On 18 September next, the Open University and Leiden University (Leiden University) University are organising a study afternoon on Big Tech: “The influence of technological developments & the power of 'Big Tech” on national law: an interplay between rules of national origin & European directives and regulations'. The study afternoon is part of the SSH Council (Social Sciences & Humanities) sector plan.
Among other things, Europe is focusing on tackling the power of Big Tech companies, such as Apple and Meta. As a result of network effects, among other things, the power of such big companies is immense. An important regulation in this area is the Digital Markets Act, which imposes several obligations (“do's and dont's”) on gatekeepers, such as Apple and Meta.
How do these “new” rules relate to existing competition law? How do the Digital Markets Act rules affect the position of consumers? How do public and private law rules interact to deal with Big Tech? Since, in many cases, digital services and products also involve the processing of personal data, the General Data Protection Regulation (AVG) also intrudes and runs, as it were, through or in step with all kinds of legislative initiatives. A patchwork of applicable rules is emerging, now that national origin law of member states may also remain relevant. How do these rules relate to each other and what challenges do we face in making sense of the applicable rules in the digital society? In the web of all these rules, how do we confront the power of Big Tech? What type of regulation is needed and what forms of enforcement are most appropriate? Should or can things be done differently, and what is the role of us as academics, also with a view to the relationship between public and private law?
Speakers: Anna Gerbrandy, Albert Verheij, Jay Doerga, Eric Tjong Tjin Tai, Gianclaudio Malgieri, Gerrit-Jan Zwenne, Stephanie Rossello and René Mahieu.
Location: Law Room, Academiegebouw, Rapenburg 73, Leiden
Time: 14.00-17.15 hrs, followed by drinks
Language: please note that the conference will be held primarily in Dutch, but that it includes English language presentations and that there will be room for discussion in English.
Participate: please register by sending an e-mail to danielle.opheij@ou.nl.
