digital economy regulation

This report provides a summary of key developments related to privacy, consumer protection and regulatory sandboxes in 18 countries plus the UK since March 2024. Croatia was added to some Benchmarks.

The security incident reporting thresholds will apply to a wide range of digital entities from cloud to e-commerce and social media platforms. These entities will be required to notify significant security incidents affecting more than 5% of users (or 1m) in the EU.

This report gathers policy and regulatory developments at EU level covered by Cullen International’s Digital Economy and Media services during the past week. No relevant events were identified this week. This is the last EU Digital & Media Weekly Report until September 2024, when discussions in Brussels around the different EU digital policy and regulatory initiatives will resume after the end of the summer holiday period.

At a European Competition Network conference, digital companies discussed challenges the Digital Markets Act (DMA) could solve, such as enabling sideloading, alternative browsers and search engines. Commission vice-president Margrethe Vestager emphasised the role of small and medium-sized business and national competition authorities in the efficient enforcement of the DMA.

The European Commission considered that this model could force users of Facebook and Instagram to consent to the combination of their personal data. Moreover, it would not allow them to opt for an equivalent service that uses fewer personal data.

The fourth report analysing the Artificial Intelligence Act covers the governance roles and enforcement responsibilities of the envisaged competent authorities and bodies at national and EU levels. For example, general purpose AI models will be overseen by the newly established EU AI Office.