What happened in the Tech Policy Space in Jan 2023? [Part Two]
The current Scoreboard for Jan 2023 is: Google 6, Apple 2, Meta 2, Tencent 1, TikTok 1, Twitter 1
This post is part two of a series documenting policy changes and feature improvements introduced by platforms in January 2023. You can find part one here. These changes reflect the dynamic nature of platform ecosystems and the need for platforms to remain responsive to evolving user needs and preferences.
TL;DR → In the tech-regulatory policy space, Meta has appealed EU regulators’ fine for unlawful coercion into accepting personalized ads, TikTok may need to make more changes to the platform to dodge regulatory oversight, Google announced changes to Android in India after India’s CCI identified anti-competitive practices and Google announced changes regarding information transparency in EU.
To make use of the increased computational capability of the devices, Apple introduced a book narration feature that uses neural text-to-speech technology and is powered by the device.
Table of Content
EU Fines Meta for Forcing Users to Accept Personal Ads, Meta Appeals
FCC Commissioner Anticipates Calls for Bans on TikTok
Google to Make Changes to Android in India to Comply with CCI Ruling
Google Announces Policy Changes to Comply with EU Consumer Protection Laws
Apple Allows Authors to Enable AI-Powered Narration for their Books on Apple Books
During January 2023, the digital landscape witnessed various external regulatory measures that could potentially trigger policy changes on digital platforms.
EU Fines Meta for Forcing Users to Accept Personal Ads, Meta Appeals
EU regulators have fined Meta, the parent of Facebook and Instagram, with $414 million for unlawfully coercing users into accepting personalized ads on the platforms. Despite initially receiving “draft” endorsement for shifting from user consent to a contract-based approach for processing personal data for ads, EU regulators later overruled Meta's proposal. Meta will appeal the decision because their ads are inherently personalized and transparent and hence wouldn’t make any changes to the policy. However, given this regulatory intervention, it seems likely that changes will occur sooner rather than later. (link)
FCC Commissioner Anticipates Calls for Bans on TikTok, Following India’s Example
FCC commissioner Brendan Carr thinks highly of India’s decision to ban TikTok over national security concerns and sees it as a significant step in setting a global precedent. Despite facing multiple regulatory barriers and legitimate threats of bans, TikTok has managed to dodge them by making changes such as enhancing its privacy and security policies, creating a US-based subsidiary called TikTok Global, employing US executives and lobbyists, and forming partnerships with Oracle and Walmart. In light of the recent tensions over the spy balloon incident, what modifications can we expect from TikTok? (link)
Google to Make Changes to Android in India to Comply with Competition Commission of India (CCI) Ruling
Google has announced changes to Android in India to comply with a ruling from the Competition Commission of India (CCI) about Android’s anti-competitive practices. Among these changes, Android users will now be able to choose their default search provider or browser, while app developers can use third-party billing options through the User Choice Billing pilot. However, this comes in parallel to Google’s appeal against the $162 million fine imposed for abusing Android’s dominant position by “forcing” device makers to pre-install its apps and services on Android phones or making it hard to uninstall. Similar investigations are ongoing in the EU, USA, Germany, Korea, and other countries. (link)
Google Announces Policy Changes to Comply with EU Consumer Protection Laws
In an effort to comply with EU consumer protection laws, Google has announced policy changes across several of its services. These changes aim to provide customers with more transparent and accurate information, including details on prices, discounts, rankings or availability. This would also mean transparency regarding self-promotion and promotion as a part of being a “broker” of information. Services such as Google Store, Google Play Store, Google Hotels, and Google Flights are all set to see these policy changes. However, it is currently unclear when the changes will be rolled out or whether they will extend beyond the EU. (link)
There has been one recent announcement regarding policy changes aimed at making use of the increased computational capabilities of the smartphone.
Apple Allows Authors to Enable AI-Powered Narration for their Books on Apple Books
Apple has introduced an AI-powered narration feature on select books available on Apple Books. The feature utilizes neural text-to-speech technology, powered by the device's hardware, to produce natural-sounding voices in various accents and languages. Apple states that this technology is useful for independent authors and writers who cannot afford a professional narrator for their audiobook. While the product is a complementary alternative to human narrators, Apple acknowledges it lacks the warmth of a professionally narrated book. The feature is optional and can be disabled by authors and publishers who are concerned about the artificiality of the narration. This development has the potential to be a game changer, as modern devices have sufficient computational power. The critical question is whether Apple is motivated enough to invest into making this Apple Books feature extremely useful to its device users over time. (link)
Part 3 to follow in a week’s time. Please spread the word if you think someone in your circle likes these type of posts :)
Research contributions of Anantesh Mohapatra, Divy Tandon, Yiran Liu (Thanks a ton, folks!)