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/

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/

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

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

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/

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’ 👍🇪🇺💫

#DefendDemocracy #BigTech #EuroStack

https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/exclusive-european-commissions-most-powerful-department-set-for-shake-up/

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

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/

#DMA #breakupgoogle

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

#breakupbigtech

"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

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

Meta spends now 10k € on lobbying in Brussels. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has made it clear he wants to challenge EU digital rules like the #DSA and #DMA. We will keep an eye on Meta's lobbying and defend our digital rules. https://www.lobbyfacts.eu/datacard/facebook-ireland-limited?rid=28666427835-74

What can we do to save US democracy? One thing you should do is send a clear signal to the US and ban X from the EU market, says Barry Lynn @ Open Markets Institute. Musk repeatedly tried to undermine our democracy with his platform. He will continue to do so. This needs to have consequences.

US Big Tech lobby pressure on EU rules is growing. We call on the incoming German government to decisively reject attacks on EU tech regulation & to support enforcement of digital regulation in Brussels.
https://www.lobbycontrol.de/macht-der-digitalkonzerne/neue-bundesregierung-muss-starke-eu-techregeln-unterstuetzen-120100/
#DMA #DSA

We hope that the inter-relations between Huawei's lobby office in Brussels and the offices in key EU member states like Germany are taken into account in the ongoing corruption and bribery investigations, too. For market access in Europe, Berlin is a key lobby hot spot for chinese tech. #HuaweiGate

Important signal: due to the ongoing corruption scandal investigation, Huawei lobbyists have been banned from the European Parliament according to @spiegel. We hope this ban covers all EU institutions and includes lobby meetings outside the institutions. https://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/netzpolitik/huawei-lobbyisten-wegen-bestechungsvorwuerfen-vorlaeufig-aus-dem-eu-parlament-verbannt-a-6045e05a-b122-4f4d-be73-9e5173e1537d?sara_ref=re-so-app-sh #HuaweiGate

Huawei's lobbyists in Brussels are potentially involved in a massive lobby and corruption scandal. They should lose their access to the European Parliament. The Parliament should withdraw Huawei's lobby badges now.