How Ireland lost its chance to become Big Tech’s ‘super regulator’
Summary
Incoming EU rules forcing Big Tech to police content on the internet more aggressively will be enforced directly by the European Commission, a move experts say will diminish the role Ireland has played so far in supervising digital giants in the region. Thats because many of the largest U.S. tech firms, including Meta, Google, and Microsoft, chose Dublin for their European headquarters, due in no small part to Irelands favorable tax regime. "The DSA provides for a network of national authorities and the European Commission, cooperating together, exchanging information and conducting joint investigations," a spokesperson for the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, told CNBC. While the Commission will act as the primary enforcer for "systemic" companies like Meta and Google, which have millions of users across the bloc, Ireland and other EU countries "will be responsible for all other obligations in the DSA," the spokesperson added. In Washington, President Joe Bidens administration has tapped prominent Big Tech critics to lead an antitrust crackdown on the companies, while in Britain, Prime Minister Boris Johnsons government is pushing through landmark digital reforms of its own.