🎄 Tech Policy Advent Calendar 2020 🎄

All your favourite tech policy proposals — some epic, some complicated, but mostly completely baffling 🤪

DM me your suggestions and I'll try to include them 👊

Let's go ⏬
1. Mandatory five-minute wait for an Uber, even if a car is immediately available (proposed in 2015 but dropped before implementation) https://www.cityam.com/uber-under-threat-london-new-proposed-regulations/
Uber UK under threat in London with new "five-minute wait" regulations proposed by Transport for...

Uber users could be forced to wait five minutes for a ride – even if it was immediately available –

https://www.cityam.com/uber-under-threat-london-new-proposed-regulations/
2. The "link tax" proposal (now Article 15 of the EU Copyright Directive) https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/17/18186879/google-eu-copyright-laws-search-news-link-tax
This is what Google says search will look like under EU copyright laws

Look what EU made me do.

https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/17/18186879/google-eu-copyright-laws-search-news-link-tax
🎄 Tech Policy Advent Calendar 2020 🎄

Day 3: The repeated calls to ban encryption https://www.newscientist.com/article/2133644-theresa-mays-repeated-calls-to-ban-encryption-still-wont-work/
Theresa May’s repeated calls to ban encryption still won’t work | New Scientist

After the latest terrorist attack in London, the Prime Minister has called for internet companies to stamp out safe spaces for terrorists – but this is unworkable

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2133644-theresa-mays-repeated-calls-to-ban-encryption-still-wont-work/
🎄 Tech Policy Advent Calendar 2020 🎄

Day 4: Europe builds its own cloud https://www.wired.co.uk/article/europe-gaia-x-cloud-amazon-google
Europe has a plan to break Google and Amazon's cloud dominance

Amazon and Google underpin most of the web. Now Europe has a new plan to reclaim data sovereignty

https://www.wired.co.uk/article/europe-gaia-x-cloud-amazon-google
🎄 Tech Policy Advent Calendar 2020 🎄

Day 5: Solve the Irish border using blockchain https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-45725572
Could Blockchain solve Irish border issue?

Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond is the latest convert to blockchain technology.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-45725572
🎄 Tech Policy Advent Calendar 2020 🎄

Day 6: Free broadband! https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/21/business/free-internet-britain.html
Free Internet Is Proposed in Britain. Is It Even Possible? (Published 2019)

A Labour Party plan to provide government-sponsored broadband service has raised questions about how it would work, and who would pay for it.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/21/business/free-internet-britain.html
🎄 Tech Policy Advent Calendar 2020 🎄

Day 7: Ban on NHS fax machines https://www.ukauthority.com/articles/minister-announces-fax-ban-for-nhs/
Minister announces fax ban for NHS | UKAuthority

https://www.ukauthority.com/articles/minister-announces-fax-ban-for-nhs/
🎄 Tech Policy Advent Calendar 2020 🎄

Day 8: Invite robots to give evidence to Parliamentary committees https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/12/17967752/uk-parliament-pepper-robot-invited-evidence-select-committee
The UK invited a robot to "give evidence" in Parliament for attention

Pepper the robot will just be reading out preprogrammed answers

https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/12/17967752/uk-parliament-pepper-robot-invited-evidence-select-committee
🎄 Tech Policy Advent Calendar 2020 🎄

Day 9: Use public money to fund a trillion dollar tech company https://www.businessinsider.com/dominic-cummings-brexit-tech-giant-critics-2020-9?r=US&IR=T
Inside Dominic Cummings' wild scheme to build a British Google via a no-deal Brexit: 'It's a bit of...

Critics say Dominic Cummings' plan to use no-deal Brexit to build a British Google is overly 'simplistic.'

https://www.businessinsider.com/dominic-cummings-brexit-tech-giant-critics-2020-9?r=US&IR=T
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