"The challenge in making the switch is not that the solutions are not available, but mainly the question of political will to take responsibility." www.politico.eu/article/euro...

The problem with Europe’s Big Tech breakup: It’s still hooked

Thanks to Trump, EU governments are trying to break their overreliance on U.S. technology. It won’t be cheap or easy.

politico.eu

🚨BREAKING Research with @algorithmwatch.org shows how the EU Commission has copy-pasted a Microsoft amendment that will keep information on data centres hidden. The aim? In the face of growing resistance, to prevent NGOs from obtaining key information. 👏 @investigate-europe.eu for investigating

Copy, paste, govern | Corporate Europe Observatory

The EU Commission’s policy on data centres keeps information on individual centres' energy and water use under wraps. Research now reveals the Commission copied and pasted an amendment suggested by Mi...

corporateeurope.org

Like having an arsonist at a fire safety convention? A former Meta chief lobbyist was appointed by the @eppgroup.bsky.social as rapporteur for a key digital law which critics say will benefit Big Tech. Comments @aurasalla.bsky.social @yverougstraete.bsky.social @saramatthieu.bsky.social

Ex-Meta lobbyist put in charge of EU's digital rules: 'Tech oligarchy writing its own rulebook'

Pressure is growing to drop the appointment of a former Meta lobbyist, elected as an MEP in 2024, from a file which could rewrite the EU's regulation of US tech giants.

brusselstimes.com

👏Green MEP Sara Mathieu is now asking for former Meta lobbyist Aura Salla to step down as ITRE rapporteur of the Digital Omnibus.

Ugo A Realfonzo@ugorealfonzo.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Like having an arsonist at a fire safety convention? A former Meta chief lobbyist was appointed by the @eppgroup.bsky.social as rapporteur for a key digital law which critics say will benefit Big Tech. Comments @aurasalla.bsky.social @yverougstraete.bsky.social @saramatthieu.bsky.social

"Putting a former Meta lobbyist in charge of rewriting Europe's privacy rules – the so-called GDPR – is unacceptable" www.brusselstimes.com/1992574/ex-m...

Ex-Meta lobbyist put in charge of EU's digital rules: 'Tech oligarchy writing its own rulebook'

Pressure is growing to drop the appointment of a former Meta lobbyist, elected as an MEP in 2024, from a file which could rewrite the EU's regulation of US tech giants.

brusselstimes.com

A former Big Tech lobbyist as rapporteur for the Digital Omnibus, a legislative package on digital rules. Does that sound right to you?

📣 Together with other watchdog organisations we have today issued a call to withdraw Aura Salla’s appointment as Digital Omnibus rapporteur. Appointing a former Meta lobbyist to oversee the revision of digital regulations raises serious concerns regarding the undue influence of Big Tech. 🧵

Watchdog organisations issue call to withdraw Aura Salla’s appointment as Digital Omnibus rapporteur | Corporate Europe Observatory

Aura Salla, a former Meta lobbyist who is now an MEP, was appointed rapporteur of the Digital Omnibus. In an open letter, seven watchdog organisations are calling on the ITRE coordinators to withdraw ...

corporateeurope.org

In an open letter, we have joined other organizations in calling for Aura Salla’s appointment as Digital Omnibus rapporteur to be withdrawn. 👇 /1

Big Tech is deploying a powerful lobby playbook that Big Tobacco and Big Oil could only dream of. 💥 From shaping the policy-making environment to weaponising their own platforms, their strategies are unrivalled; and they're working. 🚨 Read our analysis: www.somo.nl/presenting-t...

Presenting the Big Tech Lobby Playbook - SOMO

Across continents and political systems, Big Tech has deployed a clear playbook when it comes to lobbying to protect its business interests.

somo.nl

🤯 The MEP Aura Salla, a former Meta lobbyist, will be leading the Digital Omnibus. The Digital Omnibus already closely mirrors Big Tech lobby demands. Now a former Meta lobbyist will be in charge of the largest roll-back of digital rights in the EU’s history 😳 corporateeurope.org/en/2026/01/a...

