UK regulates tech giants | …

After France announced a tax on internet giants, the UK government said it would launch a new regulator in April to monitor the behavior of large digital platforms, such as Google and Facebook, in relation to their smaller competitors.

The Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sports of that country reported on Friday in a statement that the Digital Markets Unit It will start operating next spring within the existing regulatory body, the Competition and Markets Authority.

As part of this restructuring, the tech giants they will be subject to a new regime that “will give consumers more choice and control over their data, help small businesses thrive and ensure that new businesses are not forced to shut down under pressure from their larger competitors. “.

According to the statement, the behavior of platforms that currently dominate the market, such as Google and Facebook, will be regulated so that neither consumers nor small businesses are at a disadvantage.

The regulator will seek, among other goals, for small businesses to compete on an equal footing, give citizens greater control over their personal data and define the relationship between digital platforms and media.

This move is a response to growing fears that exist both inside and outside the UK that the concentration of power among a small number of tech companies will limit growth in this sector., reduce innovation and have a negative impact on the people and businesses that depend on it.

In this sense, the official text maintains that the new code will clearly define the expectations of these platforms in terms of behavior considered acceptable when interacting with competitors and users.

In this way, they should be more transparent in their services and in the way they use consumer informationAs the new unit might have the power to suspend, block or reverse decisions made by these tech companies or order them to take certain measures and comply with the new code.

“Digital platforms like Google and Facebook make a significant contribution to our economy and play a huge role in our daily lives, whether it’s helping us stay in touch with loved ones, share creative content or access to the latest news, ”Enterprise Minister Alok Sharma said in the statement.

However, the official pointed out that “the dominance of only a few tech companies leads to less innovation, higher prices for advertising and less choice and control for consumers.”