William Gallagher
EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager says breaking up tech giants like Apple and Google, could have unintended consequences and legal ramifications.
As the European Union continues to plan greater taxation and restrictions on big technology firms, its chief antitrust enforcer says plans to break them up would be "doable," but risky.
"I don't think it is something that should be introduced in this legislation," EU digital policy and antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager told The Information. "And I think one should be very careful with that type of remedy because one should be very sure how it would actually work."
"It would tie you up in court for a very, very long time," she continued. "I think it's important we try these routes first with the platforms."
However, Vestager comments come as other EU officials have indicated that they would welcome breaking up these companies. They include Thierry Breton, the EU's Internal Market Commissioner, who has previously pressured Tim Cook over the privacy aspects of Apple's coronavirus contact tracing.
Malcolm Owen
Charles Martin
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13 Comments
The "consequences and ramifications" are connected to the fact that many of the issues discussed per big tech also exist in other sectors of business without sanction.
Not just that, but the success of a lot of these tools is the integration that comes with being part of a big company. Separate these out, and these tools often become less useful and less desirable.
What about breaking up the largest cartel in the world, the EU?
The EU is a boat lost in the sea of technology. Trying to control the waves with bureaucracy
This EU is about as two-faced as it gets.