🥵 We've got another scorching hot day in Brussels, it's the second week like this, and it's not even July yet. 🌬️But the discourse around air conditioning in Europe is skewed. We need a different approach. 🧊Cool is Progressive🇪🇺 progresschamber.org/insights/eur...

Bloomberg is reporting that Microsoft and Amazon are set to become designated as Gatekeepers under the EU's Digital Markets Act, the regime of ex-ante regulation of a handful of tech platforms. I've been working on the DMA for over five years, let me tell you what this means.

In his latest Most Favoured Nation newsletter, Sam Lowe highlights the recent US Section 301 trade investigation into German purchasing of pharmaceuticals and sees some potential parallels with respect to digital trade. It's an insightful piece that's worth looking at 👇

"What we are doing now is going to determine so much ... You either choose to take the side of the oppressor, or you actively take a stand." Inspiring conversation at the @techforpalestine.org event here in Brussels with special guest Greta Thunberg and host @paulbiggar.com.

Had the pleasure of a front row seat at today's GCR event in Brussels, with DMA head of unit Lucia Bonova and the fireside chat with Freshfields' Andreas von Bonin, and three statements on DMA enforcement really stood out. Let me share in case these seeds bear fruit.

Earlier this month Chamber of Progress' VP for Europe @kayjebelli.bsky.social spoke on the opening panel of the EU-Startups Summit about the challenges and opportunities related to the European Commission's proposal for a 28th corporate law regime, EU Inc.

I'm sorry but this is getting to be a bit of a farce. The Commission again putting pressure on Google to make changes to the search results page, threatening fines, but not actually offering guidance or clarification

“Such a far reaching intervention requires a much more calibrated feature-by-feature assessment. Unfortunately, this two-week consultation is far too short to get to the bottom of it,” says @kayjebelli.bsky.social Read our full statement here: progresschamber.org/news/europea...

European MEPs are raising the alarm in Europe, in what is another case of policy conflict making Europeans weaker, poorer, and more vulnerable. Here, we have AI safety policy (and some industrial policy) delaying Europeans' access to frontier AI cybersecurity capabilities

“The Commission’s decision to propose de-anonymising Europeans’ search data and giving it to Google’s rivals is an unprecedented breach of trust and user privacy,” said @kayjebelli.bsky.social Read our full statement here >> progresschamber.org/news/europea...

Tomorrow I'm traveling to Malta for the EU Startups Summit! I've got the privilege of speaking on the first panel on the 7th of May, on EU startup policy and the EU Inc. proposal. Let me know if you'll be there, I'd love to catch up over a coffee!

Another complaint against Google for AI Overviews, is Google going to have to withdraw AI Overviews from Europe? www.mlex.com/mlex/articl...

The Commission has dropped its 3-year review of the DMA and there's actually a lot to unpack here. 🟩 Focus on enforcement of existing rules 🟥 Dismissive of negative user impacts and compliance costs 🟩 Looking at procedural changes 🟥 Likely to designate new AI services 🧵⬇️

Reporter: What do you make of Republicans saying that Virginia— AOC: Wah wah wah. We have asked Republicans for 10 years to ban partisan gerrymandering. And for 10 years, Republicans have said no. What they’re just mad at is that they have been accustomed to a Democratic Party that rolls over.

If this narrative keeps playing out we're not going to see the kind of meaningful reform that we need in Europe in order to be a digitally competitive bloc. We're struck with two major fallacies here. www.mlex.com/mlex/articl...

Europe’s AI future depends on getting the balance right. The European Commission’s Digital Omnibus on AI is a step towards simpler, more innovation-friendly rules, but more work is needed.

Bold new direction on European competition enforcement against US tech? ... I don't think so. pro.politico.eu/news/215958

The European Parliament committee that helped draft the EU's Digital Markets Act regulating US big tech companies, has a resolution on DMA enforcement in advance of the EC's own statutory DMA review deadline, and it presents a challenge for the overstretched enforcer 👇

The European Commission announced its proposal for a 28th company law regime (“EU Inc”) today that will give startup founders the option of a single legal entity that can operate seamlessly across the 27 European Member States.

@Google.com and Hungarian publishers reportedly clashed today before the EU's highest court in a case with huge *potential* to define or even remake EU © law as plaintiffs urge; @Google.com argues the CJEU needn't and shouldn't.... 👀🧵⤵️

Google is making further changes to its search result page in Europe, in order to placate European Commission demands. It's been a long back and forth of shifting goalposts, but we might finally be nearing an end, with Google rivals coming out on top, and consumers losing out.

There's increasing focus these days in Brussels on "tech sovereignty" and the need to de-couple from the US. Lots of ways of doing this, lots of different approaches, some of which will escalate transatlantic tension more than others. "Buy European" mandates are a poor option.

