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European policy makers are going after the big U.S. tech firms.
1.Google. Europe’s competition regulator…could kick off the EU’s highest-profile antitrust suit since its campaign against Microsoft…are also planning a “Google tax” on copyright and overseas tax issues… 2.Uber…filed complaints with regulators in Brussels against EU governments that it claims have violated the bloc’s laws by seeking to ban some of its services…3.Facebook…privacy practices, doubling the number of European countries involved. The investigations could lead to formal orders to change business practices, and possibly also fines… 4.Amazon’s tax arrangements in Luxembourg may give…an illegal advantage over competitors, EU regulators said…5.Apple. The EU…authorities are probing Apple’s agreements with record labels as Apple prepares to launch a subscription music-streaming service. –Silicon Valley Companies Europe Is Gunning For
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Europe’s highest court will today examine a complaint that United States technology companies and their Dublin-based subsidiaries participate in a global data dragnet in breach of European Union law. In a case with far-reaching consequences for EU-US relations, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) will hear arguments arising from a complaint filed in Ireland last year with the High Court, demanding the State’s data-protection commissioner investigate whether Facebook was in breach of EU law for allegedly passing European user data to US intelligence services.
–Facebook data privacy case opens in European court
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U.S. companies’ ability to process personal information from European Union citizens will be challenged in the European Union’s highest court on Tuesday. At stake is the Safe Harbor Framework allowing U.S. companies to self-certify that they meet tough EU rules on the processing of personal information. A decision to revoke the deal could have serious consequences for U.S. companies that process EU citizens’ data in the U.S. Earlier this month, Twitter warned that a revocation of the deal could seriously hurt its business.
–Case that could overturn EU-US data exchange deal …
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US tech companies now liable in UK courts. Now there is a precedent and all of the internet giants face the same fact: they are liable before the courts of the UK, for their actions in the UK, irrespective of their corporate base or origin. UK users of Apple’s Safari browser have been given the green light to sue Google in the UK for bypassing privacy settings in the browser… In essence, the claimants against Google say that, using a setting on the Safari programme, Google tracked and collected information on their internet use in 2011 and 2012 without their knowledge.
–Google appeal ruling should send shivers through US tech companies
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