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An EU MP who will lead the EU’s main technology regulation through the European Parliament has said it needs to focus on the five largest technology companies in the US.
Andreas Schwab, a German MEP and longtime critic of Google, spoke after France and Germany called on the EU to be tougher on Big Tech. He said Google, Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Microsoft were “the biggest problems” for EU competition policy.
“Let’s look first at the biggest problems, the biggest bottles. Let’s go down the line – one, two, three, four, five – and maybe six with Alibaba, ”he told the Financial Times.
“But let’s not start with the number 7, please enter the European goalkeeper [US president Joe] Biden, ”he added.
The EU defines “gateway” companies across several countries, which have a significant impact on the market and associate a large number of users with large numbers of businesses.
It is likely that his stance is anti-American, with the EU looking to rebuild transatlantic ties.
Schwab is also part of the EPP, a strong political alliance, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Last December, Brussels unveiled a plan to tackle the strength of the Big Tech market. It specified the revenue and market shares that the new regulations would receive Specify 20 companies as a “gatekeeper”, including EU-based companies such as Booking.com.
But in a new report to be released on Monday, Schwab called for higher market capitalization thresholds of 100 billion euros, up from more than 65 billion euros in the original proposals and 10 billion euros in the last three financial years. 6.5 million.
He also defined a gatekeeper as a company that offers “two or more basic services,” meaning that platforms like Booking, which mostly offer only one service, would not fall within the scope.
“Scope of scope [Digital Markets Act] they should be clearly targeted at these companies because of their size and impact on the domestic market, as they play an undoubted role as goalkeepers, ”the report said.
Schwabe also said that large online platforms need to be more transparent about ways to make money with online advertising. He described the business model as a “big black hole” and added that transparency was the key to promoting competition on the continent.
His report, while not binding, is highly anticipated in Brussels, as it sets the tone for months of heated debate over the law on digital markets.
Last week, in France, Germany and the Netherlands He called on the European Commission Implement even tougher anti-Big Tech rules to prevent small businesses from killing competition.
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