Champion European innovation to challenge Google

[Commentary] The European Commission’s antitrust investigation of Google is a test of the continent’s ability to reverse the invisible conquest of its sovereignty.

Much of the fault lies with the commission’s own unimaginative technology policy, for which an episode of Google-bashing is no substitute. If there is a problem with Google’s ambitions, the commission has yet to put its finger on it. That is because Europe has come under the spell of American neoliberalism, with its unashamed celebration of monopolies in the name of consumer welfare and market efficiency. It is time to recover the almost-forgotten language of politics, and treat users as citizens first and consumers second. The dangers are real. By coupling advertising with the pre-emptive possibilities of its serendipity engine, Google could turn citizens into automata, who entertain an illusion of free will while living in a world of options, nudges and suggestions that have all been generated by autonomous algorithms optimized for profit alone.

Unless it rethinks its reliance on Silicon Valley, Europe risks being left behind – politically, technologically and economically. For the incoming European Commission this is an existential challenge. Punching Google might be fun and it probably has to be done. But that should be the beginning of the story, not the end.

[Morozov is the author of ‘To Save Everything, Click Here’]