Tech + Regulation

The 'Tech + Regulation' Substack explores regulatory developments impacting the tech industry, focusing on issues like privacy, AI policy, content moderation, and age-appropriate design. It analyses the implications for companies and innovators, particularly those affecting children and teens online, and recommends navigating the evolving regulatory landscape.

Regulatory Developments in Tech Child Safety and Privacy Online AI Policy and Regulation Content Moderation Antitrust and Market Concentration Age Appropriate Design and Compliance Innovation and Impact of Regulation on Startups

The hottest Substack posts of Tech + Regulation

And their main takeaways

How is your DSA today?

39 implied HN points • 22 Aug 24
🕹 Technology Content Moderation Regulatory Compliance Data Privacy
  1. The European Commission has started enforcing the Digital Services Act but faces a slow setup of the necessary institutions to implement it. They are focusing on big platforms and asking for information on issues like protecting minors and risk assessments.
  2. New regulatory bodies called Digital Services Coordinators must be established in EU countries to help enforce the DSA. However, some countries are still lagging behind in appointing these coordinators.
  3. The new out-of-court settlement mechanisms could help users appeal content moderation decisions easier, but there are risks about handling the volume of appeals and ensuring fairness in the process.

Together, parents can do better

79 implied HN points • 07 May 24
  1. Teen mental health is struggling, especially for girls, and there's a clear connection to how much time they spend on phones and social media.
  2. Communities of parents can work together to create rules, like delaying smartphone access and banning phones in schools, to help kids have more independent playtime.
  3. The proposed solutions could lead to better friendships, less anxiety, and healthier habits for teens, even if the concerns about technology aren't completely valid.

AI and child safety

59 implied HN points • 13 May 24
🕹 Technology AI Ethics Child safety Cybersecurity
  1. The internet was not originally designed to be safe for kids, but improvements have been made over the years. Now, with new technology like generative AI, there's a chance to build better protections for children right from the start.
  2. Generative AI poses new risks for kids, especially with issues like deepfake pornography. These risks can lead to harmful impacts on their mental health and safety, as they might encounter misleading or abusive content online.
  3. Organizations like NCMEC play a crucial role in reporting and managing child exploitation content online, but they are underfunded. New laws need to ensure that these organizations receive the necessary resources to effectively combat these growing threats.

What does the EU really want from Meta?

39 implied HN points • 28 May 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social media Regulatory Affairs
  1. The EU is investigating Meta to ensure it protects children online, focusing on how well age verification tools work. They are concerned that many kids lies about their age, making current methods ineffective.
  2. Meta has implemented various methods for age assurance, including AI and human checks, but there are still challenges in verifying minors' ages accurately. They often use self-reported ages, which aren't reliable.
  3. The introduction of digital IDs is being discussed as a possible solution for age verification. However, there are concerns about how these IDs will be used and if they truly solve the problem of verifying minors' ages.

There’s more to the FTC’s proposed COPPA changes than meets the eye

99 implied HN points • 10 Jan 24
  1. FTC has proposed changes to COPPA impacting kids' digital services.
  2. FTC's recommendations include new rules for sharing kids' data, limiting online activity nudges, and expanding definitions.
  3. The proposed changes bring useful updates but miss opportunities for broader impact like banning targeted advertising to kids.
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How not to catch a shoplifter

79 implied HN points • 26 Jan 24
  1. Implementing AI systems require proper training and diligence to avoid negative impacts on consumers.
  2. Regulators like the FTC are focusing on regulating automated decision-making systems to prevent harms like bias, inaccuracy, and privacy breaches.
  3. Existing consumer protection laws can be used to hold companies accountable for the effects of deploying AI systems on consumers, even without specific AI regulations.

Youth audiences worth billions to social media

59 implied HN points • 17 Jan 24
  1. Social media platforms generate billions in ad revenue from kids and teens.
  2. 90% of ads seen by kids on social media are not meant for them, leading to mis-targeting of ad spend.
  3. Efforts needed to improve privacy compliance in targeting ads to youth on social media.

Why we should all be working on our DSA readiness

59 implied HN points • 15 Jan 24
  1. Digital Services Act (DSA) imposes strict requirements on companies, like reporting user numbers and implementing content moderation systems.
  2. Companies must ensure their platforms comply with DSA rules, including detecting and removing illegal content, and protecting minors from targeted ads.
  3. Content moderation solutions are in demand due to the complexity of DSA requirements, leading to innovation and changes in the market.

KOSA is back. Or is it?

