friendly relationship with tech" by the Biden administration, an "internet bill of rights" around privacy, and an investigation into antitrust issues.
Swisher, who hosts the New York Times podcast Sway, joins Ian Bremmer for the latest episode of GZERO World, airing on public television nationwide beginning this Friday, January 22th. Check local listings.