What’s Next for the EU’s Digital Agenda?
When Joe Biden entered the Oval Office, European decision-makers seemed relieved. Thanks to his commitment to the transatlantic alliance, over the past three years we have observed relative harmony between the world’s largest democratic powerhouses, namely the United States and the European Union. However, with the European Parliament and US elections looming in 2024, this partnership could be profoundly reshaped over the coming year, especially with regard to the regulation of digital affairs. Indeed, whilst the outcome in the US will unlikely break Washington’s long-lasting dysfunction regarding this matter, the reshuffling of the EU’s top jobs following its parliamentary election could mark the advent of an even more assertive stance towards America’s tech giants.
Diverging approaches to cyberspace regulation emerged some time ago between Washington, Beijing and Brussels. As Wendy Hall and Kieron O’Hara have described, fears of stifling innovation and losing competitive advantage over rival superpowers have often led American policymakers to forgo policy initiatives targeting market failures related to the rise of Big Tech or adopting comprehensive data protection regulation at the federal level. China’s model adopts a more paternalistic approach that focuses primarily on preventing social unrest by curbing citizens’ online freedoms and imposing a high-degree of censorship.
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