But did we not already hear such – I would almost like to say “promises of miracle cures” – 25 years ago about the opportunities of the internet? The point I would like to make is this: The internet originally promised a decentralised form of free and equal communication between sovereign individuals. Today, much is concentrated in the hands of a few bigtech firms.
They are skilled at amassing and monetising rich volumes of data. As gatekeepers, they also determine who gets access to the platforms and who is denied it. With the proposed Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act,[5] European legislators are now trying to clamp down on gatekeepers and enable more competition, data protection and consumer protection.