TMT Newsletter Q1

Publication / 4 April 2023 / Mihkel Miidla, Oliver Kuusk, Linda Sarāne-Reneslāce, Andris Tauriņš, Jonas Kiauleikis

Below you can find our quarterly TMT newsletter, covering statistics of GDPR-related fines and transposition of the European Accessibility Act in the Baltics, as well as updates about the deployment of 5G in Estonia and Lithuania.

TMT Insight

Transposition of the European Accessibility Act in the Baltics

The European Accessibility Act sets out new product rules for electronic goods and online services in order to better accommodate their use by everyone. In order to transpose these rules, new laws have been adopted in the Baltics.

EU Legislation

The primary committee of the European Parliament is preparing to take a final stance on the Chips Act

Data protection

Data protection: How to market in the Baltic states?

Technology

Five hot legal areas in health tech for 2023

Health tech operates at the crossroads of health law and technology law. While navigating the labyrinth of legislation can be tricky, finding the right path to follow is critical.

Tallinn launches platform to help tech companies test their products

With the Tehnopol Science and Business Park, Tallinn launches the “Test in Tallinn” project, where companies from around the world can test their green technologies.

Media

Estonia is considering investment obligations under the AVMSD

The new coalition is planning to implement a financial contribution obligation for VOD providers under the mechanism provided by the Audiovisual Media Services Directive.

Digital Art – Copyright Laws & Taxation

Do you know your rights and responsibilities when trading with digital art (NFTs included)? Are you aware of the risks to consider while uploading your artwork in a public space like the internet?

The National Electronic Mass Media Council of Latvia (NEPLP) approves the development strategy of the electronic media industry for the next five years (in Latvian)

The strategy includes essential elements of the electronic media industry’s operation, development, regulation and supervision. The strategic priorities envisage protecting Latvia’s information space, strengthening local content in the national language and ensuring a safe environment for the development of electronic media, and the creation and availability of quality content.

Lithuania introduces draft laws establishing criminal liability for manipulation of online platforms and new obligations for operators

According to information published by the National Security and Defense Committee of the Parliament, social networks and other Internet platforms are the spaces where disinformation and propaganda are spread, and forces hostile to the state are able to manipulate information through networks of robotic profiles (so-called “bot farms”). However, Internet platforms are not putting in enough effort to solve this issue effectively (this is mainly supported by the recent case with “Meta”, where it refused to alter its algorithms in relation to the information published about the war in Ukraine). Therefore, new draft laws are aimed at establishing stricter responsibility for increasing the visibility of content directed against the national interests of the state of Lithuania.

Draft amendments to the Law on Provision of Information to the Public and the Criminal Code have been registered in the Lithuanian parliament but have not yet been adopted.

Telecom

Estonia announces 26GHz spectrum auction (in Estonian)

The Estonian regulator has announced its third 5G frequency license competition and will auction frequency in the 26 GHz 5G frequency band. A total of six frequency blocks of 400 MHz will be auctioned, with each participant being able to acquire a maximum of two frequency blocks.

5G deployed in Lithuania and the network usage is steadily growing

At the end of the third quarter of 2022, there were 211 base stations operating in Lithuania, whereas in November, the number of 5G NR base stations had already reached 1300.