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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

(1/2) The FTC sought to ensure it was using all the tools it’s been given during her tenure, says Lina Khan. “Over the decades a whole swath of them had just become dormant.” The agency also ensured it was “listening to regular people—that’s in part just good government,” she says.

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Happening now: Lina Khan's remarks, moderated by @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social and @capitolforum.bsky.social's Teddy Downey

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

(1/2) Citing the FTC's success in blocking Kroger/Albertsons, Lina Khan says if you asked her four years ago whether she thought the agency would be able to achieve what it did in such a short time, her answer would probably have been no.

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

@capitolforum.bsky.social executive editor and CEO Teddy Downey sits down for an interview with Lina Khan to wrap up the day @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

“Regulation should be done to empower,” says BrighterAI cofounder and CEO Marian Gläser. The EU needs to move fast, the world is moving on and “we shouldn't press the snooze button again.”

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Trump doesn’t need a tariff threat to try to take over Greenland, says @protonprivacy.bsky.social CEO Andy Yen. The US president could simply get what he wants by saying he’ll order Microsoft, Google, Amazon and the like to stop operating there. @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

📸 Snapshots from our last panel, “Algorithmic Amplification, Platform Power, Freedom of Speech and Tech Oligarchs” @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social

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Giovanni Battista Gallus @gbg.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

The problem or sovereignty is not a problem of tomorrow, it’s a problem of today and we have to address it. Great remark by Andy Yen @proton.me Ceo @bruxconf2025.bsky.social

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

The reason for Nvidia’s dominance in hardware, says German AI startup founder Jonas Andrulis, is “because nobody has a choice... These systems are so mature and so powerful that it's not easy to have a choice,” he said. “We can dislike that,” he added, “but it doesn’t change the reality.”

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

"Sovereignty can only come from strength and strength can only come from value," says Aleph Alpha founder Jonas Andrulis. "We have to build." @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

“This is a do or die moment, I would say, ”says Axel Voss, Member of the European Parliament “We can’t take our time and have wonderful discussions any longer” on digital sovereignty and industrial policy. @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

(1/2) Big Tech firms likely won’t rush to certify their platforms but rewarding smaller platforms who do so could be very useful, Lavie posits.

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

(1/2) Bocconi University Prof Dovev Lavie ends the panel by proposing voluntary certification for platforms. “It can motivate a new generation of emerging platforms that have business models that are more stakeholder-oriented,” he says.

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

(1/2) Rolnik throws out his agenda to applause: Remove Section 230 protections for platforms that engage in surveillance. Consider banning platforms that push a political agenda. No fake accounts – bots should’t have free speech rights.

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

“Algorothmic amplification is the water that we are all swimming in now. And like fish, we rarely stop to question these waters. But we should,” warns University of Chicago Professor Guy Rolnik

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

“Disinformation is a wake up call for platforms and the tech sector,” @chionwurah.bsky.social adds. “It could be used to say there should be less competition because China is coming for our tech lunch. But we need competition in our own tech sector to counteract China.” @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

@chionwurah.bsky.social: “Freedom of speech is incredibly important and there are some tensions there. But the business model of the platforms means there is an incentive: there is a reward for lying and there is no reward for telling the truth...

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

“It’s great to hear that we’re not alone and that we’re still a part of Europe, even if we’re not part of the EU,” says UK MP @chionwurah.bsky.social, head of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, on the day’s discussion. @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Nikolay points to the anti-hate speech code that major platforms agreed to last week. These systems have proved very fruitful when it comes to protecting things like elections, she says. @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

DG Connect Deputy Director General Renate Nikolay notes there’s no requirement in the DSA for platforms to take down content, responding to earlier comments from Jacob Mchangama. That’s for EU member states to decide, she says. @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Debate erupts between @alexandrageese.bsky.social and Jacob Mchangama. Free speech has historically been weaponized against minorities, Jacob Mchangama says in response to @alexandrageese.bsky.social's claims that some restriction is needed to protect the same groups. @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

📸 A look at our last panel, “How Will Trump 2.0 Wield Antitrust Policy, and Deliver on Economic Populism?” @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Media pluralism and banning Holocaust denial was an American-imposed condition on Germany becoming a free country after WW2, notes @alexandrageese.bsky.social @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

@marietjeschaake.bsky.social says this debate is all about power and who has the ability to govern our lives, because technology is interwoven with every aspect. It’s broader than just speech, she says. @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

It’s only because we spent the last five years building a tech stack that we’re able to bid for TikTok and provide the scale, McCourt says about Project Liberty ’s offer to buy the platform. @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

(1/2) “These platforms are highly manipulative and we see now the harms,” McCourt, Project Liberty Chair, says. It’s time to adopt new open-source, owned-by-all technology models, he adds. “We want to be citizens in the digital age, not reverted to subjects in the digital age.”

