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We’re diving into what today’s competition issues mean for startups and small tech companies trying to raise capital, scale, and compete globally. From AI infrastructure and technology licensing to online safety, app stores, interoperability, M&A, and digital market rules, the episode breaks down how global policy choices are shaping the environment startups need to grow.

If you’re building and scaling a tech business in the UK, 2026 is shaping up to be a big year for policy decisions that could affect how startups and SMEs grow. In this episode of Tech Swamp, ACT’s UK Country Manager, Stephen Tulip, joins the podcast to talk through some of the biggest issues on the table ahead of the Global App Economy Conference: UK, from access to funding and AI policy to app store regulation, online safety and privacy, and SEP licensing.

Age verification, digital ID mandates, and online safety rules are gaining traction globally, shaping how apps are built, distributed, and governed across markets. In the United States, Texas’s App Store Accountability Act is on hold for now, but similar proposals are still advancing and being enforced at all levels of government in the U.S., EU, UK, and more. These changes could bring higher compliance costs, added complexity, and new barriers to innovation, especially for startups, scaleups, and SMEs.

Tech Swamp is back with a timely conversation on what’s shaping curated online marketplace regulation and how some of the rules set in Europe are shaping rules worldwide. We’re joined by our EU policy manager, Maria Goikoetxea Gomez de Segura, to help break down why curated online marketplaces matter for small teams, what’s still evolving under the DMA implementation, what to watch as the EU debates digital simplification, and why standard-essential patent licensing matters as AI and IoT-related standards continue to emerge.

• We’re going global on connected health with a deep dive on how policy decisions in the U.S., EU, and UK shape whether innovators can build, deploy, and scale the tools patients rely on. We’re joined by Taylor Downs, ACT senior policy manager, for a focused conversation on the WEAR IT Act and what expanded HSA/FSA eligibility could mean for access to wearable-enabled health tech in the United States. Later on, your regular Tech Swamp hosts give a roundup of key global developments tied to standards, interoperability, and the tech policy shifts that determine whether connected health startups can actually scale at home and across borders.

We’re delivering a 2026 Tech Policy Forecast for small tech innovators around the globe. We break down what to expect from 2025 into 2026, the policy debates emerging across the EU, UK, and U.S., and how and why legislation drafted without startups and SMEs becomes a real barrier to building, scaling, and raising capital. From online safety and encryption to age verification, curated online marketplaces and competition proposals, AI governance, and the standards and SEP landscape, we map what to watch and what it means for the digital economy in the year ahead.

In this month’s episode, we’re taking you through our 2025 Tech Policy Year in Review. From encryption and age verification to competition rules, AI implementation, and the fast-moving standard-essential patent (SEP) landscape, we break down the global policy shifts that shaped the year for small developers. We’re zooming in on what changed across the EU, UK, and U.S., how these rules impacted innovation and access to capital, and what it all means for the digital economy heading into 2026.

Encryption isn’t just a privacy tool; it’s the thing standing between your personal life and the people who would exploit it. And right now, governments around the world are debating whether to weaken it. This episode breaks down why that matters. We’re joined by developer and ACT | The App Association founder Mike Sax to talk about what encryption actually does, why it’s essential for protecting kids and families online, and how current proposals in the EU, UK, and U.S. could reshape the safety of the internet itself. If encryption is the lock on your digital front door, the question today is: Why are so many people arguing to take that lock off?

Ahoy, mateys! We’re celebrating International Talk Like a Pirate Day with a special mini-episode. But instead of eye patches and parrots, we’re talking about real piracy...the kind that steals music, apps, and code. We’re joined by ACT | The App Association's president, (Captain) Morgan Reed, to dig into the history of Talk Like a Pirate Day and why piracy and intellectual property protections matter now more than ever, especially in the age of AI.

In the evolving age of artificial intelligence (AI), the internet of things (IoT), and emerging technologies, the standard-essential patent (SEP) licensing process can significantly impact whether startups have a fair shot or face new barriers. In this episode, we explore how the global SEP licensing landscape affects small innovators, from their ability to launch new products and attract investment, to the risks of regulatory approaches that drive up compliance costs instead of lowering barriers. You’ll hear what’s at stake for startups and small tech in the SEP licensing space, and why getting it right is critical for the future of innovation.

How are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), startups, and scaleups driving progress toward the EU’s Digital Decade goals? Hear directly from the startups and businesses behind the wheel as ACT | The App Association’s Maria Goikoetxea moderates a discussion with member company representatives examining how targeted, innovation-friendly policies can help amplify their impact and boost European competitiveness. Representatives of member companies will include Jonas Almeling, Ecosystem Entrepreneur and ACT EU Ambassador, Jason Culloty, CEO of Skillsvista, and Federico Roviglioni, COO of Bufaga. Note on Audio Quality: We experienced some unexpected microphone issues toward the end of the live panel discussion, resulting in lower volume levels, especially during the final few minutes. We recommend checking out the full transcript in our show notes for anything you may have missed. Thanks for tuning in, and we appreciate your patience!

In this Deep Dive episode of Tech Swamp, we’re putting the spotlight on artificial intelligence and what it actually looks like in the hands of innovators building the future of work. As the EU launches the world’s first AI law, the UK fine-tunes its light-touch approach, and the U.S. walks away from national guardrails, startups are left navigating a maze of global rules with no clear map. We’re joined by Faizan Alam, founder of member company Remodid, a remote-first platform using AI to make hiring smarter, faster, and more inclusive. From balancing bots and human talent to what founders need from policymakers, this episode unpacks what it means to build responsibly in a moment of global regulatory flux.

At the start of the 118th Congress, we held a webinar that mapped the key opportunities and risks for small tech in a new legislative landscape. Now, with Congress actively advancing bills on AI, data privacy, and economic competitiveness, the insights from this discussion are no longer speculative; they’re a playbook. We’re revisiting the policies that are gaining traction, the strategies small businesses can use to stay ahead, and what’s on the table as the session continues to unfold.

We’re breaking down the top policy issues shaping the app economy ahead of ACT | The App Association’s Global App Economy Conferences in the U.S. next month. From data privacy and AI regulation to mergers, digital trade, and SEPs, we’re unpacking what’s at stake for independent developers and small businesses and how smart policies can drive innovation, competition, and global market access.

We’re bringing you a special Deep Dive episode featuring our SXSW 2025 panel discussion on the rise of data breaches, the critical role of encryption, and the policy challenges shaping global cybersecurity. From the UK’s recent actions around encryption oversight and high-profile attacks like Salt Typhoon to the impact of weak security measures on disenfranchised communities, we’re unpacking what’s at stake for independent developers, small businesses, and consumers worldwide. Listen in as our panel of experts explores how smart policies can protect sensitive data while ensuring innovation and competition thrive.