BERLIN \u2014 If Facebook, Google and Co. were hoping for an easier ride under Ursula von der Leyen, they may want to think again.<\/p>\n
The European Commission president-elect left little doubt on Thursday that she intends to confront the U.S. tech giants head-on.<\/p>\n
Delivering a speech in honor of Shoshana Zuboff, a Harvard scholar best known for her book \u201cThe Age of Surveillance Capitalism,\u201d von der Leyen made clear that she ascribes to Zuboffs view that the U.S. tech industry \u201cknows, decides and decides who decides.\u201d Zuboff was the recipient of this years Axel Springer Award, an honor bestowed by German media group Axel Springer, one of the co-owners of POLITICO Europe.<\/p>\n
Reflecting on her own experience with major tech platforms, von der Leyen told a small audience at Springer headquarters in Berlin: \u201cThe platforms are less interested in what I did yesterday. Their interest lies in what I will do tomorrow and why I do that. It is all about predicting and influencing my behavior, your behavior.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though EU citizens deliver such data voluntarily \u201cclick by click,\u201d von der Leyen stressed that Europeans needed to \u201cshape our own approach to the digital world,\u201d signaling that the EU needed to build on measures such as the so-called right to be forgotten and data protection regulations like GDPR.<\/p>\n
\u201cEurope puts values, rights, trust and the rule of law above all else,\u201d she said. \u201cThis must also apply to the European approach to the digital age. For us, new technologies will never mean new values.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Commissions incoming leader went on to say that the EU has so far only taken the \u201cfirst steps\u201d in its regulatory push.<\/p>\n
\u201cEurope has a long tradition in balancing the power of government and market while attaching particular priority to the individual. That is Europes great advantage in shaping the digital age.\u201d<\/p>\n
In accepting the award, Zuboff turned to von der Leyen and said, \u201cwere all counting on you.\u201d<\/p>\n