Posts tagged Big Tech
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.

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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.

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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”. 

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Tech Policy Press - Google’s Wiz Deal Could Become a Trojan Horse in Europe’s Cloud

Europe research fellow Claire Lavin co-wrote an article arguing that Google’s proposed $32 billion acquisition of Wiz would dangerously concentrate control over Europe’s cloud security infrastructure in the hands of a U.S. tech gatekeeper, threatening competition, data governance, and digital sovereignty—and must be rigorously investigated and potentially blocked by EU regulators.

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The European Commission Launches Aggressive Enforcement Actions to Protect AI Competition and Democracy

Europe director Max von Thun spotlights the EU’s new antitrust investigations into Google and Meta mark a crucial step toward preventing Big Tech from using its platform power to dominate AI, exploit creators, and undermine competition and democratic access to information.

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Project Syndicate - Europe’s Tech Firms Need Regulation to Grow

Europe director Max von Thun argues that Europe’s response to Trump-era pressure on digital regulation must combine tough enforcement against Big Tech with major investment in homegrown technology, warning that efforts to weaken landmark laws like the AI Act and GDPR threaten European sovereignty and democratic security.

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Testimony before the European Parliament’s Internal Market Committee

Europe director Max von Thun briefed in a testimony the European Parliament’s Internal Market Committee on Europe’s deep dependence on U.S. cloud giants, urging lawmakers to use existing regulatory tools to open the market and ensure Europe can build sovereign, resilient cloud and AI infrastructure.

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The Future of Democracy: Speech, Thought, Sovereignty, and Power in the Age of Platforms and AI

The Open Markets Institute and ARTICLE 19 hosted on October 15th & 16th a convening of high-level leading thinkers, lawmakers, technologists, and advocates who discussed the direct and growing threats to our democracies and basic liberties posed by today’s dominant online communications platforms, the rise of AI, and interference by foreign states. 

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Open Markets Submits Recommendations on Cloud and AI Development Act, Urges EU to Break Big Tech’s Cloud Monopoly 

The Open Markets Institute warns that the European Commission's Cloud and AI Development Act will fail to achieve its goals unless it directly addresses the dominance of Amazon, Microsoft, and Google in the cloud computing market, advocating for regulatory reforms to ensure fair competition and digital sovereignty in Europe.

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Europe vs. the Tech Plutocrats An Existential Battle for Democracy and Sovereignty

Director of Europe & Transatlantic partnerships Max von Thun published an essay in Musk, Power, and the EU: Can EU Law Tackle the Challenges of Unchecked Plutocracy?,warningthat Europe’s reliance on U.S. tech giants like Elon Musk’s companies threatens its sovereignty and democracy, and calls for bold, unified EU action to reclaim control and enforce democratic digital governance.

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