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Data protection and regulation of social media

Fahey, E. ORCID: 0000-0003-2603-5300 (2025). Data protection and regulation of social media. In: Lucarelli, S. & Sperling, J. (Eds.), Handbook of European Union Governance. Political Science and Public Policy 2025. (pp. 143-155). Edward Elgar Publishing. doi: 10.4337/9781803925189.00021

Abstract

This chapter outlines how a whole swathe of highly significant EU regulation forms a significant part of the new agenda on data. The post-General Data Protection Regulation era, which EU lawmakers have lauded as the digital age constitution, will radically change the face of Big Tech and how it engages with EU law. It will usher in a more directed era of EU law that protects consumers. The EU has emerged as a regulatory juggernaut vis-à-vis Big Tech, has shown itself to be broad-ranging and beyond comprehensive, and possesses a vast enforcement architecture. The force and reach of EU law in the quest for data protection has taken effect with considerable influence. The chapter examines the institutionalization of EU data governance law, the scope of EU law regulating Big Tech, the regulation of social media, Big Tech qua Europeanists, and the ‘Brussels Effect’ of EU law for Big Tech.

Publication Type: Book Section
Additional Information: This is a draft chapter. The final version is available in Handbook of European Union Governance edited by Sonia Lucarelli and James Sperling published in 2025, Edward Elgar Publishing Ltd https://doi.org/10.4337/9781803925189
Publisher Keywords: Big Tech; regulation; institutionalization; digital platforms; General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR); Digital Services Act (DSA); Digital Markets Act (DMA)
Subjects: K Law > K Law (General)
Departments: The City Law School
The City Law School > Academic Programmes
SWORD Depositor:
[thumbnail of a2024_Chapter 11_Fahey latest.pdf] Text - Accepted Version
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