39 implied HN points • 26 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Legislation Child safety Digital Privacy Social media Regulation
  1. The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) aims to improve online safety for children and teens. It includes new rules for social media platforms to protect young users from risks like bullying and harmful content.
  2. KOSA introduces a 'duty of care' that requires platforms to actively prevent online harm to minors. This means they have to find a balance between allowing access to information and not promoting harmful content.
  3. The bill also changes how advertising works for younger users. Platforms will need to inform them why they see certain ads and limit certain design features that encourage excessive use.

Senate makes last stand for child safety

39 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
  1. The US Senate discussed bills concerning child safety on social media platforms. There was a lot of talk, but little real progress.
  2. One key idea that emerged was Zuck's proposal for parental consent at the app store level for children under 16.
  3. Different bills like KOSA, Stop CSAM Act, SHIELD Act, EARN IT Act, and others aim to increase platform liability and focus on online child safety and privacy.

The New Frontier of Antitrust: AI and the Tech Oligopoly

39 implied HN points • 31 Jan 24
  1. The FTC is investigating tech giants' investments in AI startups to prevent market concentration in the AI space.
  2. Antitrust concerns are being raised early in the AI paradigm shift, signaling a shift in regulatory approach.
  3. Deals between tech giants and AI startups are facing scrutiny for potential impact on competition, valuation distortions, and innovation limitations.

One step closer to a Universal Age API

19 implied HN points • 08 Apr 24
🕹 Technology APIs Online safety Privacy Social media
  1. Meta is working on a Universal Age API that helps determine what apps users can access based on their ages. This is aimed at keeping kids and teens safer online.
  2. The plan includes steps for platforms to share age information, resolve any conflicts, and improve user experiences by not asking for age repeatedly. This will help ensure that kids aren’t exposed to inappropriate content.
  3. There’s a push for better age verification methods and standards to protect younger users online. Different platforms could collaborate to share age data for a safer internet.

So, what do they really think?

19 implied HN points • 18 Mar 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Regulation Privacy Technology Children Submissions
  1. Many companies want to keep existing practices for kids' online privacy, but some support stronger measures like adding biometric data to privacy laws.
  2. There is a push for better consent methods, including using text messages, but companies are wary of changes that might limit their operations or increase their responsibilities.
  3. Some advocacy groups are urging stricter rules on how companies engage kids, promoting restrictions on alerts and push notifications that might lead to addictive behavior.

What are the essential things investors need to know about the regulatory landscape?

19 implied HN points • 19 Feb 24
💼 Business Investment Regulation Startups Economics Market Trends
  1. Understanding the regulatory landscape is key for investors in startups. Companies that plan for future regulations can reduce risks and stand out from competitors.
  2. New laws in Europe are making it harder for larger companies, creating chances for smaller businesses to thrive. Startups can take advantage of these rules to grow.
  3. Investors should ask about how companies are preparing for regulations, especially if they use AI or target specific audiences like kids. Knowing the compliance strategies can help in making better investment choices.

What's behind the ICO's updated opinion on age assurance?

19 implied HN points • 09 Feb 24
  1. The UK's data protection authority, the ICO, has updated its opinion on age assurance to align with technology advancements and upcoming legislation like the Online Safety Act, with more updates to come.
  2. Operators need to take a risk-based approach to compliance when it comes to age assurance, considering factors like reliability, privacy, access, and inclusion.
  3. Age assurance methods include self-declaration for low-risk services, age estimation using algorithms for mixed-risk services, and age verification for high-risk services, with a potential for combining methods in 'waterfalls' to keep children safe.

Coming soon

19 implied HN points • 12 Dec 23
  1. Max Bleyleben is launching something on Substack soon.
  2. It's going to be about Tech + Regulation.
  3. Go to maxbley.substack.com to subscribe.

Solving for age assurance

1 HN point • 01 Apr 24
🕹 Technology Digital Privacy
  1. There is a growing need for better ways to verify ages online, especially for protecting kids from harmful content. Events are happening around the world to discuss how to improve age assurance methods.
  2. A Universal Age API could be created to help share reliable age data between different platforms. This would make it easier to know who is using their services without compromising privacy.
  3. Debates on age assurance often mix different issues, making it hard to find solutions. It's important to focus on creating a variety of age verification methods that work for different situations, rather than looking for one perfect solution.

Unpacking AI's copyright problem

1 HN point • 24 Jan 24
  1. Legal questions around AI and copyright are complex but not entirely new or unsolvable.
  2. Training AI models on copyrighted data may not break the law, but protecting creators whose styles can be reproduced cheaply remains a challenge.
  3. Output from generative AI may pose a copyright infringement problem, especially regarding works that resemble existing artists' styles.