Press Releases — Publications

Europe's €890 million Google Fine is 'Bare Minimum' – EU Must Now Force Compliance

Massive corporations like Google should not be able to buy their way out of complying with EU law.

The EU’s Clearance of Paramount-Warner Bros Merger Is a Failure to Protect Europe's Creative Industries and Media Pluralism

The Commission's approval comes despite months of warnings from civil society, journalists, and the film and TV industries that the deal would concentrate an unprecedented share of production, distribution and broadcasting power in the hands of one company, reducing the number of major American studios from four to three.

Open Markets Institute Applauds EU Decision Forcing Google to Open Android and Search Data

Without these orders, the 60% of Europeans who use an Android device would be locked into Gemini as their only system level AI assistant, and Google would continue to leverage its overwhelming monopoly over search data to gain an unfair advantage over its competitors in AI development.

OMI on French Meta Order: ‘This Is About Sovereignty and Democracy as Much as Competition’

This decision is about European sovereignty and democracy as much as competition or bargaining power.

Press Releases, StatementsOMI EuropeJuly 9, 20262026, Politics, July 2026, Meta, facebook, CMDG, Secondary Feature

‘Magic Words’ Risk Undermining Significant Progress in Merger Review Guidelines

Open Markets Institute has welcomed the European Commission's draft merger guidelines as a major, overdue modernisation of EU competition rules – part of a once-in-a-generation review – while also urging the Commission to close loopholes which risk undermining progress.

Levelling The Playing Field for Cloud Services: OMI Welcomes EU Move to Bring Amazon and Microsoft Under DMA Gatekeeper Rules

The Open Markets Institute Europe welcomes the preliminary decision by the European Commission to designate Amazon and Microsoft as gatekeepers under the Digital Markets Act (DMA) for their cloud computing services, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure.

Press Releases, StatementsOMI EuropeJune 25, 20262026, Primary Feature, June 2026, Amazon, Politics

Dozens of Groups Urge EU to Block ‘Harmful’ Paramount–Warner Bros Merger

Open Markets Institute and more than 25 civil society organizations are calling on Brussels to reject one of the most sweeping media mergers Europe has been asked to approve.

Press Releases, Statements, Testimony and SubmissionsOMI EuropeJune 16, 20262026, Primary Feature, May 2026

Paramount-Warner Merger Would Lead to Fewer Films, Lower Pay, and Weaker Film Industry, OMI Warns

By deepening concentration in the film and TV industry, the proposed transaction raises significant competition concerns. CMDG and Open Markets Europe call on the EU Commission to investigate the proposed merger.

Statements, Press ReleasesOMI EuropeJune 9, 2026Karina Montoya, CMDG, June 2026, 2026, Primary Feature

UK Publisher Protections a First in Holding Google Accountable in AI Content Grab

The UK Competition and Market Authority’s (CMA) will require Google to to adhere to new conduct requirements in their use of publisher content for AI Overviews. CMDG was at the forefront of urging the CMA toadopt remedies to level the playing field with publishers in the transition to AI-enabled search.

Statements, Press ReleasesOMI EuropeJune 5, 2026Karina Montoya, CMDG, June 2026, 2026, Secondary Feature

Regulators Must Think Beyond Siloed Markets to Tame Agentic AI Concentration

Big Tech wants Agentic AI to be your gateway to the internet – concentrating market power and reshaping the digital economy.

Press Releases, StatementsOMI EuropeJune 3, 20262026, Europe, AI, Consultation, June 2026

OMI Europe backs EU rules to stop Google locking rivals out of Android AI

The Open Markets Institute Europe warns that the Commission is failing to seize the full potential of the DMA to address harmful abuses of market power by digital gatekeepers.

Press Releases, StatementsOMI EuropeMay 18, 20262026, Europe, Google, Android, AI, Submission, Consultation, May 2026, Secondary Feature

Over 30 Civil Society Orgs Express ‘Grave Concern’ About Von der Leyen’s Reported Google Backdown

The Open Markets Institute Europe warns that the Commission is failing to seize the full potential of the DMA to address harmful abuses of market power by digital gatekeepers.

Press Releases, StatementsOMI EuropeMay 6, 20262026, Primary Feature, May 2026

Open Markets Institute Europe Reacts to the Digital Markets Act Review

The Open Markets Institute Europe warns that the Commission is failing to seize the full potential of the DMA to address harmful abuses of market power by digital gatekeepers.

Press Releases, StatementsOMI EuropeApril 30, 20262026, April 2026, Primary Feature

Open Markets Institute Unveils Advisory Council and New Hires to Counter Corporate Concentration and Defend European Democracy

The Open Markets Institute shares its news of expanding its European operations with new staff and the launch of a European Advisory Council – bringing together leading experts, technologists and former policymakers to defend fair markets and democratic accountability.

Press Releases, StatementsOMI EuropeApril 17, 20262026, April 2026

European Civil Society Organisations Condemn Clearance of Google’s Acquisition of Wiz

The Open Markets Institute, Balanced Economy Project, Rebalance Now, and SOMO released condemned the European Commission’s decision to allow Google to acquire cloud security firm, Wiz, against expert recommendations for a deeper assessment of the deal.

Open Markets Institute Applauds EU Move to Stop Meta from Gatekeeping AI on WhatsApp

The European Commission announced a preliminary finding that Meta may have abused its dominant position by excluding third-party AI assistants from WhatsApp. The Commission intends to impose interim measures to prevent serious and irreparable damage to competition. Such measures could include Meta being forced to open WhatsApp to third-party AI assistants. Max von Thun, Director of Europe & Transatlantic Partnerships at the Open Markets Institute, released a following statement.

European Commission’s Preliminary Finding Against TikTok Is a Landmark Moment for Platform Accountability

The Open Markets Institute released a statement led by Max von Thun, Director of Europe & Transatlantic Partnership a preliminary finding that TikTok’s platform design contributes to addictive use and may violate the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA) requiring TikTok to fundamentally change to its business model, including disabling addictive features such as “infinite scroll”.

Open Markets Urges European Commission to Investigate Google’s Wiz Acquisition on Cloud Monopoly Concerns

Open Markets Institute, alongside partner organisations Article 19, the Balanced Economy Project and SOMO, made a detailed submission to the European Commission urging officials to open an in-depth investigation into Google’s proposed acquisition of the cloud security firm Wiz.

Barry Lynn Condemns Travel Bans on European Citizens

Barry Lynn condemns travel bans on five European citizens on the theory that their efforts to regulate the behavior of dominant online communications platforms amounted to censorship of American citizens.

Over 70 Public Interest Orgs Urge European Commission to Reject Google’s AdTech Remedies

Open Markets Institute helped craft a letter with more than 70 press freedom organisations, businesses, experts, and think tanks urging the European Commission to reject Google’s proposed remedies in the adtech antitrust case.