Why and how the regulation of emerging technologies occurs is not clear in the literature. In this study, we adapt the multiple streams framework – often used for explaining agenda-setting and policy adoption – to examine the phenomenon. We hypothesize how technological change affects policy-making and identify conditions under which the streams can be (de-)coupled. We trace the formulation of the General Data Protection Regulation to show that the regulation occupied the legislative agenda when a policy window was exploited through policy entrepreneurship to frame technological change as a problem for data privacy and legislative harmonization within the European Union. Although constituencies interested in promoting internet technologies made every effort to stall the regulation, various actors, activities, and events helped the streams remain coupled, eventually leading to its adoption. We conclude that the alignment of problem, policy, politics, and technology – through policy entrepreneurship – influences the timing and design of technology regulation.

中文翻译：

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为什么以及如何对新兴技术进行监管？使用多流框架解释采用欧盟通用数据保护条例

对新兴技术的监管为何以及如何发生在文献中尚不清楚。在这项研究中，我们调整了多流框架——通常用于解释议程设置和政策采用——来研究这种现象。我们假设技术变革如何影响政策制定并确定可以（去）耦合流的条件。我们追溯了《通用数据保护条例》的制定，以表明当通过政策创业利用政策窗口将技术变革作为欧盟内部数据隐私和立法协调的问题时，该条例占据了立法议程。尽管对促进互联网技术感兴趣的选区尽一切努力拖延监管，但各种参与者、活动、事件帮助流保持耦合，最终导致其被采用。我们得出结论，问题、政策、政治和技术的结合——通过政策创业——影响技术监管的时间和设计。