This requires high-speed, secure and trustworthy infrastructure, supported by the right regulatory conditions for investment, fair competition and a level playing field.
All digital services, applications and content depend on the availability of high-speed, secure infrastructures, requiring a strong, competitive and dynamic telecoms sector. But the sector is changing, consumer behaviour is changing, and markets remain isolated and national; meanwhile, the slow and incomplete release of spectrum has impeded the rollout of 4G. This calls for an ambitious overhaul of telecoms rules.
The audiovisual sector is changing – with new technology, new business models, on-demand services, and new ways to watch such as on your smartphone. The Commission will review existing rules in this area.
Online "platforms" — like search engines, social media, e-commerce platforms, app stores, and price comparison websites — are playing an ever more central role. However, there are issues: such as transparency, use of information, and constraints on moving from one platform to another. The Commission will comprehensively assess these issues, as well as looking at how to best tackle illegal content on the Internet.
Address Europeans' concerns about their personal data. 72% of European internet users are concerned about how their personal data is used: the new Data Protection Regulation should address these concerns and boost trust; the Commission will also review rules on ePrivacy and act on cybersecurity.