Article by article, how Big Tech shaped the EU’s roll-back of digital rights | Corporate Europe Observatory

In a new analysis we trace Big Tech's fingerprints on the Digital Omnibus proposals - a major deregulation of EU digital laws including the GDPR and the AI Act. They are helped in this attempt by the ...

corporateeurope.org

Big news: the European Commission has told Meta that its exclusion of rival AI assistants from WhatsApp is anti-competitive, and ordered it to reverse the policy. This is very fast by the EC's standards; the original investigation was only opened in December. ec.europa.eu/commission/p...

Commission notifies Meta of possible interim measures to reverse exclusion of third-party AI assistants from WhatsApp

The European Commission has sent a Statement of Objections to Meta, setting out its preliminary view that Meta breached EU antitrust rules by excluding third party Artificial Intelligence (‘AI\') assi...

ec.europa.eu

Bundeskartellamt prohibits Amazon from applying so-called price control mechanisms and orders the disgorgement of 59 million euros in economic benefits www.bundeskartellamt.de/SharedDocs/M...

We've updated our Big Tech M&A tracker! The new data reveals that: 🔎 Acquisitions by Big Tech firms Microsoft, Alphabet, Meta, Apple, and Amazon increased by 30% in 2025 🔎 Big Tech is positioning itself as a key actor in the future of AI, with 15 of those acquisitions being AI-related. (1/3)

CEO has uncovered a new astroturfing organization by Big Tech: EU Tech Loop is a project by CCC Europe, a lobby group funded by Google and Meta. EU Tech Loop publishes articles on the Euronews website that closely echo the views of Big Tech. 👇

Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO)@corporateeurope.org · 6mo ago

🤳 Open phone for one thing. 1h later, you remember it again, after feeling your brain melted by doomscrolling and brainrot. That’s not a personal failure — it’s by design. The EU wants to curb it. Big Tech is #lobbying hard to keep you hooked. 👀 our new report 👇 corporateeurope.org/en/2026/02/a...

🤳 Open phone for one thing. 1h later, you remember it again, after feeling your brain melted by doomscrolling and brainrot. That’s not a personal failure — it’s by design. The EU wants to curb it. Big Tech is #lobbying hard to keep you hooked. 👀 our new report 👇 corporateeurope.org/en/2026/02/a...

Important analysis by Table.Media: The second Von der Leyen Commission’s focus on competitiveness is reflected in its more intensive contact with company representatives. Meetings with US companies are predominant. /1 table.media/en/europe/fe...

Lobby contacts: Second VDL Commission has more frequent meetings with companies

The second Von der Leyen Commission’s focus on competitiveness is reflected in its more intensive contact with company representatives. Meetings with US companies are predominant.

table.media

💌 This Valentine’s, Europe is getting mail. A lot of it. Hundreds of Valentine’s cards are on their way to the European Commission, all carrying the same message: Break up with Big Tech, stop cheating on EU citizens.

Send a Valentine Card and tell the EU: Break Up with Big Tech! bigtech.wemove.postbug.app/en Great postcard action from @wemoveeurope.bsky.social

Tell the EU: Break Up with Big Tech!

Right now, EU leaders are finalising a text that could decide whether Europe protects its people's data and safety online - or lets Big Tech off the hook. So today, we’re sending Valentine’s cards str...

bigtech.wemove.postbug.app

"Contrary to the Commission's official press release, these changes are not “maintaining the highest level of personal data protection”, but massively lower protections for Europeans. ... The proposed changes are a gift to US big tech" noyb.eu/en/digital-o... #GDPR #DigitalOmnibus #StandUpUrsula

Digital Omnibus: EU Commission wants to wreck core GDPR principles

The EU Commission has published its proposal for the "Digital Omnibus". The planned changes to the GDPR would lower protections for Europeans

noyb.eu

Ursula! Stand up for Europe – not for Trump’s tech bros! #StandUpUrsula Deregulation will not solve our dependence on Big Tech! On the contrary, effective rules are needed to limit the power of Big Tech. It's time to fight back and break up Big Tech!

