EU plans to introduce new regulations for over the top services
The Wall Street Journal reports that the European Commission intends to introduce more regulations for providers of over-the-top services, in an attempt to level the regulatory playing field with the telecom operators. These regulations would require providers of services such as Skype and WhatsApp to implement stricter privacy and security protection measures, and to facilitate data portability when users switch to other services. Moreover, over-the-top providers that connect with traditional telephone numbers might face administrative charges, that could differ among EU member states. Some of the providers could also be required to provide emergency-call services.
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