6 ms·

Europe prepares to rewrite the rules of the Internet

37 points by BerislavLopac 4y ago

d12bb 4y ago
Been years in the making… And has enough lead time to still buy popcorn for watching how the big ones will get out of their way to comply in the most malicious way possible.
ChuckNorris89 4y ago
Bad title. It's not the rules of the internet, but big-tech monopolies and their walled gardens. Bring it on!
bottlepalm 4y ago
Man and I thought legislating USB-C was going too far. Is Europe trying to destroy American companies because they have no ‘tech giants’ of their own? I’m surprised the US government is just going to let this happen.
- Bayart 4y ago
  And what is the US going to do to prevent it? Go to war? Again?
  - ndlzk 4y ago
    They can turn the screws using trade deals, etc.
    - Lio 4y ago
      How would that work? I don’t think the US and EU have any bilateral trade deals, do they?
- beardyw 4y ago
  What ability would the US government have to stop it? The EU and EU countries have every right to make their own laws. Implement an "export ban" and deprive the EU of these services? I doubt the companies involved would consider that to be preferable.
- SturgeonsLaw 4y ago
  > Is Europe trying to destroy American companies In the same way that the EU's food regulations are bad for companies that produce pink slime from beef paste. We've seen time and time again, that if there are no regulations in place to advance consumer's interests, then corporations will take the most profitable path, which is often a user hostile one.
- peoplefromibiza 4y ago
  You mean US companies bowed to China but are afraid by EU, which is their military ally and economic partner? Is that what you are saying?
Belphemur 4y ago
That's a very bad title. It's more inline with bringing back an open internet and transparency in how our data is used by the different platforms. While also forcing them to collaborate, to let us be able to switch easily from one product of company A to the next product of company B. This is great for consumers and will help reducing the power of the techbopoly we have today. If it works.
- such12 4y ago
  Easily switching between two different software systems is a non trivial engineering problem that deeply constrains design. This is terrible for consumers if it means software can’t be improved.
  - peoplefromibiza 4y ago
    > Easily switching between two different software systems is a non trivial engineering problem Exactly! because they are not interoperable. If they were, it would be simple.
    - such12 4y ago
      Once they are forced to become interoperable, they can’t change independently. Do you not see the problem?
      - peoplefromibiza 4y ago
        > Do you not see the problem? the only problem I see is the fictional one you are creating. Interoperability is a layer, not a feature. Just like rails, the fact that they are the same almost everywhere in the world, hasn't stopped trains from improving and changing independently. Italian high speed trains are different from Japanese ones. They use the same rails. Software is the only industry where interoperability is seen as an obstacle, but it's at the same time the industry that prides itself of being the most innovative. so innovative that they can't solve interoperability? A single person developed pipewire that replaces pulseaudio entirely without a glitch and billion dollar companies can't do the same? I don't believe it.
tunap 4y ago
Corporations have been given the right of free speech. Now, in the EU, they may be scrutinized in how they 'speak', ie: curate the discussion. Open the curtain and start holding bad actors responsible for their deeds. Sadly, this won't happen in the US, BAD ADS & SAFE TECH Acts never had a chance, now, prepare for the SCOTUS to settle Section 230 for us... for better, or worse.
cbeach 4y ago
European here. The EU is not Europe (although the EU often conflates the two). No citizen ever voted for any of the commissioners that come up with these regulations.
- kramerger 4y ago
  Speak for yourself mate. I for one like my society not being a wild wild west run by big corps.
  - bennysonething 4y ago
    Do you mean the poster is wrong, we did vote for commissioners? Or do you mean you agree with the policy and don't care how it was arrived at?
    - mrtksn 4y ago
      Why would anyone vote for the commissioners? EU is not structured this way, we don't have a supreme leader or something of that sort and everything is decided through elected or appointed by elected people from 27 different countries. We vote for the EU parliament representatives and they recommend commissioners to the council and the council appoints. A bit like the UK, where they don't elect a prime minister but vote for parties which appoint the prime minister. Notice how UK went through a couple prime ministers without an election? If you want to shoot for technicalities, in the USA people don't vote for the president but electoral college that happens to elect a specific person but they might choose not to.
      - cbeach 4y ago
        In the U.K. the prime minister is an elected MP. We have multiple means to depose a bad PM. How do we depose a bad EU commissioner?
        mrtksn 4y ago
        You are thinking in UK terms but UK and EU are not analogous. EU Commissioner can't really make some big decisions and almost crash the economy like Liz Truss. Anyway if somehow the EU commissioner manages to be bad and needs to be removed ASAP the EU parliament, which is made of the directly elected officials, can remove the commissioner. EU is undemocratic and the members can't do anything about EU is a myth like Brexit is removing the red tape myth.

