Publications

Fighting for Democracy Amid the AI Race: Designing Tech Industrial Policy to Promote Democratic Economic Governance

Open Markets' Europe director, Max von Thun, and industrial policy program manager, AudreyStienon, discuss in Competition Policy International's TechREG Chronicle how AI policy narratives framed around the goal of "winning" a global race threaten to undermine the democratic values that this technology is supposed to help defend. Instead, von Thun and Stienon present a vision for an industrial strategy for AI centered on democratic governance as a means of protecting the public interest.

As Europe Retreats on Carbon Pricing, German Business May be a Bigger Factor Than Trump Tariffs

Industrial Policy Program Manager Audrey Stienon writes that Europe’s landmark Green Deal is being weakened under pressure from Trump’s tariff threats and rising far-right influence, jeopardizing the EU’s climate ambitions and democratic sovereignty.

ArticlesOMI EuropeDecember 2, 20252025, Artificial intelligence, December 2025, Europe, Audrey Stienon, Decarbonization

How Big Tech’s AI Dreams are Driving Your Electricity Bills Through the Roof

EU tech policy fellow George Colville argues that the AI industry's growing energy demands are unfairly driving up electricity prices for ordinary Americans, with tech giants leveraging their power to shift the cost burden onto taxpayers and households instead of bearing it themselves.

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.

Articles, BooksOMI EuropeMay 29, 2025Max von Thun, 2025, May 2025, Big Tech, Europe, Technology & Power, Primary Feature

Financial Times - Cloud computing is too important to be left to the Big Three

Director of Europe and transatlantic partnerships Max von Thun argues that cloud computing has become essential public infrastructure, and calls for regulatory reforms to curb Big Tech’s dominance, ensure security, and protect the public interest.

Social Europe - Europe Is Fighting the Wrong Tech Battle — Here’s What It Should Do Instead

Europe director Max von Thun co-authors a piece to argue that Europe should focus on protecting democratic values and reinforcing competition laws, rather than pursuing deregulation that could further entrench the dominance of global tech giants.

Op-Eds, ArticlesOMI EuropeMay 6, 20252025, April 2025, Max von Thun, Europe, Technology & Power, Big Tech, Politics

Europe Uses Competition Law to Protect Workers as U.S. Under Trump Retreats

Research fellow Claire Lavin discusses how Europe is increasingly using antitrust enforcement to protect workers' rights, even as the U.S. shows signs of retreating from similar efforts."

ArticlesMiquel KendrickApril 25, 20252025, April 2025, claire lavin, Europe, Sports

Project Syndicate - Europe’s Tech Sovereignty Demands More Than Competitiveness

Europe and Transatlantic Partnerships Director Max von Thun penned an op-ed with former MEP Marietje Schaake on what has become a critical moment for European policy towards Big Tech - and how Europe can seize it.

Le Grand Continent - After the Paris AI Summit, the Union must not fall into Trump's trap

Senior EU Fellow Cori Crider expressed how after the AI summit in Paris, Europe must avoid succumbing to Trump's influence and should assert its independence, rejecting appeasement toward the US and Big Tech, which threaten its political and economic sovereignty.

Op-Eds, ArticlesOMI EuropeFebruary 12, 2025Europe, Artificial intelligence, cori crider, Politics, Secondary Feature

Tech Policy Press - The Paris AI Action Summit: A Pivotal Moment to Reclaim AI from Big Tech

Europe director Max von Thun co-wrote a piece alongside fellow Michelle Nie discussing French AI Action Summit must address Big Tech's control over AI infrastructure and policy to ensure AI aligns with the public interest and independent regulation.

EU Observer - How the EU should stand up to Trump's Tech Bros oligarchy

Europe director Max von Thun argues that the EU should resist US pressure to ease Big Tech regulations and instead strengthen its digital sovereignty for economic and security reasons.

Op-Eds, ArticlesOMI EuropeJanuary 21, 2025Europe, Politics, Max von Thun, 2025, January 2025, Secondary Feature

Expert Brief - AI and Market Concentration

Europe director Max von Thun and CJL director Courtney Radsch along with EU Tech Policy Fellow Michelle Nie published an expert brief on how artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly monopolized by Big Tech firms due to high entry barriers and anticompetitive practices, posing risks to competition, privacy, security, innovation, and the environment. They prescribe a set of robust policy interventions to address the problems.

CounterPunch - It’s Not Too Late to Stop the Monopolization of AI

Senior legal analyst Daniel Hanley and Europe director Max von Thun co-author an article warning that the monopolization of AI by a few powerful corporations threatens innovation and democracy, urging immediate action to regulate and democratize the technology for the public good.

A Year of Examining How to Prevent Big Tech From Controlling the Future of AI

A recap of some of our important pieces from this year's body of work on AI.

ProMarket - The EU’s Next Competition Commissioner Must Set Out Her Vision for Change

Europe director Max von Thon urges the EU’s next Competition Commissioner to take bold action against corporate monopolies, especially in digital markets, and to establish a clear vision for fostering fair competition and innovation.

Euractiv - The EU and US should stand together on the Google adtech cases

EU research fellow Claire Lavin published an op-ed calling for the EU and U.S. to coordinate in bringing Google to account for its monopolization of the adtech industry.

Op-Eds, ArticlesMiquel KendrickNovember 1, 2024claire lavin, 2024, november 2024, Google, Big Tech, Europe, Secondary Feature

Politico EU - Breaking up with Google: Why the EU should back the US

Open Markets Senior Fellow Cori Crider explains why now is the moment for the EU government to break up Google’s monopoly over digital advertising.

Op-Eds, ArticlesMiquel KendrickOctober 17, 2024Technology & Power, Big Tech, Google, Secondary Feature, 2024, October 2024

Financial Times - Europe must not tie its hands in the fight against corporate power

As the EU's competition enforcer Margrethe Vestager prepares to step down, Max von Thun writes in the Financial Times that the incoming chief Teresa Ribera must take up the mantle to shape markets in the public interest.

ArticlesOMI EuropeSeptember 19, 20242024, Max von Thun, September 2024, Europe, Competition Law & Philosophy, Primary Feature

Project Syndicate - Monopolies Are to Blame for Generative AI’s Hallucinations

Europe director Max von Thun published an article on the collusive behavior by Big Tech firms that leads to poor product quality, such as Google’s AI hallucinations.

ProMarket - Competition, Not Consolidation, Is the Key to a Resilient and Innovative Europe

Director of Europe and Transatlantic Partnerships Max von Thun demands a new economic vision for the European Union by pursuing competition to create a robust political economy that can take back power from corporate behemoths.

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