FT Tech Tonic
Tech in 2025: The EU vs Big Tech
Feb 4, 2025
Aura Salla, former Meta lobbyist and current MEP, provides an insider’s view on EU tech regulation. She discusses the balance between curbing big tech's power and fostering innovation in Europe. Salla critiques the implications of the Digital Markets Act and the Digital Services Act, emphasizing their potential to stifle local tech growth. The conversation also touches on the challenges of regulating platforms like X under Elon Musk, and the complexities surrounding the EU's AI regulatory landscape, highlighting the ongoing struggle for accountability and competition in the tech industry.
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Quick takeaways
- The EU's aggressive regulatory stance aims to rein in big tech monopolies, yet raises concerns about stifling innovation in smaller tech firms.
- Aura Salla emphasizes the need for comprehensive content moderation regulations to combat disinformation while ensuring a fair competitive landscape.
Deep dives
The EU's Role as a Regulator of Big Tech
The European Union has emerged as a formidable regulatory force targeting major technology companies, establishing itself as a global leader in setting standards related to online privacy and artificial intelligence. This regulatory stance has led to hefty fines imposed on giants like Apple and Meta, signaling the EU's commitment to overseeing digital platforms. Despite these aggressive measures, skepticism persists regarding the effectiveness of such regulations, with critics arguing that large companies possess sufficient resources and legal expertise to circumvent them. This paradox raises questions about whether the EU's regulations are more harmful to smaller European tech firms than to their American counterparts.
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