. 24/7 Space News .
INTERNET SPACE
Huge changes for internet and Big Tech under US antitrust proposal
By Rob Lever
Washington (AFP) June 20, 2021

The antitrust overhaul package unveiled in Congress targeting Big Tech, if enacted, could have far-reaching effects on how people use the internet and on America's biggest and most successful companies.

The five bills, due for a committee vote on Wednesday, could pave the way for a reorganization or breakup of giants such as Google, Facebook, Apple and Amazon while reshaping the entire internet ecosystem.

The measures would stop tech giants from operating a platform for third parties while offering competing services on those platforms, dealing a major blow to the likes of Apple and Amazon.

Lawmakers also are seeking to ban tech firms from prioritizing their own products or services, with Google clearly in mind.

Another measure would require data "portability" and "interoperability," which could make it easier for people to quit Facebook, for example, while keeping their data and contacts.

The largest tech firms additionally would be barred from acquiring competitors under the package, which would also add funds for antitrust enforcement.

Fiona Scott Morton, a Yale University professor and former US official who has written extensively on Big Tech, said the legislation stems from the failure of antitrust enforcement in the US and elsewhere to make a dent in the dominance of major technology firms.

"This is regulation, it's not antitrust anymore," Morton said.

If the bills are enacted, she noted, Apple might have to sell or shut down its music service so that it doesn't discriminate against rivals such as Spotify.

"Apple would have to choose," she said.

An interoperability requirement "would be very profound for consumers because it would let people join social networks other than Facebook and (Facebook-owned) Instagram and stay in contact with their friends," Morton noted.

The package comes amid signs of a more aggressive posture by Washington against dominant tech firms, including President Joe Biden's nomination of Lina Khan -- a prominent advocate of breaking up Big Tech -- to head the Federal Trade Commission, one of the agencies charged with antitrust enforcement.

- 'Risky' path -

The House Judiciary Committee has scheduled a vote Wednesday on the package, which has some support from Republicans in addition to the Democratic leadership, signaling a likelihood of passage in the full House of Representatives. The fate in the Senate is less clear.

The measures come following a 16-month investigation in the House led by antitrust subcommittee chairman David Cicilline which concluded that tech giants were abusing their dominant positions and had too much power in the economy.

Christopher Sagers, a Cleveland State University professor specializing in antitrust law, said the package represents a radical approach to dealing with tech firms' growing power.

The bills "would make the platforms operate more like airlines or utility companies, which have to provide their services to anyone who wants them, and not give anyone (or themselves) discriminatory advantages," Sagers said.

"These laws also could bring an end to some products that are very popular," he added.

"I'm not sure how Apple could continue even selling its own mobile software, for example, if iOS devices or the App Store were denominated 'covered platforms,' and there could be consequences for products like Amazon Prime, Google Maps, books digitized in the Google Books project, and who knows what else."

But Sagers said the impact might not be bad in the long run because "markets rearrange themselves and new competitors turn up to replace them... But it is to say that these laws seem risky and I find their consequences hard to predict."

- Blank smartphones? -

Other analysts offered stark warnings against unforeseen consequences of upending the massively successful firms on which many consumers rely in their daily lives.

Iain Murray, a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, said the measure might mean a firm such as Apple would need to shut its App Store, ship "blank phones" without any apps, or spin off its phone division.

"For the most part, the average consumer will see her user experience severely degraded," he said in a statement.

The legislation mirrors Europe's Digital Markets Act and is likely to "distort" competition, according to Aurelien Portuese of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a think tank which often reflects the industry's views.

Portuese said the legislation comes amid a wave of resentment toward Big Tech but may ultimately hurt consumers by allowing less efficient firms to gain in the marketplace.

"Consumers may no longer be able to benefit from large companies' economies of scale," Portuese said in a statement.

The legislative package "reveals a profound lack of practical understanding of how the tech industry operates, and needs to operate, in order to remain competitive, relevant, profitable and innovative," said analyst Olivier Blanchard at Futurum Research in a blog post.

"Do Big Tech companies hold too much power? You could argue that, sure.

"But if the objective is to keep very large, very powerful companies in check, Congress could approach the problem by establishing guardrails that protect consumers and competition without taking a wrecking ball to an entire system."


Related Links
Satellite-based Internet technologies


Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly


paypal only
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal


INTERNET SPACE
End of road for controversial Snapchat 'speed filter'
San Francisco (AFP) June 17, 2021
Snapchat said Thursday it is putting the brakes on a controversial feature that let users of the social network share how fast they were moving. The feature referred to as a "speed filter" let Snapchat users capture their speed in an image they could then fire off to friends, prompting concerns and lawsuits over the potential for dangerously distracted driving. Controversy over the feature had caused Snapchat to change it from a "filter" that augments pictures with numbers showing speed to a sti ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

INTERNET SPACE
Sierra Space and Rhodium Scientific exploring viability of science operations on Sierra Space Life Habitat

Israel 'start-up nation' era may be ending: new figures

NASA's space communications user terminal

Boeing plans second Starliner capsule test flight in July

INTERNET SPACE
Turkey invites Russia to take part in construction of country's spaceport

Debris from carrier rocket drop safely

NASA, SpaceX Update Crew Launch and Return Dates

NASA pursues greener, more efficient spacecraft propulsion

INTERNET SPACE
Mars rover to move south after testing

China reveals photos taken by Mars rover

Perseverance Rover Begins Its First Science Campaign on Mars

NASA's Mars helicopter Ingenuity flies for 7th time

INTERNET SPACE
Successful program ignited by modest spark of an idea

Astronauts board China's new space station for first time

Fresh group of astronauts readying for orbit

First astronauts arrive at China's space station

INTERNET SPACE
SES Renews Long-Term Relationship with Comcast Technology Solutions

Voyage 2050 sets sail: ESA chooses future science mission themes

MIT study compares the four largest internet meganetworks

Experiment and innovate on our spacecraft

INTERNET SPACE
Compact quantum computer for server centers

Meringue-like material could make aircraft as quiet as a hairdryer

Juice moves into Large Space Simulator

G7 nations commit to the safe and sustainable use of space

INTERNET SPACE
Liquid water on exomoons of free-floating planets

Star's death will play a mean pinball with rhythmic planets

Connecting a star's chemical composition and planet formation

Scientists discover new exoplanet with an atmosphere ripe for study

INTERNET SPACE
Next stop Jupiter as country's interplanetary ambitions grow

First images of Ganymede as Juno sailed by

Leiden astronomers calculate genesis of Oort cloud in chronologically order

NASA's Juno to get a close look at Jupiter's Moon Ganymede









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.