People Vs Big Tech@peoplevsbigtech.eurosky.social · 9mo ago

🚨 Brussels, today 🚨Ursula! Stand up for Europe – not for Trump’s tech bros! As the EU unveils its “Digital Omnibus” today, we're rolling out billboards calling on @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu to stop bending to US and Big Tech pressure and enforce our digital laws #StandUpUrsula✊

🚨 Brussels, today 🚨Ursula! Stand up for Europe – not for Trump’s tech bros! As the EU unveils its “Digital Omnibus” today, we're rolling out billboards calling on @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu to stop bending to US and Big Tech pressure and enforce our digital laws #StandUpUrsula✊

🚨 Brussels, today 🚨 Ursula! Fight for Europe – not for Trump’s tech bros. Today, as the EU caves to pressure from Trump & Big Tech, campaigners in Brussels call on @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu to stand up for Europe and enforce our digital laws ✊#StandUpUrusla

If the EU is to become truly independent, it must withstand pressure from both Big Tech and the Trump administration. Instead of weakening rules such as the DMA, DSA, AI Act and GDPR, it must defend them with all its might. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/t... ‪

Europe Begins Rethinking Its Crackdown on Big Tech

nytimes.com

Very promising news as the European Commission moves towards bringing Big Tech’s cloud arms under the Digital Markets Act, as long called for by @openmarkets.bsky.social. Cloud alternatives won’t take off until we loosen the hyperscalers’ chokehold on the market. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

EU Considers Cracking Down on Big Tech's Cloud Power

Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Corp.’s Azure, and Alphabet Inc.’s Google Cloud risk being dragged into the scope of the European Union’s crackdown on Big Tech as antitrust watchdogs prepare to study t...

bloomberg.com

🗞️ "In this moment of crisis, #Europe should not cripple its best weapon against #US tech dominance, but enforce its laws, defend its sovereignty, create the space for innovation, and prove that democracy can tame Silicon Valley." Read more 👉 www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

The EU has let US tech giants run riot. Diluting our data law will only entrench their power | Johnny Ryan and Georg Riekeles

The GDPR is Europe’s defence against digital oligarchy and child harm. Deregulation plans are misguided, say Johnny Ryan and Georg Riekeles

theguardian.com

New report by @BEUC: Increased consumer choice after eighteen months of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) www.beuc.eu/news/first-b... But the Commission needs to take enforcement to "the next level" to ensure that gatekeepers comply fully.

First bloom: new report shows increased consumer choice after eighteen months of the Digital Markets Act

In July 2025, the European Commission opened a consultation to gather feedback on the impact and effectiveness of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and its ability to face emerging challenges. Our review ...

beuc.eu

Scoop: We obtained vast amounts of European mobile phone location data from data brokers. It was allegedly collected for advertising purposes only, but can be used to spy on high-ranking EU officials & NATO staff in Brussels. The Commission is 'concerned' & issued new security guidance to its staff.

Databroker Files: Targeting the EU

Precise locations and revealing movement patterns: the mobile phone location data of millions of people in the EU is up for sale. Collected supposedly only for advertising purposes, this data can also...

netzpolitik.org

Tech companies now spend €151m a year on lobbying in Brussels — a 33-percent increase on 2023. With the backing of the US government, they hope to push the EU Commission while it's looking towards simplifying its digital regulations.

Big Tech lobbying of Brussels now €151m a year, new study finds

Tech companies now spend €151m a year on lobbying in Brussels — a 33-percent increase on 2023. With the backing of the US government, they hope to push the EU Commission while it's looking towards simplifying its digital regulations.

euobserver.com

Tech firms are spending more than ever on lobbying the European Union amid mounting opposition to the bloc’s digital rules, according to new analysis.

Big Tech ups lobbying firepower, €€ in Brussels

American tech companies have piled into EU capital with bigger budgets and beefed-up teams.

politico.eu

The tech industry has significantly increased its lobbying efforts within the EU. Our latest analysis of the EU lobby register: 🇩🇪 www.lobbycontrol.de/macht-der-di... 🇬🇧 corporateeurope.org/en/2025/10/b... via @corporateeurope.org