The EU legislator who will lead the EU’s regulatory framework through a European parliament has said it should look at the top five US companies.
Andreas Schwab, Germany’s MEP and longtime Google critic, spoke after France and Germany both called on the EU to be strong on Big Tech. He said Google, Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Microsoft, were “the biggest challenges” in EU competition.
“Let’s look first at the big problems, the big problems. Let’s get down to the line – one, two, three, four, five – and maybe six with Alibaba, ”he told the Financial Times.
“But let’s not start with number 7 just to add a European gatekeeper just to please him [US president Joe] Biden, “he added.
The EU defines “gateway” companies as those who travel to a number of countries, have a significant impact on the market, and connect many users to many businesses.
His role should be seen as an antitrust against America, at a time when the EU is focused on rebuilding transatlantic regimes.
Schwab is part of the EPP, a strong political coalition whose members include German chancellor Angela Merkel and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission.
Last December Brussels unveiled its approach to the Big Tech electronics market. The new rules set out the currency and potential market segments describe up to 20 companies such as “gate keepers”, including companies located in the EU, such as Booking.com.
But in a new report, which is due to be published on Monday, Schwab demanded an additional $ 100bn in market capitalization, not only $ 65bn at first glance, but a return of € 10bn over the past three years, not € 6.5bn.
He also said that a gate guard is a company that provides “two or more basic services”, meaning that platforms such as Storage, which provide a single function, cannot collapse.
“The growth of [Digital Markets Act] should focus on these companies, which perform an unparalleled role as a gatekeeper because of its size and impact on the domestic market, ”the report said.
Separately, Schwab said major online platforms should be forced to make it clear how they make money from online advertising. He described the type of business as a “big black hole”, adding that monitoring was a key factor in promoting competition in the country.
His report, while not binding, has been widely anticipated in Brussels as it appears to have settled the dispute for several months over heated debates over the Digital Markets Act.
Last week, France, Germany and the Netherlands summoned the European Commission imposing stricter laws against Big Tech to prevent them from getting small companies to kill the competition.
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