Antitrust and Other Inquiries in Europe Target U.S. Tech Giants - NYTimes.com

Where antitrust is about protecting local competitors, not global consumers

"Europe’s willingness to police tech companies’ activities contrasts with a relatively hands-off approach favored by United States authorities, which have so far refrained from widespread antitrust lawsuits and privacy investigations into how tech companies use people’s online data.

In recent years, however, American tech companies have become the central target for Europe’s antitrust officials. Advocates say this approach is aimed at limiting the dominance of a small number of companies, though industry executives say Europe is using the investigations to promote the region’s own tech companies, which often have been unable to compete with their United States rivals."

Antitrust and Other Inquiries in Europe Target U.S. Tech Giants - NYTimes.com