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EU’s Margrethe Vestager Urges Regulators to Be ‘Bolder’ as She Steps Down

By  |  November 26, 2024

Margrethe Vestager, the European Union’s outgoing competition chief, is stepping down after a decade marked by high-profile battles with tech giants like Apple and Google. In an exit interview with the New York Times, Vestager expressed regret about not pursuing more aggressive enforcement against Big Tech. Summarizing her tenure as only “partly successful,” she acknowledged the persistence of dominant platforms despite the billions in fines her office levied.

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    While Vestager played a pivotal role in shaping the EU’s regulatory landscape, her reflections reveal frustration over the pace of change. As she noted, the full impact of measures such as the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which she championed, may take years to materialize. The DMA aims to curb monopolistic practices by major tech firms, but its effectiveness remains to be seen.

    Her remarks underscore a sense of lost opportunity, particularly during the period when global regulators seemed poised to rewrite the rules governing the online world. Vestager advised her counterparts worldwide to adopt a bolder stance, highlighting the importance of deterrence in regulating tech companies. Speaking about the U.S. Department of Justice’s recent proposal to break up Google, she said, “If we do not once in a while use our most powerful tools, there’s no deterrence.”

    New Powers, Old Challenges

    Vestager emphasized that the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), another major legislative effort during her tenure, equips regulators with critical tools to oversee social media platforms. According to the New York Times, she highlighted how the DSA addresses disparities between U.S. and EU laws regarding harmful content, including hate speech, antisemitism, and terrorism.

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    Read more: EU’s Vestager Secures Major Wins Against Apple and Google Before Leaving Antitrust Role

    Platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Telegram, which have faced criticism for insufficient content moderation, were singled out as examples of why robust regulation is essential. Vestager pointed out that some companies fail to respect European laws, which differ significantly from U.S. norms. “If a platform is used to undermine democracy, well, then clearly it is not in compliance with the Digital Services Act,” she said.

    Her comments also touched on Elon Musk’s ties to Donald Trump and the potential influence of such relationships on regulatory decisions. She stressed that the European Union’s commitment to the rule of law and equal treatment must remain uncompromised, regardless of a company’s leadership or affiliations.

    Looking Ahead

    As Vestager transitions to an academic role in her native Denmark, Spanish official Teresa Ribera Rodríguez is set to succeed her as the EU’s top antitrust regulator. Vestager leaves behind a mixed legacy: while she helped establish a foundation for holding tech companies accountable, the enduring dominance of these firms tempers her achievements.

    Still, her tenure underscores a critical shift in global regulatory attitudes toward Big Tech. Vestager’s call for bolder action serves as a reminder that the fight to rein in the power of major platforms is far from over. Whether future regulators can build on her work remains an open question.

    Source: The New York Times