The imminent antitrust clash over smart speakers; and tougher privacy penalties in the Philippines

MLex Market Insight

The growing use of smart speakers and TV sets has prompted a global conversation about privacy and the use of personal data on the part of the Big Tech companies behind them: Amazon, Apple and Google. But there’s another smart-device debate — once based in antitrust concerns — that’s gaining momentum. What happens if your smart device directs you not to the free-to-air version of a podcast or a TV drama, but to the paywalled property managed by the platform itself? In Australia, these concerns are being driven by commercial radio operators that fear Echo, Siri and Assistant may increasingly get in between their station and their listeners. Also on today’s podcast: Why planned tougher penalties for privacy violations in the Philippines look good on paper but may be facing a baptism of fire.