US/EU: Vestager talks about big tech and Amazon

On Wednesday, September 26, EC Commissioner Margrethe Vestager sat down at the Bloomberg Global Business Forum in New York and discussed in an interview a number of topics currently of interest in the EU and in the US, primarily focusing on big tech.

When asked about the recently announced probe into Amazon’s data practices related to third party sellers, she responded, Amazon is a two-sided marketplace with dual functions… They provide a lot of services to small businesses, which allow them to be active in e-commerce. And that’s great. [But] they also grow themselves—[into] books, movies, groceries… Of course, they get all the data from the little guys, and we want to understand how that data is being used.”

Later in the interview, Ms. Vestager was asked about the popular belief that the EC is specifically targeting US tech companies since Europe does not have any comparable companies. She responded, “It’s not about your flag, or whether you are a public or a private company. It’s about your competitive spirit. You are supposed to compete.” She continued on to say that the EU’s laws were not drafted to impede innovation and growth while discussing the two massive Google fines.

Full Interview: MSN

Full Content: Observer

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