To enforce the Digital Markets Act), the EU-Commission is again organizing public workshops to gather feedback from businesses & consumers affected by Big Tech's power. The workshops are an important tool to include citizens' voices in the enforcement of EU laws. Following our criticism, the Commission is now insisting that all participants in the workshops disclose any links to tech companies. In this way, it can prevent opaque, one-sided influence. What a success for transparency in the EU!
Max Bank
Lobbying in the EU · Big Tech · Anti-Monopoly · Trade Policy · NGO · Transparency @lobbyctrl_tech
Max Bank boosted:
The European Commission's former chief competition economist Pierre Régibeau has recently joined Analysis Group, an economic consultancy that assists large corporations such as Apple in fighting competition cases. Régibeau's move raises questions about the Commission's measures to prevent conflicts of interest. https://www.ftm.eu/newsletters/bureau-brussels-price-special-advice
"Anti-Google groups petition EU to break up tech giant." https://www.politico.eu/article/anti-google-petition-eu-demand-break-up-tech-giant-alphabet-digital-technology-monopoly/
Max Bank boosted:
#Goodnews: Advocate-general recommended the European Court of Justice to uphold the 4.1 billion EUR fine against #Google for abuse of a dominant position in Android.
https://curia.social-network.europa.eu/@Curia/114709096136032575
Today, we went to Brussels with more than 116.000 signatures to demand a break-up of Google's monopoly power. With signing our petition, EU citizens have sent a clear signal to Competition Commissioner Ribera: The EU's competition authority should go for a break-up in its ongoing Google-Adtech case. The decision is in the Google/Adtech case is expected to happen soon. The EU's competition authority DG Competition should take bold action.
Economic consultancies are quite involved in the world of EU lobbying: They submit expert papers to competition authorities, organise panels and write policy reports. If they are lobbying, they should be in the transparency register. But some are not, like RBB Economics. We have filed a complaint to the transparency register secretariat and hope RBB will dislose more on its acitivities in the future.
Lobby pressure on EU regulation is increasing. German Chancellor Merz should make clear in his meeting with Trump in Washington today that EU rules such as tech regulation are not on the table for a deal in the current trade conflict.
To start a program of "regulatory cooperation" could mean the same thing, as regulatory cooperation provides privileged access to corporate lobbyists. So regulatory cooperation should not be on the table either.
https://www.lobbycontrol.de/handelspolitik/transatlantische-handelsbeziehungen-spielball-der-konzernlobby-121262/
Trump has started a trade war. Behind the scenes, corporations are trying to use the debate to advocate for their interests & to argue for a deregulation agenda in the EU. Meanwhile, Trade Commissioner Šefčovič only meets business lobbyists, no civil society, no trade unions, no consumer organisations.
https://www.lobbycontrol.de/handelspolitik/transatlantische-handelsbeziehungen-spielball-der-konzernlobby-121262/
Max Bank boosted:
Google is too powerful. The tech monopoly abuses its market power and undermines diversity and democracy in the internet and beyond. Europe can and should break up Google!
Our joint petition with @rebalance_now to break up Google gains increasing support, including from organisations. Among them: @algorithmwatch, Balanced Economy Project, @digitalcourage,
@goliathwatch,
@openmarkets & taxmenow.
Jointly, we'll build up pressure, so the EU acts and breaks up Google!
https://www.lobbycontrol.de/macht-der-digitalkonzerne/das-google-monopol-zerschlagen-120865/
Max Bank boosted:
In a historic win for data protection and privacy, the High Court of Ireland has this afternoon granted ICCL permission to take Ireland’s first ever class action. The lawsuit targets Microsoft’s vast online advertising business.
The litigation is anticipated to affect Microsoft’s operations across Europe, because Ireland is the venue of Microsoft’s EU headquarters.
Dr Johnny Ryan, Director of ICCL’s Enforce unit, is leading the case. Speaking after the hearing, he said:
“The significance of today's decision extends beyond just Microsoft. Ireland is also the HQ venue for Google, Meta, TikTok, X and Apple. Today, nine years and one day after the GDPR was first introduced, we are finally opening up a way to enforce it against big tech on behalf of everyone. Regrettably, the Ireland’s Data Protection Commission has paralysed enforcement of EU data law. But that need no longer be the case.”
