Smartphone platforms as privacy regulators

A series of recent developments highlight the increasingly important role online platforms in impacting data privacy today's digital economy. Revelations and parliamentary hearings about violations Facebook's app service partner ecosystem, EU Court Justice judgments on joint responsibility platform users, rise smartphone ecosystems where behaviour is governed by distribution operating systems, all show that policies can make or break enjoyment users. In this article, we examine these explore question what should be protecting their The article first distinguishes different roles have ensuring respect for relevant ecosystems. These include governing access to data, design interfaces mechanisms, setting legal technical standards, policing platform's (business) coordinating issues between users platform, direct indirect enforcement a standards players. At higher level, also perform translating international regulatory requirements into policies, thereby facilitating compliance apps environments. And this, are striking balance data-driven environments one hand optimization value business opportunities connected underlying other hand. After analysis platforms’ privacy, turns how better integrate current frameworks Europe US. will argue compromise regulation mere self-regulation, arguing required official disclosures privacy-related practices respective statements conditions with way which ensure facilitate existing risks abuse sources tools actions taken prevent police such abuses. We integration both feasible desirable. It would already practice more explicit. This help best practices, create accountability could save significant resources bringing information together place. addition, it provide clarity platforms, who now sometimes confronted restrictive decisions ways lack transparency oversight.