Big tech dressing lobbying in scientific-like cover
YouTube has published a report on European YouTubers together with Oxford Economics but at the end of introducing the report it proves to be just another example of Alphabet’s resources for lobbying, as it turns out the publishing is a sophisticated way to argue against the proposed Digital Services Act for the European Union that the European Parliament soon will vote on.
The expressed purpose of the Digital Services Act is to update the European Union’s legal framework, in particular by modernising the e-Commerce Directive of 2000. In practice, this will mean new legislation regarding illegal content, transparent advertising and disinformation. The DSA is one of two proposals of the Digital Services Act package. The second proposal in the package is the Digital Markets Act.
The Digital Markets Act is a legislative proposal by the European Commission that intends to ensure a higher degree of competition in the European Digital Markets, by preventing large companies from abusing their market power and by allowing new players to enter the market. The declared purpose of the DMA is to lay down harmonized rules, ensuring “contestable and fair markets in the digital sector across the Union where gatekeepers are present.”
The study by Oxford Economics shows that in 2020 — against a backdrop of lockdowns and widespread economic disruption — YouTube’s creative ecosystem supported 142,000 full-time equivalent jobs in the EU. Total contribution of YouTube’s creative ecosystem to the EU27 GDP was €2.38 billion — “almost as much as the EU’s generous Creative Europe Fund”, Pedro Pina, Head of YouTube Europe, Middle East and Africa, writes in a blog post presenting the study.
In the EU, over 29,000 channels have over 100,000 subscribers, an increase of over 20%, year over year.
“Behind these big numbers are the stories of people in communities across Europe, earning a living and supporting their families through this new economy.”
After a number of examples of successful European YouTubers, their content and successes, he comes to the real point of the publication:
“This research is published as European Union policymakers finalise new rules for the internet. They are working to make it better and safer for all of us, through the new Digital Services Act (DSA).
“But creating these rules isn’t easy. There are some positively intended proposals that could harm the EU’s creative ecosystem.”
“Take recommendation systems, for example. They’re the reason a lot of people discover content they love on YouTube and how creators like Sally and Jonna who make that content build an audience and earn money through the platform.”
“Some DSA proposals would weaken recommendation systems for online platforms. Although done with the best of intentions, this will make it harder for today’s creators to earn money online and could even turn off the creators of tomorrow.”
“We know that everyone involved in this debate wants Europe’s creative ecosystem to succeed and keep on growing as much as we do. After all, it is a place where European talent of all backgrounds can find a stage, connect with fans, gain recognition, and build a business.”
Let’s not put that at risk”, he writes in this still another example of how big tech has resources to dress their lobbying in a scientific-like study. The message is that we should all be against proposals aimed at increasing competition and limiting big tech’s dominance.
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