Old and New
Old and New

© Joe Casad, Editor in Chief
I have put in my time as the news writer for this magazine at various moments over the last 11 years, and one way or another, the European Commission has always been part of the big stories. I don’t even live in Europe, but I’ve penned many stories on the European Commission rulings on privacy, patent reform, and antitrust issues. The European Commission is very interested in high-tech policy; the official website lists topics for “Cybersecurity and Digital Privacy,” “Online Trust,” and “Content and Media” in the highest level of its directory.
Dear Linux Magazine Reader,
I have put in my time as the news writer for this magazine at various moments over the last 11 years, and one way or another, the European Commission has always been part of the big stories. I don't even live in Europe, but I've penned many stories on the European Commission rulings on privacy, patent reform, and antitrust issues. The European Commission is very interested in high-tech policy; the official website lists topics for "Cybersecurity and Digital Privacy," "Online Trust," and "Content and Media" in the highest level of its directory.
People who complain about consumer security in the European Union (EU) shouldn't even bother moving to the US. The US has almost no protections from data mining, cookie tracking, mailing list rental, and other excesses of the digital age. The US also has fewer restrictions on software patents and more protections for digital copyright holders. Although most of the Free Software crowd still has some issues with privacy, patents, and corporate overreach in the EU, most observers believe the US and EU have very different viewpoints on digital matters.
Now that the UK has voted to exit the EU, it is interesting to consider where they might emerge on this digital spectrum once they become masters of their own national destiny. Will they continue with policies similar to the EU, or will they drift somewhere closer to the US? Many people believe the UK has always been a little more like the US than the rest of Europe. Will it come to occupy some kind of middle ground on these high-tech, hot-button issues? The UK definitely takes the business of business very seriously, but at the same time, they aren't as much under the influence of the colossal high-tech companies that throw their weight around in the US.
It is hard for me to speculate on how things will turn out for the UK tech scene, but it is interesting to consider that, whatever the people of the UK do, they will be designing a solution for the world we know right now. The European Union dates back to the Maastricht treaty in 1993, which is well in the "recent events" space for most endeavors but is ancient history in tech. Issues like cyberprivacy, software patents, and bandwidth throttling weren't on anyone's mind 23 years ago, and many of the problems we face stem from the fact that our legal institutions weren't designed to cope with these kinds of issues.
Most observers say the Brexit transition will be gradual, with any major changes still a few years away, but by the time any changes actually happen, the framework for those changes will already be in place. The discussions are probably already beginning for what the new system will look like. And to the extent that these hot-button, high-tech political issues boil down to business interests versus the interests of everyday people, you can be confident the business interests are already working on them. For instance, the EU has been moving toward a two-tiered, unitary patent system for years, which the UK will presumably be released from, unless they negotiate some form of further participation as part of an exit strategy. Any company in the UK that would benefit from the lax, pro-business, US-style software patents, for instance, has probably already held some strategy sessions on how they are going to make this happen. And that means, of course, that anyone who opposes such measures had better get busy now and not wait for three years to join a protest march.
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Direct Download
Read full article as PDF:
Price $2.95
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Find SysAdmin Jobs
News
-
Kubuntu Focus Announces XE Gen 2 Linux Laptop
Another Kubuntu-based laptop has arrived to be your next ultra-portable powerhouse with a Linux heart.
-
MNT Seeks Financial Backing for New Seven-Inch Linux Laptop
MNT Pocket Reform is a tiny laptop that is modular, upgradable, recyclable, reusable, and ships with Debian Linux.
-
Ubuntu Flatpak Remix Adds Flatpak Support Preinstalled
If you're looking for a version of Ubuntu that includes Flatpak support out of the box, there's one clear option.
-
Gnome 44 Release Candidate Now Available
The Gnome 44 release candidate has officially arrived and adds a few changes into the mix.
-
Flathub Vying to Become the Standard Linux App Store
If the Flathub team has any say in the matter, their product will become the default tool for installing Linux apps in 2023.
-
Debian 12 to Ship with KDE Plasma 5.27
The Debian development team has shifted to the latest version of KDE for their testing branch.
-
Planet Computers Launches ARM-based Linux Desktop PCs
The firm that originally released a line of mobile keyboards has taken a different direction and has developed a new line of out-of-the-box mini Linux desktop computers.
-
Ubuntu No Longer Shipping with Flatpak
In a move that probably won’t come as a shock to many, Ubuntu and all of its official spins will no longer ship with Flatpak installed.
-
openSUSE Leap 15.5 Beta Now Available
The final version of the Leap 15 series of openSUSE is available for beta testing and offers only new software versions.
-
Linux Kernel 6.2 Released with New Hardware Support
Find out what's new in the most recent release from Linus Torvalds and the Linux kernel team.