Last week, Netflix, Google, Facebook and others agreed to reduce the quality of their videos to avoid internet congestion in Europe. According to Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton, this could be a turning point in how big platforms behave in the future.
“It’s the first time tech companies act in such a strong way. They reacted immediately, and made very important, practically spontaneous, decisions,” he told POLITICO in a phone interview. “The crisis will without doubt accelerate this [kind of behavior].”
As priorities dramatically shifted, governments scrambling to deal with the coronavirus crisis called Silicon Valley to the rescue. And powerhouses such as Google, Facebook and Netflix — most of which very much need wins with policymakers — are more than happy to lend a helping hand.
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Source: EU industry chief: Coronavirus crisis could be turning point for Big Tech | POLITICO