The litigation follows research by ICCL Enforce that uncovered how people’s intimate relationships, finances, and other secrets, are broadcast by Microsoft into the Real-Time Bidding (RTB) advertising system. Microsoft’s RTB system operates behind the scenes on websites and apps to match advertising to specific people.
ICCL argues this system is exposing users to malicious profiling and discrimination. It also argues that the system is undermining European security.
ICCL is taking the legal action on behalf of all affected people in Ireland under the new EU Collective Redress Directive. The organisation hopes to force Microsoft to bring its systems into compliance with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Posing as a data buyer, ICCL Enforce obtained thousands of RTB data “segments” about Irish people. These include information such as whether a person gambles, their finances and debt, and even such sensitive information as whether the person works in a sensitive national security role.
https://www.iccl.ie/digital-data/iccl-secures-permission-to-take-irelands-first-ever-class-action/
#ICCL #privacy #adtech #peopleFarming #surveillance #capitalism #BigTech #microsoft #classAction #lawsuit #Ireland #EU #RTB #GDPR
Max Bank boosted:
Big Tech should have no place at a conference on data protection and privacy — especially not as sponsors who gain influence over its content. Together with @corporateeurope, we call on #CPDP25 to end its reliance on Big Tech sponsorship. Instead, alternative sources of funding should be sought.
https://corporateeurope.org/en/2025/05/cpdp-2025-big-tech-sponsorship-undermines-integrity-eu-data-protection-conference
Max Bank boosted:
Over 12,000 people have already joined our call to break up Google. The tech monopoly is too powerful, abuses its power, the tech oligarchs exert dubious influence. The EU must take action now. Sign our petition & join our fight to break up Google's monopoly:
https://www.lobbycontrol.de/macht-der-digitalkonzerne/das-google-monopol-zerschlagen-120865/
Max Bank boosted:
EU Commission’s most powerful department is set for shake-up this Friday.
Among other changes, the Secretariat General gets two new units: ‘External Economic Policies’ and ‘Tech Sovereignty’ 👍🇪🇺💫
Max Bank boosted:
More than 20.000 people support a bold and consistent #DMA enforcement. Today we went to Brussels to handover our petition for a strong DMA to DG Comp.
The DMA can only be properly enforced if it has the necessary resources at hand. It is time to strengthen Europe's tech rules against big tech's monopoly power!
Thanks @corporateeurope for your support.
Enforcing our rules is key. The #DMA can only be properly enforced if it has the necessary ressources at hand. On our way to Brussels to hand over more than 20.000 signatures to the Commission asking for bold and consistent DMA enforcement
On my way to Brussels for discussions on how we will stop corporate capture and the deregulatory wave in the EU. We need #rulestoprotect us. #DMA #DSA #REACH #CSDDD
Max Bank boosted:
Despite incredible lobby pressure from Big Tech & the Trump administration, the Commission has today fined Meta & Apple for non-compliance with the DMA.
At the same time, the corporate takeover in the US is an urgent reminder to tackle Big Tech's monopoly power now more than ever.
We encourage the Comission to continue with enforcing digital rules & to use other means to tackle Big Tech monopoly power. The time to break up of Google is now.
https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-fines-apple-meta-breaking-europe-digital-markets-act-dma/
Max Bank boosted:
The US ruled against Google's monopoly. Europe should do the same. We count on the European Commission and Competition Commissioner
@teresaribera
https://www.ft.com/content/2b78019f-dc5b-4c59-897d-e90406898fe6
Max Bank boosted:
"Europe's tech and digital sectors will see a policy paper on the EU’s global digital strategy issued on May 6 [..]. The paper will explain how reinforcing EU’s security, tech sovereignty, democracy and competitiveness require efforts both in internal markets and with international partners" https://www.mlex.com/mlex/technology/articles/2318343
Max Bank boosted:
Holy shit, I thought I knew how evil the #SurveillanceAds industry was but here we are:
Two-thirds of European websites just ignore your #cookie choice and track you anyways, researchers from #ETHzurich found. 🤯
https://www.usenix.org/system/files/sec23winter-prepub-107-bouhoula.pdf
#privacy #TrackingFreeAds #consent #gdpr #ePrivacy #BanSurveillanceAdvertising
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