By Invitation | Policing tech giants

A whack-a-mole approach to big tech won’t do, says Europe’s antitrust chief

Margrethe Vestager insists that openness need not come at the expense of security 

Illustration: Dan Williams

AS DIGITISATION HAS progressed, we have seen power become increasingly concentrated in the hands of a small number of companies, much like the period that spawned the first antitrust laws in the late 19th century. Digital markets are particularly susceptible to concentration.

We have seen a lot. One example is digital giants pushing their own services on the platforms they control, while making it difficult for consumers to find rival services. Years of experience in antitrust enforcement showed us that this held back innovation and growth of new business models, to the detriment of citizens and society as a whole.

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