Data Could Be the Next Tech Hot Button for Regulators - The New York Times

On a related note, see Uber Extends an Olive Branch to Local Governments: Its Data (NYT)

"Now data — gathered in those immense pools of information that are at the heart of everything from artificial intelligence to online shopping recommendations — is increasingly a focus of technology competition. And academics and some policy makers, especially in Europe, are considering whether big internet companies like Google and Facebook might use their data resources as a barrier to new entrants and innovation.

In recent years, Google, Facebook, Apple, Amazon and Microsoft have all been targets of tax evasion, privacy or antitrust investigations. But in the coming years, who controls what data could be the next worldwide regulatory focus as governments strain to understand and sometimes rein in American tech giants."

Data Could Be the Next Tech Hot Button for Regulators - The New York Times