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

(1/2) Project Liberty Chair Frank McCourt: “The policymaking apparatus in the US is no match for the speed, the power, the money of Big Tech.”

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Platforms should instead make users more able to decide what type of content they say so we get around corporate centralization but also overregulation from governments that impinges on free speech, Jacob Mchangama posits. @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Jacob Mchangama says 90% to 98% of deleted comments are “perfectly lawful” yet the DMA/DSA incentivises platforms to remove this content. “In Europe, free speech is seen as a threat to democracy,” he says. @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Jacob Mchangama, Founder and Exec Director of The Future of Free Speech, says there are good reasons to be wary of Big Tech, but the European approach is worse than the disease in many ways. “It’s likely to contribute to rollbacks of important historical gains.” @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

“One national champion in the U.S. is a huge problem from a resilience and reliance perspective,” says Rebecca Slaughter, U.S. Federal Trade Commissioner. The U.S. can beat China by having multiple strong players in each sector, she says. @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

(1/2) Roger Alford says EU/U.S. alignment will be issue-dependent. “I think Europe and the US will be aligned about the threat of China to become the predominant economy in the world, and if there can be alignment on that then it’s quite positive,” he says.

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

China is a common problem for the U.S and Europe, Lynn says. “We should be talking about not how are we going to disrupt each other’s democracies, but what are we going to do about China to have a peaceful and more cooperative world at the end of the day.” @openmarkets.bsky.social

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Barry Lynn says he’s “very encouraged” by conversations in Brussels about Big Tech enforcement and standing up for democracy. “There are people across [the U.S.], Democrats and Republicans… We stand with you.” @openmarkets.bsky.social @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

“Musk intends to overthrow your democracy. He’s using his power to overthrow your democracy,” Barry Lynn tells the Brussels audience. @openmarkets.bsky.social @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Whether Republican or Democrat, “nobody is free in a situation in which the platform has the freedom to shape your thoughts,” Barry Lynn adds. @openmarkets.bsky.social @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Barry Lynn of @openmarkets.bsky.social notes that despite political differences, he worked across the aisle with TX AG Paxton on the Google AdTech case. “Everybody is threatened by the same corporation, by the same concentration of power,” he says. @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Julius Krein says there’s a lot of opportunity for US/Europe cooperation, “it’s just not going to take place in the same fora or on the same terms as it has in the past – or maybe that the Europeans would like.” @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

U.S. GDP has been growing but so has income inequality, Rebecca Slaughter, U.S. Federal Trade Commissioner notes. “Who is the GDP growth benefitting and who is getting the value out of that?” she asks. The U.S. is cautionary tale for Europe on this front, she says. @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

(1/2) Rebecca Slaughter, U.S. Federal Trade Commissioner: “The big question for the Trump Administration and the new officials coming in is whether the actions they take line up with what we've heard in terms of the philosophy or not...

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Under Trump, “I do think there will be this pent-up desire to test the waters about how much merger activity will be permitted,” says Roger Alford. “There will be continued enforcement of mergers but we have a better sense now than we did four years ago about the scope of that.”

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

“Much of the Trump Admin take a very dim view of the EU as a whole,” Julius Krein adds. They’ll be much more effective dealing with national governments, and they’ll be much more comfortable dealing with governments like Viktor Orbán’s in Hungary, he predicts. @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

When it comes to the implications for Europe, Julius Krein notes that this is a “very deal-oriented White House.” There’s a lot of dealmaking opportunity for European industry and companies “to combat China and rebuild these industries,” he says. @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social

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Till Steinvorth @antitrust4germany.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Great how there is a Blue Sky handle for this conference @bruxconf2025.bsky.social

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Julius Krein of American Affairs says it’s purely academic to talk about the free market in the face of Chinese competition. “Just because the U.S. government isn’t intervening in the U.S. market, doesn’t mean other governments aren’t.” @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

(1/2) American Affairs founder and EIC Julius Krein: “To me, the real faction is probably not populist vs Elon Musk or whatever...

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

On Donald Trump, Paxton says don’t count out enforcement. “The whole reason he started Truth Social was because of discrimination, so it’s not like he’s oblivious to that [...] I think he’ll take advantage of the Big Tech firms’ interest.” @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

“The federal government wasn’t doing anything, they weren’t taking it seriously. That was under the Trump Administration. So we filed a lawsuit,” Texas AG Paxton says about the states’ Google AdTech case. “The Biden Administration copied our lawsuit.”

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THE PERFECT STORM: A TIME OF TRUTH FOR EUROPE? @bruxconf2025.bsky.social · 30/01/2025

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton discusses large tech platforms’ legal challenge to the state’s non-discrimination obligations. “They’re having their cake and eating it too,” he says. @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social

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