Heard of EU-INC? Here's what it is: 🚀 A movement to make life easier for European companies to scale 💡 Entrepreneurs should be able to incorporate a business once be recognised everywhere 🇪🇺 28th regime could provide a single portal for founders to set up a business < 48hrs www.eu-inc.org/

“Brussels sorely misses a tech-optimistic vision of European success. We need to pierce the policymaking bubble because Europe can’t afford business as usual any longer.” - @kayjebelli.bsky.social Read our announcement and subscribe here >> progresschamber.org/news/chamber...

Really proud of this one. Let's bring some Builder energy to Brussels!

Good ex-ante news out of the UK today, with the CMA looking to accept commitments from Apple and Google under the DMCCA and their designation as SMS firms for Mobile Ecosystems. This means changes will happen sooner, and without extensive litigation. competitionandmarkets.blog.gov.uk/2026/02/10/...

Interesting story over in the US on how Finnish smart ring and digital health leader Oura is doing great things in the US.

US media didn't warn US voters loudly enough that Trump and Maga were out to create a kind of police state this time around. Thanks Pamela Moriniere @rtbf.be and @ifjglobal.bsky.social for the opportunity to hammer this point home.

Big competition law news coming out of Germany today, as the German BKA punishes Amazon for keeping prices on the platform low through various price control mechanisms.

European lawmakers can't seem to help themselves. They make laws, that's their job, it seems. So when even when there is massive political support (and necessity) for simplifying laws and reducing compliance burdens, European Parliamentarians can't seem to help themselves...

Big news for the regulation of market power out of the UK today, with the first Conduct Requirements proposed by the CMA against Google's Search services. So what's the UK focusing on, and has it learned from the mistakes of other authorities? Let's take a look 👇

The European Commission announced proceedings today against Google under the Digital Markets Act. These proceedings give the Commission broad powers to dictate how Google should comply with these obligations, and could force Google to share its technologies with competitors.

At the end of last week we got a bit more detail on exactly why Apple and other Gatekeepers are complaining about the DMA's "moving targets" and "shifting goalposts", and how these changing compliance standards could be a tactic to increase fines on US companies.

Avoiding escalation" is good messaging but probably the wrong move. Europe needs real threats, and potentially real actions, that will make US, and particularly Republican-leaning, voters and politicians abandon MAGA. www.euronews.com/my-europe/20...

X has a new “spicy mode” that allows users to create explicit images of people (mostly women and sometimes children) without their consent using the platform’s built-in AI model, Grok. The results are a slew of offensive, abusive, and potentially illegal content.

This is the first time Macron has retaliated so angrily against the provocations of his alleged "friend" Donald Trump. The policy of appeasement and flattery is breaking down.

Protecting the freedom of speech means protecting speech you disagree with as well. The Center for Countering Digital Hate, The Global Disinformation Index, and Hate Aid do important work protecting people and advancing the policy debate. Commissioner Breton led EU legislative work democratically.

In a move that seems to be designed to avoid scrutiny and the ire of the Trump administration, the Italian competition authority (AGCM) has concluded its competition investigation into Apple's privacy controls (ATT) with a nearly €100 million fine.

But we won't wait another 250 years.

Commission officials appear to be using public pressure to extract further concessions from Google, something we've seen in the past when it comes to DMA enforcement. Threat of fines and legal ambiguity used to extract commitments beyond the legal requirements.

The European Commission opened another front in its regulatory oversight of strategically significant digital markets. This time it's using competition tools to investigate Google's AI training. It's emblematic of the EC's unique approach to market power. bsky.app/profile/ec....

There are legitimate concerns with some of Europe's digital regulation, and its enforcement, some of it overextends and has unintended consequences, harming the European digital economy and making things worse for users. But Musk's attacks on the DSA are unwarranted.

European enforcers have a lot of tools to go after deceptive design, it's good to see them being used finally. ec.europa.eu/commission/p...

In further European antitrust news, EC Competition Commissioner Ribera warns that Google break-up is still on the table.

Europe competition authorities are going to war against privacy! Wait what? No, you didn't misread. Several competition authorities are deep into investigations against Apple's "App Tracking Transparency" (ATT) measures, designed to protect and empower users vs malicious apps

This one flew under the radar last week, but it's significant. Competition Commissioner hits back at Tech Companies for Negative Impacts of the DMA Now let me break it down 👇 (Reporting on Mlex)

The EU's trade-woes are heating up this week, as US/EU negotiators quarrelled over some familiar issues left unresolved from the summer's trade deal. The EU wants lower steel and aluminium tariffs, the US wants the EU to stop discriminating against US tech companies.

The EU's trade-woes are heating up this week, as US/EU negotiators quarrelled over some familiar issues left unresolved from the summer's trade deal. The EU wants lower steel and aluminium tariffs, the US wants the EU to stop discriminating against US tech companies.

New competition enforcement news out of Italy, but is it really competition enforcement? and why Italy? Just another example of how the DMA has failed

“The Commission’s focus on simplification will help consumers and businesses reap the benefits of the digital economy. This is great news." - @kayjebelli.bsky.social Read our full statement here >> progresschamber.org/europes-omni...