It’s a victory for telecom companies, which have pointed out for years that so-called “over the top players” like Google, Microsoft, and Facebook do not face the same stringent regulations as more traditional communication firms, despite supplying extremely similar services. These new proposed changes may also help to even the score between European providers and largely U.S.-based internet companies, which has long been a contentious subject within the European Union.
That said, not all web services will be required to uphold the exact same security obligations, as some of these services “do not exercise control over the transmission of their services over telecom networks,” Reuters reports.
“Providers of such services should thus ensure a level of security commensurate with the degree of risk posed to the security of the communications services they provide,” the draft document reads. “Therefore, whenever it is justified by the actual assessment of the security risks involved, the security requirements … should be lighter.” However, should there be a security breach that significantly impacts their service, apps and companies will have to alert national authorities “without undue delay.”
After being unveiled this week, the new proposal will still require the approval of the European Parliament and EU member states, which means changes to the legislation are still likely.
