EU Reappoints Top Antitrust Cop Who Led Crackdown on Tech Giants

In a surprise move, the new European Commission has reappointed Margrethe Vestager to be its antitrust chief. From a report: As Europe's chief of competition, Vestager has over the past several years led a crusade against many of the biggest U.S. tech companies for abuses of power. But following recent elections for the European Parliament and the selection of a new European Commission, Vestager's term was expected to come to an end. Instead, it seems her mission will continue and has expanded to include a project called "Europe fit for the digital age," though not many details were offered about the new brief. "Digitalization has a huge impact on the way we live, work, and communicate," EC President-elect Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement on Vestager's role. "In some fields, Europe has to catch up -- like for business to consumers -- while in others we are frontrunners -- such as in business to business. We have to make our single market fit for the digital age, we need to make the most of artificial intelligence and big data, we have to improve on cybersecurity, and we have to work hard for our technological sovereignty."

In a surprise move?

[nospam007]

Speak for yourself.

In the EU, nobody was surprised, everybody was delighted.

Re:

[mwvdlee]

Yup. As a EU citizen, there is much to complain about EU politics. Digital antitrust is not one of them.

Re:

[jwymanm]

As a "North American citizen" (wtf) I find it to be just money grab after money grab, aka tech leader tax, and a complete ignorance of freedom of Internet with all of the EU censorship and protection initiatives. This is purely an us vs them power strike. I get it, Google and Apple are everywhere. They also employ people everywhere and contribute significant developments in science and technology.

Re:

[kuromaru]

well, depends... what do you mean by "EU censorship and protection initiatives"? yes, there are some stupid bills (the whole article 15 ordeal...), but EU has made a few steps in the right direction. as much as people (weirdly, it's mostly americans i see complaining about it O.o) don't like GDPR, it did bring some protections to users and actual punishment to the companies for not complying. the whole "the right to be forgotten" thing is silly, yes. but it turns out it wasn't the end of the internet as we

No suprise

[Martin S.]

It is also no surprise that most of the global players have been called out for illegally manipulating the EU Withdrawal referendum in the UK.

https://www.parliament.uk/busi... [parliament.uk]

Crackdown?

[SirAstral]

What Crackdown? I have not seen, nor hear, nor learned of any kind of crackdown against a Tech Giant.

I have however, seen a few lazy runs at them, some generous hand slapping, an ever so stern *talking to*... would you be referring to those by chance?

Still vice-president as well?

[Carewolf]

Is that a demotion of the role as one of two vice-presidents she was expected to be?

Anyway. Good stuff. We need active and competent policians with massive balls in that role

loaded?

[GNious]

Damn, MsSmash, that post isn't loaded at all, nu-uh...