37 points by BerislavLopac 4y ago

Been years in the making… And has enough lead time to still buy popcorn for watching how the big ones will get out of their way to comply in the most malicious way possible.

ChuckNorris89 4y ago

Bad title. It's not the rules of the internet, but big-tech monopolies and their walled gardens. Bring it on!

bottlepalm 4y ago

Man and I thought legislating USB-C was going too far. Is Europe trying to destroy American companies because they have no ‘tech giants’ of their own? I’m surprised the US government is just going to let this happen.

Bayart 4y ago
And what is the US going to do to prevent it? Go to war? Again?
- ndlzk 4y ago
  They can turn the screws using trade deals, etc.
  - Lio 4y ago
    How would that work? I don’t think the US and EU have any bilateral trade deals, do they?
beardyw 4y ago
What ability would the US government have to stop it? The EU and EU countries have every right to make their own laws. Implement an "export ban" and deprive the EU of these services? I doubt the companies involved would consider that to be preferable.
SturgeonsLaw 4y ago
> Is Europe trying to destroy American companies In the same way that the EU's food regulations are bad for companies that produce pink slime from beef paste. We've seen time and time again, that if there are no regulations in place to advance consumer's interests, then corporations will take the most profitable path, which is often a user hostile one.
peoplefromibiza 4y ago
You mean US companies bowed to China but are afraid by EU, which is their military ally and economic partner? Is that what you are saying?

Belphemur 4y ago

That's a very bad title. It's more inline with bringing back an open internet and transparency in how our data is used by the different platforms. While also forcing them to collaborate, to let us be able to switch easily from one product of company A to the next product of company B. This is great for consumers and will help reducing the power of the techbopoly we have today. If it works.

such12 4y ago
Easily switching between two different software systems is a non trivial engineering problem that deeply constrains design. This is terrible for consumers if it means software can’t be improved.
- peoplefromibiza 4y ago
  > Easily switching between two different software systems is a non trivial engineering problem Exactly! because they are not interoperable. If they were, it would be simple.
  - such12 4y ago
    Once they are forced to become interoperable, they can’t change independently. Do you not see the problem?
    - peoplefromibiza 4y ago
      > Do you not see the problem? the only problem I see is the fictional one you are creating. Interoperability is a layer, not a feature. Just like rails, the fact that they are the same almost everywhere in the world, hasn't stopped trains from improving and changing independently. Italian high speed trains are different from Japanese ones. They use the same rails. Software is the only industry where interoperability is seen as an obstacle, but it's at the same time the industry that prides itself of being the most innovative. so innovative that they can't solve interoperability? A single person developed pipewire that replaces pulseaudio entirely without a glitch and billion dollar companies can't do the same? I don't believe it.

tunap 4y ago

Corporations have been given the right of free speech. Now, in the EU, they may be scrutinized in how they 'speak', ie: curate the discussion. Open the curtain and start holding bad actors responsible for their deeds. Sadly, this won't happen in the US, BAD ADS & SAFE TECH Acts never had a chance, now, prepare for the SCOTUS to settle Section 230 for us... for better, or worse.

cbeach 4y ago

European here. The EU is not Europe (although the EU often conflates the two). No citizen ever voted for any of the commissioners that come up with these regulations.

kramerger 4y ago
Speak for yourself mate. I for one like my society not being a wild wild west run by big corps.
- bennysonething 4y ago
  Do you mean the poster is wrong, we did vote for commissioners? Or do you mean you agree with the policy and don't care how it was arrived at?
  - mrtksn 4y ago
    Why would anyone vote for the commissioners? EU is not structured this way, we don't have a supreme leader or something of that sort and everything is decided through elected or appointed by elected people from 27 different countries. We vote for the EU parliament representatives and they recommend commissioners to the council and the council appoints. A bit like the UK, where they don't elect a prime minister but vote for parties which appoint the prime minister. Notice how UK went through a couple prime ministers without an election? If you want to shoot for technicalities, in the USA people don't vote for the president but electoral college that happens to elect a specific person but they might choose not to.
    - cbeach 4y ago
      In the U.K. the prime minister is an elected MP. We have multiple means to depose a bad PM. How do we depose a bad EU commissioner?
      - mrtksn 4y ago
        You are thinking in UK terms but UK and EU are not analogous. EU Commissioner can't really make some big decisions and almost crash the economy like Liz Truss. Anyway if somehow the EU commissioner manages to be bad and needs to be removed ASAP the EU parliament, which is made of the directly elected officials, can remove the commissioner. EU is undemocratic and the members can't do anything about EU is a myth like Brexit is removing the red tape myth.