UKs

Concerns Raised by UK’s Competition Authority about Big Tech’s Dominance in the GenAI Sector

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The U.K.’s competition watchdog has sounded a warning over Big Tech’s entrenching grip on the advanced AI market, with CEO Sarah Cardell expressing “real concerns” over how the sector is developing. She said it’s important that competition enforcers don’t repeat the same mistakes with this next generation of digital development. But for now the CMA has not gone that far, despite clear and growing concerns about cozy GAMMA GenAI ties. “It may be that some arrangements falling outside the merger rules are problematic, even if not ultimately remediable through merger control. (The short version of what it wants to see is: accountablity; access; diversity; choice; flexibility; fair dealing; and transparency.)

AWS Emulates Google’s Lead by Declaring Unrestricted Free Data Transfers to Alternative Cloud Vendors

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Amazon’s cloud computing subsidiary AWS has revealed that it will allow customers to transfer their data out of its ecosystem with no so-called “egress fees” attached. While AWS already allows customers to transfer up to 100GB of data per month off its servers for free, this won’t cover companies looking to “lift and shift” their entire data stores to another provider — and that is what is effectively changing for AWS customers as of today. Companies that want to move their data off of AWS are requested to contact AWS, which will then apparently issue credits for the data being migrated. It’s not clear what today’s news means in relation to the U.K.’s ongoing antitrust probe into cloud lock-in practices. Another issue identified by the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) was also looking at interoperability, concerning areas where cloud companies design their products to not play nicely with rival services.

“Sneak Peek: UK’s Digital Markets Regulator Unveils Revamped Regulations for Big Tech”

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Interoperability could also be imposed on designated tech giants, the CMA suggested, as well as mandates that they trade on fairer terms. Algorithmic transparency could be another demand made of them by the new digital markets regulator. As a consequence the UK has slipped behind peers like the European Union — which adopted its own flagship digital competition reform last year. The deadline for in-scope tech giants’ compliance with that regime is looming in early March. A German ex ante digital competition reform has also been operating since early 2021.

“Dark Web Leak Site of Notorious ALPHV Ransomware Gang Seized by Authorities”

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An international group of law enforcement agencies have seized the dark web leak site of the notorious ransomware gang known as ALPHV, or BlackCat. “The Federal Bureau of Investigation seized this site as part of a coordinated law enforcement action taken against ALPHV Blackcat Ransomware,” a message on the gang’s dark web leak site now reads, seen by TechCrunch. According to the splash, the takedown operation also involved law enforcement agencies from the United Kingdom, Germany and Australia. Spokespeople for the FBI and the U.K.’s National Crime Agency did not immediately respond to TechCrunch’s requests for comment. The ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware gang has been one of the most active and destructive in recent years.

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