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New EU laws aim to curb ‘gatekeeping’ by big tech companies
Google is one of six companies being targeted by the European Commission
Regardless of the phone you have, there is likely software on it that you have been unable to remove. Some apps may be critical to the operation of the device, while others might be what the manufacturer prefers you to use for tasks like messaging. Now, the European Commission (EC) is holding tech companies accountable for pushing their products and services on mobile devices. Under the new Digital Markets Act (DMA), some of the world’s largest tech giants — including Alphabet — will have six months to comply with regulations designed to maintain competition.
Loot boxes and game publishers could soon be in for more scrutiny from EU
AKA, why Diablo Immortal didn't make it to Belgium and the Netherlands
Diablo Immortal's global release this week brought up mixed reviews from critics. Our Matt Sholtz was particularly incensed about how Activision Blizzard dressed up its arcane loot box system and mentioned that the company wouldn't be releasing the game in Belgium and the Netherlands because of it. Now, we're hearing about efforts to bring the legal axe down on loot boxes across Europe.
New York state senate passes sweeping right to repair bill
The bill would require manufacturers to provide information, parts, and tools to end users and third-party repair shops
There's a consumerist revolution blooming in the United States, centering around the right to repair and modify the things you buy without the approval of the manufacturer that made them. The latest major victory occurred in the New York state senate, where a sweeping bill making repair information and parts available to consumers passed by a wide margin.
Two bills recently passed in the states of New York and California that aim to weaken smartphone security in order to combat crime. The laws would prevent the sale of smartphones with full-disk encryption that could not be unlocked by the manufacturer (at the request of law enforcement). In response, Rep. Ted Lieu of California, a Democrat, and Rep. Blake Farenthold of Texas, a Republican, have proposed a bill, the Ensuring National Constitutional Rights for Your Private Telecommunications (ENCRYPT) Act of 2016, that would block state-level attempts to ban encryption on smartphones sold in the US.