| The Big Picture: GDPR won't save you. The General Data Protection Regulation that will go into effect next week in Europe has been heralded as the silver bullet that will give users control of their data and prevent Facebook, Google and other tech behemoths from betraying their privacy. This morning on CBS, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said GDPR will mean "your data belongs to you," and called for a similar US national privacy law.
The truth is a lot more complicated. GDPR will give users a clear, obvious way to decide that they don't want platforms harvesting their data. But there are several reasons why that may not be enough ...
1. GDPR is already outdated.
• "Many of the law's broad principles ... are based on already outdated assumptions about technology," Allison Cool, a professor of anthropology and information science at UC Boulder, writes in today's New York Times.
• "I think it's very clear that they imagined some company that has your data physically stored somewhere, and you have the right to take it out," a law professor told Cool, who notes that "in the era of big data and cloud services, data rarely exists in only one place."
2. GDPR will be hard to enforce.
• The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner "subsists on an annual budget of 7.5 million euros, equivalent to $9 million," NYT's Adam Satariano reports. "That's roughly as much revenue as the companies she oversees generate over all in 10 minutes."
• "Facebook, which also owns WhatsApp and Instagram, has hundreds of people globally working on data protection regulation alone."
3. GDPR may not appeal to Europeans.
• The unsavory truth is that data mining improves the digital experience. It allows Facebook, Google and others to tailor content and services and make the online experience more seamless.
• Many Europeans may ultimately conclude that they're willing to give up their data in exchange for the best digital services, or that they'd rather not go about changing their settings.
Back in the States ... A Senate source tells me uncertainty over GDPR has made US lawmakers "cautious about calling for European-style policymaking over here," because they "wants to see how it works out over there, first." | | | PACIFIC
The Agenda Welcome to PACIFIC. What's Next: Moules-frites.
Mark Zuckerberg has agreed to appear before the European Parliament in Brussels. A Facebook spokesperson tells me they "appreciate the opportunity for dialogue, to listen to their views and show the steps we are taking to better protect people's privacy."
CNN's Samuel Burke emails: "This is much riskier than testifying in front of the US Congress. The European Parliament have been going strong on the privacy path for a long time. They are much more likely to challenge him and they have a very different cultural attitude all together." | | PACIFIC East?
No, Apple isn't moving to DC
The Beltway is buzzing about a new Apple HQ2 because of a Washington Post report that the company is considering moving 20,000 jobs to Northern Virginia.
Take a deep breath:
• Apple has committed to adding 20,000 new jobs across the US over the next five years, but those will likely be spread out across the country. Apple's Cupertino headquarters doesn't even employ 20,000 people.
What is true: Apple is looking for a new campus to house technical support staff and other employees. But it's not an Amazon HQ2-type thing.
Apple declined to comment.
Bonus: NBC's Michael Cappetta reports that Amazon has finished visiting the top 20 contenders for its new headquarters. | | Analog Administration
White House cuts cyber post
"The Trump administration has eliminated the White House's top cyber policy role," POLITICO's Eric Geller reports:
• The move jettisons "a key position created during the Obama presidency to harmonize the government's overall approach to cybersecurity policy and digital warfare."
• "Many experts and former government officials [have] criticized [the move] as a major step backward for federal cybersecurity policy."
Sen. Mark Warner tweets:
• "It's frankly mindboggling that the Trump Administration has eliminated the top White House official responsible for a whole-of-government cyber strategy, at a time when the cyber threat to our nation is greater than ever."
• "Our adversaries are investing heavily in 21st century cyberwarfare capabilities, and if we only view national security through a conventional 20th century lens, we're going to find ourselves unable to respond to increasingly asymmetric cyber threats down the road."
The Big Picture: The Trump administration does not have a thorough, coherent cybersecurity policy. It's not even clear to us that they fully understand the gravity of the issue. | | | VALINSKY'S LINKS Top links via PACIFIC's Jordan Valinsky Seattle considers life after Amazon (GeekWire)
Big tech wants to own banking (CNNMoney)
Trump says 'nothing has happened' on ZTE (CNN)
Netflix's next act is original movies (Reuters)
Amazon launches a soccer show (Awful Announcing) | | | Rise of China
Didi's $30m market to double?
China's $30 billion ride-hailing market could double by 2020, according to a new report from Bain & Company. The growth would help fuel Didi Chuxing's ambitions to become the world's dominant ride-hail company.
The Numbers, via my colleague Sherisse Pham:
• "The ride-hailing industry in China is already worth $30 billion ... The United States is the world's second largest market, at $12 billion."
• "Didi Chuxing is the dominant player [in China], accounting for 90% of trips."
The Big Picture: US and Chinese tech companies are fighting for access to global markets: If Bain & Co are right, Didi will have a major financial advantage over Uber globally.
The Bigger Picture: We believe tech will be how the US and China establish political and economic influence over the rest of the world. Didi is likely to play a major role in China's efforts. | | Scooter Wars
Lime, Spin go fundraising
What's Next: A lot of money and media coverage for scooter companies.
PACIFIC's Jordan Valinsky emails:
• Lime is looking to raise up to $500 million as the scooter wars hears up, per Axios. The new round of money will be a combination of equity and debt.
• Lime could use the new money to fend off competitors and develop a second version of its bright lime green electric scooter that's flooding the Bay Area.
• Spin, a Lime competitor, has "multiple offers on the table worth tens of millions," per Pitchbook.
The Big Picture: Techies are going to try to make scooters a thing. It may work, it may not. The companies are already facing pushback from San Francisco to Charlotte. | | What Next: The Verge's Converge podcast, a new game show hosted by Silicon Valley Editor Casey Newton. Official trailer here.
See you tomorrow. | | | | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment