Who is Margrethe Vestager, the engraver of Facebook, Google?

The woman who made a name for herself by suppressing the newly appointed technology giants into a more powerful position.

Margrethe Vestager, Commissioner of the European Union Competition Commission has just been appointed Executive Vice President in charge of EU digital issues. This position will help Danish politicians to oversee issues related to artificial intelligence, big data, innovation and cybersecurity.

Tech giants like Facebook and Google will be even more worried when Ms Vestager, 51, will continue to run her work on Europe’s antitrust commission. She was the one who handed down hefty punishments to Apple and Google, sparking outrageful tweets from US President Donald Trump.

Refinement of Silicon Valley companies

Washington’s outrage only made Ms. Vestager more famous, making her a candidate for the position of EU President and eventually being chosen to take charge of Europe’s digital policy.

Pablo Ibanez Colomo, a law professor at the London School of Economics, thinks Silicon Valley companies will understand the feeling of fatigue when they have to confront Ms. Vestager in five years. “They know her style very well,” Mr. Colomo said.

Margrethe Vestager is considered the star of Silicon Valley companies, with billions of dollars in penalties since taking office in 2014. Photo: AFP.

The Danish woman often met with criticism that she deliberately targeted technology companies for monopoly and taxation, because she often ended investigations with enormous penalties.

In 2016, Apple was forced to reimburse a tax equivalent to $ 15 billion for using Ireland to circumvent the tax. Amazon was fined $ 294 million in 2017, Facebook was fined $ 122 million in the same year for lack of transparency when it acquired WhatsApp.

In July 2018, Ms. Margrethe Vestager announced a fine of nearly $ 5 billion to Google for competition violations by the technology corporation. This is the highest EU antitrust penalty ever.

In 2019, Vestager’s committee imposed a $ 1.94 billion fine with Google for violating antitrust laws, and Qualcomm $ 272 million for dumping 3G chips.

Google is accused of abusing the Android operating system, forcing many smartphone manufacturers to pre-install their apps. This allegation resulted in a fine of $ 5 billion in 2017.Photo: AFP

It was her determination that earned her admiration, but at the same time caused discomfort in France and Germany when she rejected Siemens and Alstom’s rail agreement. Mrs. Vestager has spent the past few months trying to prove her position as a politician who is prepared to act on concerns that Europe is being left behind by China and the US, especially in terms of technology. .

One of her first actions after taking office in 2014 was to start a Google investigation that had been delayed due to her predecessor being fired while trying to resolve. Alphabet, Google’s parent company, had to pay a total of $ 9.1 billion in fines after monopoly investigations, then was forced to charge its Android operating system in Europe and change shopping ads. .

Alphabet still faces the risk of more penalties from new investigations and claims it doesn’t comply with existing antitrust orders.

Mrs. Vestager’s new position

Vestager’s new position allows her to go beyond antitrust enforcement. The work “is not an attack on businesses,” but a “democratic attempt to shape society,” Ms Vestager told reporters on Tuesday.

She described her new role as helping fill the gaps indicated by antitrust investigations. The measures seem to address issues raised by Google investigations.

Despite being assigned a new position, Vestager continues to take on the job at the European antitrust commission. Photo: Wired .

“You will see new rules more often. We have insight from specific cases that could lead to new terms, ”Vestager said.

Vestager will assume the top position of digital policy at the time the European Commission faces 5G network security. She will have to consider Huawei’s role in infrastructure construction, when the United States called on Europe to stop China’s giant telecommunications company.

Vestager also plays a role in regulating the EU’s approach to AI ethics, considering ways to share big data. She must also seek to reach an international tax agreement for technology companies by the end of 2020 or propose a fair tax in Europe.

In response to concerns that Chinese companies were unfairly competing, she was asked to address the unambiguous ownership and subsidy of foreign governments over companies.

“She will be seen very positively, and she is smart and keen enough to win against legislators,” said Andreas Schwab, a member of the European European parliament.

Source : Zing