EU Drafts Rules to Force Big Tech Companies to Share Data: Report

The draft suggests that technology giants may be banned from preferential treatment of their own services on their sites or platforms.

Advertisement
By Reuters | Updated: 1 October 2020 13:10 IST
Highlights
  • EU to stop companies from pre-installing their own applications on device
  • Tough new rules under the Act would be announced by the end of the year
  • China is preparing to launch an antitrust probe into Google

Google pointed to a blog from earlier this month where it first detailed its response to the Act

The European Union (EU) is preparing to force big technology companies to share their customer data with smaller rivals, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday, citing an early draft of its landmark 'Digital Services Act' regulations.

"The likes of Amazon and Google shall not use data collected on the platform...for (their) own commercial activities...unless they (make it) accessible to business users active in the same commercial activities," the FT reported, quoting the draft.

Advertisement

When asked for comment by Reuters, Google pointed to a blog from earlier this month where it first detailed its response to the Act, supporting measures that allow users to move between platforms without losing access to their data.

"The question is not whether data mobility or data access should be facilitated, but how to achieve their benefits without sacrificing product quality or innovation incentives," Google had said in the blog.

Advertisement

Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager would announce by the end of this year tough new rules under the Act, aimed to increase social media companies' responsibilities and liability for content on their platforms.

Advertisement

The draft suggests that technology giants may be banned from preferential treatment of their own services on their sites or platforms, to the detriment of rivals, according to the report.

Companies should not be allowed to pre-install their own applications on hardware devices, such as laptops or phones, or force other companies to exclusively pre-install their software, it added.

Advertisement

Reuters reported on Wednesday that China is preparing to launch an antitrust probe into Google.

In the United States, a government panel is expected to release a report into antitrust allegations against big tech companies as soon as Monday.

© Thomson Reuters 2020


Will Xbox Series S, PS5 Digital Edition fail in India? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.
 

Get your daily dose of tech news, reviews, and insights, in under 80 characters on Gadgets 360 Turbo. Connect with fellow tech lovers on our Forum. Follow us on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News for instant updates. Catch all the action on our YouTube channel.

Further reading: Google, Amazon, EU, antitrust
Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. OnePlus 16 Launch Officially Teased; Display Details Revealed
  2. iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max Sale: India Price, Offers, and More
  3. Vivo X500 Pro Series to Debut With This New Chipset
  4. ColorOS 17 Introduced With the New Fluid Design: See Release Schedule
  5. OpenAI Details Six Concerning AI Model Behaviours in New Safety Reports
  6. Lenovo Legion 5i, Legion 5a (2026) Series and LOQ 15AHP11 Debut in India
  7. Samsung Galaxy S26 Price Hike Tipped for Both Storage Variants in India
  8. Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra Could Support Updated Versions of Samsung Log, APV
  1. iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max Sale Today: India Price, Offers, and Everything Else You Need to Know
  2. Samsung Expands One UI 9 Rollout to Galaxy S25, S24, S23 Series and More Devices
  3. Hideo Kojima Confirms Bill Skarsgard Will Play Lead Role in Physint, Shares Development Update on OD
  4. WhatsApp Reportedly Rolling Out New Search Shortcut for Chats and Channels on iOS
  5. Samsung Galaxy S27 Ultra Could Get New Image Processing for More Natural Photos: Leak
  6. Samsung Galaxy S26 Price in India Tipped to Increase by Rs 12,000: Check Details
  7. Realme Buds T500 Pro Harry Potter Edition India Launch Date Announced: Here's What You Need to Know
  8. Dell XPS Googlebook Launch Seemingly Confirmed as Laptop Appears in an Official Document
  9. Oppo Heartball AI Wearable to Launch Later This Year With Up to 24 Hours of Battery Life: Report
  10. Meta Luna Smart Glasses Without a Camera Said to Be in the Works; Launch Timeline Tipped
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2026. All rights reserved.