On 25th May 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will enter into force and start governing all aspects of EU personal data collection and management by websites and apps from anywhere in the world – what data is collected, how it’s collected, how and where it’s stored, where it’s shared, and so on.
Read MoreThe debate about terrorism propaganda online has been taking central stage in Europe for a while with relevant results achieved in the past couple of years. It’s important that industry and government continue working side by side to fight this important battle.
Read MoreThose that have spent a few years watching how Washington works know the patterns Congress falls into. For instance, when Congress is struggling to find its legislative footing, there tends to be a flurry of hearings on complex but populist issues in an attempt to show THINGS ARE HAPPENING. So while it seems like all the oxygen in DC is taken up by the political circus, there are a few worrisome items appearing on the congressional agenda. Data, algorithms, and privacy are the ones developers should be watching closely.
Read MoreYesterday, the Council of the European Union, under the guidance of the Estonian Presidency, agreed on a common position on the Draft regulation on the free flow of non-personal data in the EU. The regulation aims at banning “data localization” and removing barriers to the free movement of data across borders.
The free-flow of data is fundamental to a vibrant digital economy. Impediments which restrict the flow of data across borders create fragmented and inefficient markets without scale economies, stifle innovation, limit competition, and drive up consumer costs.
Read MoreOn Thursday 7 December, the Developers Alliance hosted a Tech Policy Dialogue entitled “ePrivacy: Regulatory implications and impact on digital SMEs.”. The event brought together industry representatives and policy-makers to discuss the ePrivacy Regulation and its potential consequences on small, innovative European businesses.
Read MoreGender inequality is a very big problem worldwide. This is especially true in technology, where women are under-represented at all professional levels and there are not enough initiatives towards creating inclusive policies and welcoming diverse talent.
Read MoreIn response to the European Commission’s announcement of the intention to introduce new legislation to govern the relationship between platforms and businesses, the Developers Alliance conducted a survey of European-based developers and publishers to examine the need for such intervention. Over the course of several weeks in October 2017, we surveyed over 110 European-based developers and publishers on their experiences.
Read MoreOne year after the launch of the New Skills Agenda for Europe, the European Commission pushed its ambitions even further this week with the publication of a Communication setting out its vision for creating a European Education Area by 2025.
Read MoreOn Wednesday 18 October, the European Commission published a report supporting the continuation of the EU-US Privacy Shield agreement and recommending some improvements. The report concludes the negotiations of the data-transfer deal’s inaugural annual review, which the Alliance previously covered here.
Read MoreApp entrepreneurship and the related business impacts are not a prerogative of Nordic countries alone. The app economy presents a potential engine of growth for all European economies. However, the roundtable addressed concerns for the app economy’s long term growth, such as regulatory measures increasing fragmentation and hurting developers that can now build apps that run seamlessly across thousands of different devices.
Read MoreWhile that’s a flippant analogy, that little preamble looks a lot like what some political leaders are doing to the internet. While social media sites continue to ramp up their efforts to combat extremism online, policy makers are threatening steep fines if internet companies don’t move at unrealistic speeds to help solve a problem which politicians are actually responsible for.
Read MoreWhat the heck is Privacy Shield, and why should application and other software developers care? The answer, in part, is that developers everywhere are looking at a future where data is either free to flow or blocked at the border; circulating inside two completely disconnected clouds or in one. It’s important enough that policy heavyweights from the US and EU are taking the time to meet face to face this week in DC to discuss the future shape of the internet with (hopefully) or without (catastrophe) it.
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