Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google CEOs Invited to EU Hearing on Big Tech on February 1

APPLE

EU lawmakers have invited the chief executives of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Alphabet to a February 1 hearing in Brussels as they try to crack down on the powers of US tech giants.

The European Parliament will in the coming months provide input into proposals by the European Commission to force the companies to play fairly with rivals and to do more to tackle online fake news and harmful content or face hefty fines.

“The purpose of the planned hearing is to have an exchange with the chief executive officers of the four globally leading platform companies to learn about their current business models and future concepts as they face the challenges of altering market conditions,” said an invitation sent to the companies seen by Reuters.

“The event will contribute to preparing the members of the European Parliament for the upcoming discussions on potential new regulation for the digital sector. For all these reasons, we wish to clarify that this invitation is for the CEOs only.”

The invitation said lawmakers were willing to change the date to another day in February or March, however, people familiar with the companies doubted they would take up the invitation.

Earlier on Friday it emerged that Alphabet Chief Executive Sundar Pichai will hold a video-conference call with EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager on January 25, according to a European Commission schedule.

Vestager, who is pushing for tough new rules, will discuss digital and competition issues with Pichai, a Commission spokeswoman said.

© Thomson Reuters 2021


Does WhatsApp’s new privacy policy spell the end for your privacy? 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.

Products You May Like

Articles You May Like

Fire-Boltt Oracle With 4G LTE SIM Support, 1.96-Inch Display Launched in India: Price, Specifications
Leaked PS5 Pro Specifications Hint at Improved System Memory, CPU Speed and Faster GPU
Realme GT Neo 6 SE Display Details Confirmed; Live Images Surface Ahead of Imminent Launch
OnePlus Buds V With 12.4mm Titanium Plated Drivers, IP55 Rating Launched: Price, Specifications
WhatsApp to Get a New Feature to Set All Media Uploads to HD Quality: Report

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.