Samuel Stolton on the convergence of privacy and competition enforcement

Data protection and competition enforcement have been on a collision course in recent years. The Big Tech platforms have amassed powerful market share with vast amounts of user data. This inevitable convergence is shaping up on both sides of the Atlantic. In the U.S., President Joe Biden appointed notable antitrust proponents to powerful government positions in recent months. And in Brussels, the European Commission released a slew of draft legislation to help bolster its Digital Single Market, curtail Big Tech hegemony and promote competition. Journalist Samuel Stolton has been following these developments with an ear to the ground in Brussels. I recently caught up with him right as news emerged that Amazon faces a record $888 million fine related to GDPR violations.