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DSA, the New Law That Will Shake Tech Giants
And maybe save them from themselves
Europe has struck again. The old continent is struggling to create its tech giants unlike the USA, China, or Russia. To weigh in the world of technology and the Internet, the European Commission has understood that it can act not as a player, but as a referee.
The first big law to be issued was the GDPR. This law had a worldwide impact by forcing all websites and mobile applications to offer the possibility to refuse cookies.
Some platforms have adapted their pop-ups and offered this option to users outside Europe. Others decided to continue to force the acceptance of cookies on devices outside Europe. The GDPR law has had a global impact by disrupting the data market and proving that common practices of digital companies can be changed altogether.
Not everyone agree when a law is enacted, especially when it is a European law that applies to American companies. Recently, the commission in charge of data protection in France imposed a fine of several hundred million euros on Google.
As a result of this fine, the Californian company has changed its cookie management policy and will offer European users a one-click option to refuse cookies. A notable consequence of this change is the end of targeted advertising.
By using a political and legal arsenal, Europe is equipping itself with the means to regulate the web giants and force them to change their ways.
The direction that Europe is taking against the US is almost logical when one admits a little history and philosophy.
Europe was afraid of a new world war and regulated the price of oars on its territory, especially steel. Some say that data should be treated in the same way to avoid letting companies get rich at the expense of Internet users.
On the other hand, the USA has always had a more liberal policy, which can be seen in its industrial champions. Wages, social assistance, and health care are left to the influence of…
