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Stories you may have missed from the world of business – The Boston Globe






SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook lobbyist calls for ‘good regulation’ of the Web

Facebook made a bid over the weekend to shape the global conversation about Internet regulation, though some politicians remain skeptical of its efforts. On Sunday, the company’s top lobbyist urged regulators worldwide to agree on standards governing online content, but to ensure a patchwork of regulations doesn’t make it difficult for companies to comply. It would be “much better if these rules are done on a multilateral and global level rather than a piecemeal way, which can contribute to the Balkanization of the Internet,” Facebook’s head of global affairs, Nick Clegg, told Bloomberg. On Saturday, CEO Mark Zuckerberg published as an op-ed in The Washington Post calling for new global regulations, following growing government scrutiny of Facebook around the world. Clegg said that given its size, Facebook should play a role in creating rules. A former UK deputy prime minister, he was hired last year to lead Facebook’s lobbying efforts. Zuckerberg recommended rules on hateful and violent content, election integrity, privacy, and data portability. But Zuckerberg “doesn’t get to make the rules anymore,” US Representative David Cicilline of Rhode Island tweeted Saturday. “Facebook is under criminal and civil investigation. It has shown it cannot regulate itself. Does anyone even want his advice?” Facebook has come under fire in the United States over its immense influence, data practices, and content policies. In Europe, it has long been a target of regulators, particularly on privacy, and been subject to sweeping tech regulations, including a new copyright rule that will require platforms to compensate creators for content shared by users. The authorities have also put the onus on tech platforms to self-regulate in certain areas, such as on disinformation and election interference. — BLOOMBERG NEWS

AVIATION

Schumer wants Boeing off FAA committee amid investigations

US Senator Chuck Schumer wants Boeing removed from a Federal Aviation Administration rulemaking committee as investigations deepen into both the company and the regulator’s role in two deadly crashes of Boeing 737 Max jets. Schumer, a New York Democrat, said Boeing should be suspended from the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee, which makes recommendations on airline regulations. He also wants the membership and activities of the committee made public. Congress is looking at the relationship between Boeing and the FAA after two deadly crashes, in Ethiopia and in Indonesia. Both involved a Boeing jet green-lighted by the US regulator, which relied on safety assessments made by Boeing. The FAA declined to comment. A Boeing representative was not immediately available. — ASSOCIATED PRESS

INTERNATIONAL

EU’s Brexit patience with UK won’t last forever, Juncker says

European Union President Jean-Claude Juncker warned Sunday that the United Kingdom should decide on Brexit within hours or days. “We have had a great deal of patience with our British friends, but patience can also run out, it comes to an end,” he told Italy’s RAI television. “I would like Great Britain within a few hours, within a few days, to reach an accord on the road to follow,” Juncker said. Asked if a second Brexit referendum is possible, Juncker replied: “It is not up to us to give lessons to the British on the path they intend to follow — they must decide what instruments they will use to reach the end of this process.” His comments came as European leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, look for ways to shield the EU from the fallout of potential political chaos in Britain in the case of a no-deal Brexit. The bloc is preparing for an all-important summit in Brussels April 10. — BLOOMBERG NEWS




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