Technology
Europe’s Tech Czar Says Strict Rules Will Build Public Trust in AI
Margrethe Vestager has support from Google and Facebook in her quest to make European citizens feel safe in the digital world.
Margrethe Vestager during an interview in her Brussels office on Feb. 25.
Photographer: Geert Vanden Wijngaert/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Margrethe Vestager, once Silicon Valley’s top foe, may turn into its best ally by pushing for the tighter oversight that Big Tech says it needs to be saved from itself.
As European Union competition chief since 2014, Vestager has targeted Alphabet’s Google, Amazon.com, Apple, and Facebook, among others, for allegedly abusing their market positions or dodging taxes. Her heavy fines and penalties earned the EU antitrust watchdog a reputation around the world as one of the only regulators unafraid to stand up to U.S. tech giants.