BRUSSELS — Margrethe Vestagerthe European Union’s antitrust commissioner and one of the industry’s most prominent global critics technologyrecently walked around his office in Brussels reflecting on the fate of the items accumulated over the decade he held the position, which he left at the end of November. At one point, she paused to hold up a sculpture of a hand showing the middle finger.
“What should I do with this?” asked Vestager, 56. The middle finger, he explained, was a reminder not to be shaken by critics.
Vestager, a Danish politician who was one of the few EU officials to achieve global recognition, has faced numerous detractors over the years. When he assumed the role of responsible for supervising the antitrust law In 2014, Vestager was one of the first government authorities in the world to sue (GOOGL34), Apple () and Amazon () for illegal business practices and attempts to impede competition.
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At the time, the US digital titans were growing rapidly and were very popular for their innovations. Vestager faced criticism for her actions, with technology industry leaders arguing that she was harming the European economy by discouraging startups from establishing themselves in the region. In 2018, the president Donald Trump said she “really hates” the United States.
However, as Vestager prepares to end her tenure in Brussels, regulation of the technology industry has become an increasingly common practice on a global scale. Thanks to her work, Europe is widely recognized as a pioneer in implementing stricter legislation aimed at the sector.
In recent years, US regulators have followed Europe’s lead and brought antitrust actions against Google, Apple, Meta() and Amazon. Regulators in South Korea, Australia, Brazil, Canada and several other regions are also taking on the tech giants.
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“It’s extremely gratifying,” Vestager told The New York Times, adding that she cried when she won an unexpected victory from the nation’s highest court. “People thought we were crazy because ten years ago Big Tech seemed untouchable. They were the most admired, innovative and promising companies one could imagine.”
Even in Washington, Vestager went from being seen as a pariah to becoming a trailblazer. In September, during her last visit with colleagues at the US Department of Justice, officials packed a room to hear her speak and gave her a standing ovation at the end.
“She is a transformative figure,” he said. Jonathan Kanterhead of the Justice Department’s antitrust division, who keeps a framed photo of a cartoon mouse showing its middle finger in his office in honor of Vestager. “She took office at a time when few people discussed the importance of close oversight over digital guardians. Thanks to her, this has become an important and highly relevant topic of discussion.”
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Vestager is now preparing to take up an academic position at a university in Denmark. Teresa Ribera Rodrígueza Spanish authority, is about to take on the role of the European Union’s top antitrust regulator.
Vestager recently addressed Trump’s victory and its implications, expressed confidence that Europe will continue to be at the forefront of controlling the technology sector, and argued why limiting certain forms of expression online is perfectly acceptable, .
Vestager stated that she is proud of her trajectory, although she recognizes the challenges.
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Many technology experts have criticized Vestager’s tough stance, arguing that she has weakened Europe’s technology sector and reinforced her image as an overly bureaucratic rule-maker.
But some former colleagues said the region’s regulations didn’t go far enough. Google, Apple, Amazon and other companies have become even more powerful in the last decade.
“Can we adjust course and transform the system? Just at the margins,” said Tommaso Valletti, who was one of Vestager’s lead economists and praised her commitment to the issue in the face of adversity. “Have we changed Big Tech? My answer is no.”
Vestager said she was proud of her tenure, although she acknowledged that it was only “partially successful.” She mentioned that she wished her office had acted more quickly and that she had pushed companies to implement more stringent structural changes, going beyond simply imposing fines. She called on regulators around the world to be “bolder”.
Vestager commented that collaboration with US regulators was very solid, but acknowledged that this could change under Trump.
Until recently, the United States was known for taking a hands-off approach to overseeing the technology industry. Vestager praised the Biden administration’s stronger stance, which included oversight of antitrust trials against Google. In one case, the Justice Department is pushing for the internet giant’s breakup.
Vestager said the adoption of such a significant measure by a US regulator would have global repercussions and could alter industry behavior.
“We are in the business of deterrence,” she said. “And if we don’t occasionally use our most powerful tools, there will be no deterrence.”
Vestager said it was “very difficult to predict” how things might change under Trump, but highlighted how quickly technology industry leaders congratulated him on his election.
“Seeing how quickly technology leaders congratulated President-elect Trump made it clear that there was great hope that all of this would change,” he analyzed.
Vestager addressed the topic of online abuse she and other women have faced.
She said she avoided reading toxic comments on the Internet, highlighting that this has a dangerous impact on democracy, as many people, especially women, are being discouraged from participating in politics.
“There is an objective behind this: ‘You, woman, shut up. Go home. Stay still. We don’t want to hear from you,” he said. “I’ve heard countless young, talented, passionate, ambitious women say, ‘I don’t want this to be a part of my life.’”
Vestager said oversight of social media platforms is more important than ever.
According to her, a new European law, the Digital Services Act, gave European Union authorities essential new powers to regulate social media platforms. She explained that Internet companies do not always understand that European laws differ from those in the United States when it comes to what is considered illegal speech, including racism, anti-Semitism and terrorism-related content.
“If a platform is used to undermine democracy, well, then it clearly does not comply with the Digital Services Law,” he analyzed.
She said the new law was essential to deal with companies like X and Telegram, which did not take sufficient steps to monitor and remove harmful and illicit content from their platforms.
“I consider it completely legitimate for, for example, my home country, Denmark, to pass a law that makes hate speech illegal,” he declared. “What I consider illegitimate is not wanting to respect these laws.” Vestager said Musk’s closeness to Trump should not influence the regulation of his companies, including X, which is under investigation by the European Commission.
“One of the foundations of the European model is the rule of law and equal treatment, and this must apply to everyone”, he commented.
