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AP Photo/Eric Risberg

The EU's proposal for a single digital market has an unlikely supporter

Zuckerberg believes such a system would help Facebook and other tech companies in the long run.

FACEBOOK CEO MARK Zuckerberg announced his support for the EU’s plans to create a single set of internet rules for the region,

The measure would, among other things, mean the end of companies shutting off access to online content based on geoblocking (in certain cases), and create a broad set of rules for both large multinational companies and smaller startups trying to get a foothold in the market.

And that has Zuckerberg’s support who explained the idea ”just makes a lot more sense” at a Q&A session.

“One dynamic that we see is each country has very different laws and that makes it very difficult to know what you’re supposed to do when you’re trying to offer services as you’re trying to confirm to twenty different laws,” said Zuckerberg.

There’s this big push to create… one broad set of internet regulations across the EU and I think that’s would be very good because if you do that, you make it so that it’s easier for them [businesses] to offer services, easier for them to comply with the laws because they actually know what the laws are.
I think a single market would just make a lot more sense. It would lead to better services for people in Europe and just more ability for companies like us to know what we’re supposed to do.”

It’s easy to see why it would support such a measure. Facebook has to deal with the laws of every country and a one size fits all rule would benefit the company.

Although it will still be a few years away at least before this becomes a reality, it would make things easier for Facebook which is dealing with privacy probes from a number of different EU countries.

Also, as Re/Code notes, this proposal could hurt WhatsApp as part of the plans involve placing services like it and Skype under the same regulation as telecom providers. As well as that, one broad set of rules could hinder Facebook as issues like competition may come into play.

The segment in question happens around the 40-minute mark in this video.

Read: Here’s why it’s likely you STILL won’t be able to watch BBC online in Ireland >

Read: Menu terms like “artisanal”, “farmhouse” and “natural” now have to mean something >

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12 Comments
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    Mute in_zane_burger
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    Apr 2nd 2014, 3:06 PM

    Can I have my money back now

    32
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    Mute padser123
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    Apr 2nd 2014, 3:33 PM

    It’s like’…..burning your furniture – to keep warm!

    23
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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Apr 2nd 2014, 4:52 PM

    Why are PwC saying this instead of IBRC and NAMA?

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    Mute Philip
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    Apr 2nd 2014, 5:20 PM

    As property prices start to rise nama , ibrc start to dump property

    Can someone explain why?

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    Mute Dara O'Brien
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    Apr 2nd 2014, 5:56 PM

    Dumping loans philip, not property. They’re Dumping the loans as they’re non-performing and want to get them off the balance sheet.

    If they had the patience, they’d put arrangements in place to allow the properties to return to positive equity and then seek a sale, this recouping more of the tax payers money.

    Unfortunately, they’ll sell the loans for a discount and allow the new purchasers to do this and net a tidy profit.

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    Mute Garry Coll
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    Apr 2nd 2014, 5:02 PM

    The article outlines that IBRC (IBROKE would probably be a better name) will offload € 15 billion in loans.
    Yet the linked article tells us that IBROKE have already offloaded 90% of its loanbook, € 19.8 billion out of € 21.7 billion leaving just € 1.9 billion on hand.
    This can only mean, if the previous article is correct, that it is NAMA that is offloading the majority of the loans.
    Why the subterfuge?
    Why make people think that this is some kind of joint enterprise when it is NAMA that is leading the charge?
    Have the shiny suit brigade from the canal something to hide?
    Given their obsession with secrecy it would not surprise me if they have, perhaps selling the loans to some preferred customer with an inside track at a serious discount.
    The way things go it will all be wrapped up before we know anything, plus ça change.

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    Mute Irish Revolution
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    Apr 2nd 2014, 2:58 PM

    Who in their right mind would buy this junk?

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    Mute Padraig McHale
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    Apr 2nd 2014, 3:01 PM

    It might only be worth 30% of face value but if you buy it for 20% it’s a good deal. For the buyer anyway.

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    Mute Tony
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    Apr 2nd 2014, 3:06 PM

    @ Irish Revolution

    The Banks?

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    Mute Deirdre McDonnell
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    Apr 3rd 2014, 2:42 AM

    Hedge funds bought it. They will now sell off all the ghost estates etc at a lower price so people that have houses for sale at the min will eventually have to sell for half or take them off the market.
    Fab house here in drogheda asking price €325. Hilarious. You could now nearly get a house for that on raglan road or ailsbury road!! So that house is realistically worth less than €150 really.
    People and notions ha

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    Mute Vanessa Doyle
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    Apr 2nd 2014, 7:04 PM

    What about Bank of Scotland selling on my mortgage & others in their Irish portfolio to a company called Tanager Ltd.
    I’m in a tizzy all day because I don’t know what it means for us.

    3
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