The key driver of the EU’s onslaught against American tech companies is not concern for the welfare of ordinary Europeans; it is the lobbying power of protectionist German businesses. Rather than try to protect its digital flops, Germany should practice what it preaches and make the difficult reforms it needs to raise its game.
LONDON – American tech companies are under unprecedented attack by European Union regulators. The European Commission has charged Google with abusing its near-monopoly over Internet search in the EU to favor its own shopping services. It has also opened a probe of Google’s Android mobile operating system. And, as part of its just-announced “Digital Single Market Strategy,” the Commission is calling for a comprehensive investigation of the role of (mostly American) Internet platforms, such as social networks and app stores.
LONDON – American tech companies are under unprecedented attack by European Union regulators. The European Commission has charged Google with abusing its near-monopoly over Internet search in the EU to favor its own shopping services. It has also opened a probe of Google’s Android mobile operating system. And, as part of its just-announced “Digital Single Market Strategy,” the Commission is calling for a comprehensive investigation of the role of (mostly American) Internet platforms, such as social networks and app stores.