An “eraser button”? Focused ideas could help bridle Big Tech

By MARCY GORDON
AP Business Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Break up Big Tech? How about shrinking the tech companies’ shield against liability in certain cases? Or creating a new regulator to strictly oversee the industry? Those ideas have captured official attention in the U.S., Europe, U.K. and Australia as controversy has enveloped Facebook, Google, Amazon and other giants. Revelations of deep-seated problems surfaced by former Facebook product manager Frances Haugen have brought momentum to legislative and regulatory efforts. But the most realistic changes may be more tangible and less grandly ambitious — like an online “Eraser Button” that would allow users to eliminate personal information from a child or teen.