Open Markets Institute and Partners Press the EU to Hold Strong against Trump Threats to Protect Digital Sovereignty

BRUSSELS - Open Markets Institute’s Europe Director Max von Thun, in collaboration with partners European Policy Centre and Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, has published a policy briefing urging European Union leaders to strengthen their resolve in tackling Big Tech despite increasing pressure from the new Trump administration and US tech billionaires. The briefing, titled "Doubling down, not backing down: defending the EU's digital sovereignty in the Trump era," calls for a more aggressive enforcement paradigm to address the root causes of Big Tech dominance. 

The analysis warns that backing down on tech enforcement in the face of U.S. threats would be "not only a huge tactical blunder but also a dangerous surrender of Europe's fundamental values." Instead, the authors advocate for making full use of the EU's existing regulatory powers while considering bolder measures to protect European democracy, markets, and sovereignty. 

The briefing explores three specific tools that the European Commission should consider leveraging. First, the Commission should impose access restrictions to block Big Tech’s access to EU markets if necessary. Second, the Commission should leverage antitrust tools, including corporate breakups, to tackle Big Tech’s market power at its roots. Lastly, the EU’s Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI) should be deployed in response to U.S. attempts to undermine enforcement of EU laws.  

The briefing also outlines six broader actions the EU should take to strengthen enforcement: 

• Understanding the True Nature of the Threat: Recognize tech monopolies as political actors that pose direct threats to Europe's sovereignty, security, and democratic institutions; 

• Breaking Down Silos: Eliminate institutional barriers between different EU departments and regulators to enable coordinated, holistic enforcement actions against Big Tech; 

• Scaling Up Resources: Rapidly increase financial and human resources allocated to tech enforcement, including through supervisory levies or digital service taxes; 

• Mobilizing Civil Society: Engage proactively with think tanks, consumer rights organizations, and digital rights activists to strengthen the "tech control" ecosystem. 

• Building Political Commitment: Foster strong political will across EU institutions, including through a dedicated parliamentary committee dedicated to monitoring the tech monopoly threat. 

• Strengthening Global Alliances: Form coalitions with like-minded governments to develop joint policy solutions and joint responses to U.S. intimidation. 

The Open Markets Institute has published extensively about the growing threat of market concentration in the technology sector and the dangers it poses to democracy and free speech in Europe, the United States and beyond. OMI has written extensively about the threat of market concentration in artificial intelligence, and recently submitted observations to the European Commission calling for the divestment of Google’s adtech business and a full investigation into Nvidia’s merger of Run:ai. In addition, Europe Director Max von Thun has led efforts to ensure the EU holds firm in the face of threats by Big Tech and by the US, publishing commentary in the Financial Times and EU Observer.