Battle Lines Against American Tech Giants

Technology, including smartphones controlled by US companies Apple and Google, allow instant global connections that thwart efforts in nations like France to protect film, music and other industries. Amazon, Facebook and Microsoft also develop tech products indispensable for businesses worldwide. The global reach of such companies is prompting local backlash and fragmentation. “European governments have been at the forefront of an effort to limit the reach of tech companies, most often through privacy regulations and antitrust investigations,” notes Farhad Manjoo for the New York Times. He adds that additional regulations and controls could be applied by China, India and other major economies. Analysts suggest nation-states may lose the ability to control high-tech multinationals as their innovations outpace laws and regulation. One example: “The larger Amazon gets, then, the more its rules – rather than any particular nation’s – can come to be regarded as the most important regulations governing commerce.” Citizens could soon expect and demand the services of such high-tech multinationals and resist the controls imposed by their national leaders. – YaleGlobal