France, Netherlands call for EU watchdog to regulate tech giants

France and the Netherlands on Thursday called for a European Union authority to regulate large tech companies such as Google and Facebook , whose dominance gives them effective internet gatekeeper status.
The move increases pressure on Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, who is preparing a new Digital Services Act, to set tough rules for data-sharing and ensure that marketplaces are fair and open.
The Franco-Dutch proposal, which calls for pre-emptive action to prevent power grabs by Big Tech, overshadowed a gathering of EU ministers that discussed artificial intelligence and cloud computing.
In a joint statement, French junior minister Cedric O and his Dutch counterpart Mona Keijzer said such an authority should be able to prevent tech company platforms from blocking access to their services “unless they have an objective justification.”