Lower thirds:

00:02 Tessa Walther, DW Correspondent
00:33 J. Scott Marcus | Associate Senior Research Fellow CEPS
01:28 J. Scott Marcus | Associate Senior Research Fellow CEPS

Script:

00.00 

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++++Tessa Walther, DW Correspondent++++

Europe may not be the world’s biggest tech innovator, but it is its biggest regulator. Rolling out a raft of laws in recent years, designed to limit big tech’s power. 

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The Digital Markets Act, or DMA, aims to level the playing field—so online businesses of all sizes can compete fairly. 

It joins the Digital Services Act, which targets illegal or harmful content, while protecting freedom of expression. 

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The rules were designed with the biggest tech players in mind—companies like Meta and Apple. 

00.31 

+++J. Scott Marcus, Associate Senior Research Fellow CEPS+++ 

The laws that were put in place, DMA, DSA, are not there for protectionist reasons. But more it was that the companies these online platforms have become so crucial to the basic life of all Europeans that it's necessary to make sure that they operate within a certain defined framework. 

00.51 

If the major platforms don’t comply, they could face stiff penalties. EU regulators can fine them up to 20 percent of their annual global turnover or even force them to break up parts of their business. 

01:03

So, how effective has it been so far? 

Under the DMA, Google can no longer prioritize its own services—like Google Flights—at the top of search results. It now has to give competitors equal visibility. 

And under the DSA, platforms like X have added tools for users to report illegal content. 

01:22

So, will that be enough to protect European consumers from US monopolies? 

01.25 

+++J. Scott Marcus, Associate Senior Research Fellow CEPS+++ 

There's a lot of good tools in the toolbox now, and I think there's also a willingness to apply them when needed. How good they will collectively be in practice. I would still say we'll have to see from experience. These are all new tools, but I'd say that it's very promising. 

01.43 ((PTC))

But with transatlantic trade tensions heating up, the talk is of the EU’s measure of last resort, the Anti-Coercion-Instrument.  

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The ACI is designed to deter economic threats from outside the bloc. They could allow Brussels to tax or restrict American services - potentially going as far as blocking platforms like Netflix in case of a trade war. 

02.00  ((PTC))

The Trump administration says it's against what it sees as over-regulation of US tech companies - but the EU insists its rules are not political. 

END