Regulators should refrain from one-size-fits-all regulation for online platforms and consider alternatives before “adding new burdensome” laws, the European governments said in the letter addressed to the Netherlands, which currently holds the EU presidency and leads any legislative negotiations. The letter was also signed by Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland and Slovenia.
Seeking tougher scrutiny of search engines, social media and app stores, the European Commission is expected to say in May 2016 that online platforms may no longer avoid rules that govern other industries such as telecommunications and broadcasting. The EU wants to encourage the region’s online economy with proposals it will publish on May 25.
France and Germany previously called on EU officials to target Alphabet’s Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple for extra regulation. Google’s search, phone and advertising businesses are being investigated by the EU’s antitrust arm, which is also looking at tax deals offered to Apple and Amazon. Germany is probing Facebook over its privacy terms.
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