I saw first-hand how US tech giants seduced the EU – and undermined democracy

Silicon Valley used opaque lobbying to weaken crucial new regulations. Firms like Google and Meta must be held to account

The tide is seemingly turning against Meta, Google and other tech giants. Groundbreaking new European Union legislation is imminent, aimed at forcing the large digital platforms to do more to keep users safe and cutting down market abuses, data capture and surveillance infrastructure.

As the Digital Services Act package was being finalised, the very public crossing of swords between Elon Musk and the European Commission over Twitter captured headlines. Yet the Musk spectacle was a sideshow.