The European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) is set to establish a concrete list of dos and don’ts for the world’s biggest digital platforms when operating in the EU. These include hitherto absent ‘ex ante’ regulations to provide more fairness in the area of antitrust issues. Quite simply, the DMA aims to level the digital market’s playing field to ensure that smaller firms can operate under fairer competition.
What a Liz Truss premiership will mean for UK tech policy
Written by Alex Rennie on 05 Sep 2022
Liz Truss is the new UK Prime Minister. Her premiership is likely to mean broad continuity with the previous government’s tech policy of making the UK a technology superpower, but with a renewed focus following the drift of the last few months of the Johnson premiership. This offers opportunities for tech firms, but they should be alert for a possible deterioration in UK-EU relations. In this blog we explore the impact of the new administration on the key tech policy areas.
What next for the Online Safety Bill?
Written by Matthew Niblett on 25 Jul 2022
The Online Safety Bill is the UK Government’s flagship piece of digital regulation, the British equivalent of the EU’s Digital Services Act. Prior to Boris Johnson’s resignation and the ensuing fallout, there were hopes that the bill would clear the House of Commons before parliamentary recess began on 22 July 2022. However, due to the distractions caused by the Prime Minister’s resignation, the bill still has several parliamentary stages before it becomes law , and could face further revision, depending on which one of Liz Truss or Rishi Sunak becomes the next Prime Minister. In this blog, Inline asks: what next for the Online Safety Bill?
Inline Policy briefings: The Digital Services Act
Written by Giulia Iop on 03 May 2022
The three EU institutions - Commission, Parliament and Council of the EU - reached a provisional agreement on the Digital Services Act, (DSA) on 22 April 2022. In this briefing we highlight its main provisions and their implications for companies, particularly regarding compliance and future regulatory ramifications.
The European Parliament 2019-24: a guide for the tech sector
Written by Rory Coutts on 10 Sep 2019
The European Parliament has resumed its work after the summer break and the 2019-2024 term will include a range of policy areas impacting the digital economy. Download Inline Policy's free updated guide to the new Parliament and the people and issues matter for the tech sector.
Towards an enhanced responsibility of online platforms: the EU Digital Services Act
Written by Denisa Avram on 31 Jul 2019
Under long-standing EU rules online service providers enjoyed liability exemptions in many instances, but concerns about developments in the digital economy have led the European Commission to question these exemptions and consider new rules.
Personal data mobility: the new front in the battle for the digital economy
Written by Olaf Cramme on 30 May 2019
Data portability rules in GDPR do very little to alter the balance of power in the digital economy. Could a shift to an economy based on data mobility give individuals true control over their personal data, tackle antitrust concerns around big tech, and strengthen workers in the gig economy?
EU elections 2019 - the results and implications for the tech sector
Written by Owain Richards on 27 May 2019
The 2019 European elections mark a pivotal movement for the European Union and the tech sector. Download Inline's free guide to the election results and the implications for the tech sector.
The political agendas driving reform of competition policy
Written by Rory Coutts on 29 Apr 2019
A new report by the European Commission sets out recommendations for how EU competition policy should be reformed, drawing on concerns of Governments and senior politicians. With the debate moving beyond economic theory to become increasingly political, it’s one that all companies in the tech sector will need to keep an eye on.
The next phase of regulatory challenges for short-term accommodation rentals
Written by Shomik Panda on 03 Apr 2019
Inline Policy Founder, Shomik Panda, takes the long view of the regulation of short-term accommodation rental platforms and how the sector is working to become more sustainable.
Can data sharing survive the new data protection regime?
Written by Conor Brennan on 05 Mar 2019
Nine months after "GDPR day" our new briefing paper assesses the fallout of the new EU data protection regime, the emerging trends in regulation of data sharing and how industry is responding.
Is Europe offering a Third Way in technology regulation?
Written by Olaf Cramme on 19 Feb 2019
Rapid technological transformations driven by US and Chinese companies are posing a serious challenge to Europe's policymakers. Third way politics looks set to shape much of the regulatory response.
What does the future hold for Europe’s e-commerce platforms?
Written by Shomik Panda on 08 Feb 2019
Inline Policy's Founder Shomik Panda interviewed Richard Stables, the CEO of e-commerce, advertising and price comparison business Kelkoo Group about how e-commerce is changing, the challenges for regulators and the need for a level playing field.
2019 will be a critical year for online platforms in Europe
Written by Rory Coutts on 31 Jan 2019
The coming year is set to be an important period for online platforms in Europe. Having previously paid little regard to online platforms, EU policymakers are now laying the foundations for a more definitive approach to regulating this growing sector of the economy.
An Introduction to the proposed 'Platform to Business' Regulation
Written by Inline Policy on 29 Nov 2018
What is the EU's new Platform-to-Business (P2B) regulation? With this short presentation, Inline Policy sheds the light on the proposed new European rules to govern the activity of intermediary online platforms, outlining their key provisions and the positons of the main EU institutions, as well as providing some insight on what is to be expected in the next upcoming months.
The EU Observatory on the Online Platform Economy: a talking shop or the beginnings of a new regulator?
Written by Inline Policy on 12 Oct 2018
Buried in the detail of a proposed Regulation from the European Commission was the establishment of an Observatory of the online platform economy. It has now been established and has a broad remit but little power, so far. Is this the foundation of a new EU regulator for online platforms?
UK kicks off review of competition in digital markets
Written by David Abrahams on 20 Sep 2018
The UK Government has engaged a panel to review competition in digital markets, and one of the key themes is the concentration of 'big tech'. With the panel tasked with consulting industry and reporting by early 2019, companies seeking to influence the panel's thinking need to get started as soon as possible.
How WorkerTech is meeting the need for flexible support for the self-employed
Written by Inline Policy on 17 Aug 2018
As the number of self-employed people continues to rise in the UK, the need to provide support to this growing workforce is becoming increasingly important. But how can access to benefits and protections be improved, without relying on the incumbent employment relationships through which these are traditionally delivered? Emergent WorkerTech technology and applications may be part of the solution.
Big tech deserves a better political debate – here’s why
Written by Olaf Cramme on 18 Jul 2018
Breaking up big tech has become the argument of choice by those concerned about the concentration of power and the practices of large multinationals dominating the digital sphere. But does it make sense?
The top 5 most important European Parliamentary questions for the tech sector this year
Written by Rory Coutts on 10 Jul 2018
MEPs ask thousands of questions to the European Commission each year and during the 2009-2014 term of the European Parliament, over 10,000 questions were tabled. At Inline, our job is to cut through the noise, so here are the five most important questions for the tech sector in 2018.