The geniuses at the European Commission have launched their second investigation into Google in less than a month, this time over antitrust claims relating to how the tech giant trains its AI models. They’re on a roll here: just last week, they fined X Corp €120 million over bogus ‘transparency’ issues relating to blue checkmarks…
Earlier this year, Google was fined an eye-watering €3 billion for ‘abusing’ its position in online advertising. Now the EU wants more money and is coming back for seconds. Teresa Ribera, the EU’s Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition (seriously, where do they come up with this nonsense?) said:
“Google may be abusing its dominant position as a search engine to impose unfair trading conditions on publishers by using their online content to provide its own AI-powered services. A healthy information ecosystem depends on publishers having the resources to produce quality content. We will not allow gatekeepers to dictate those choices.”
Look at the chart below. The EU makes more money by fining American companies that are actually bothering to innovate than it takes in tax from public European tech firms.
Companies like Apple have now disabled certain AI features in the EU just to avoid the hassle of dealing with Brussels’ nonsense. At this rate, don’t be surprised if a French iPhone can barely take pictures in a few years’ time. Does anyone wonder why?
The UK has rejected Brussels’ demand for up to €6.75 billion to join the EU’s ‘SAFE’ defence fund, according to Bloomberg. The European Commission had asked Britain to cough up between €4 billion and €6.5 billion to join the fund, along with an ‘administration fee’ of up to €250 million. The EC claims the €150 billion fund is important to deterring Russian aggression, and allows states to borrow money to invest in defence projects whose primary manufacturing is in the UE, Ukraine, and EEA-EFTA. Bloomberg is reporting it’s the French who are taking the most hardline position on extracting the cash from Britain…
A government spokesman said today:
“We will only agree deals that provide value to the UK and UK industry… Nothing has been agreed, and we will not give a running commentary on ongoing talks.”
Negotiations are ‘ongoing’ to try to bring the figure down. Some EU countries are more sympathetic, though that’s clearly not a universal view. The French aren’t alone in wanting to drive a hard bargain. When even Starmer is balking at surrendering to Brussels, you know they’re having a laugh…
Members of the European Parliament have taken “second jobs” to an art form. According to the Financial Times, 59 MEPs are moonlighting in roles related to policy areas they legislate on, with only eight of them actually declaring any potential conflicts of interest. Brussels sleaze alert…
While the European Parliament technically bans “paid lobbying activities,” it still allows MEPs to work for organisations on the official lobby register, and helpfully doesn’t actually forbid conflicts of interest. The FT found more than two dozen MEPs working on files that appear directly related to their side gigs…
One example is German MEP Axel Voss, who leads negotiations on privacy complaint laws enforcing the EU’s GDPR, while also sitting on the data privacy board of Deutsche Telekom as a paid adviser. A European Parliament spokesperson insisted that “transparency was significantly reinforced.” Yet Transparency International’s Raphaël Kergueno argued “MEPs have had numerous chances to change the system, but they’ve decided not to do this. It’s only a matter of time until we get to the next scandal.” And Starmer still wants to cosy up to the Bloc…
It’s not been a good 24 hours for the “panicans” who opposed President Trump’s economic reforms. In US trading yesterday the S&P 500 index closed at all time highs…
Meanwhile over in glum little Europe JP Morgan boss Jamie Dimon took policymakers to task at an event held by the Irish government in Dublin. He said: “Europe has gone from 90% of U.S. GDP to 65% over 10 or 15 years. That’s not good… the EU has a huge problem at the moment… You’re losing”. An argument Guido has been making, well, forever…
That’s the same Jamie Dimon who said Brexit “cannot possibly be positive” for the UK, and vocally criticised the UK’s exit from the EU. The lesson? Don’t be a panican…
Starmer is in the Commons to give a ministerial statement on the UK-EU surrender summit. He will field questions from MPs. Expect fish, energy, and defence to come up…
Starmer says of youth mobility: “And it delivers for our young people, because we are now on a path towards a controlled youth experience scheme with firm caps on numbers and visa controls. A relationship we have with so many countries around the world, some actually even set up by the party opposite. We should be proud to give our young people that opportunity.” No word on how much it would be ‘capped’ by…
Guido is told this morning by multiple sources close to the UK-EU negotiations that Starmer has made a “massive sellout” on fishing rights in order to get the deal over the line. Negotiations were slowing down yesterday evening but accelerated after midnight as Starmer made a series of “concessions in the early hours” particularly on the length of access enjoyed by EU member states to UK waters. None of this is good for Starmer’s attempt to cosplay as right-wing…
Earlier this week Mike Cohen, chief executive of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations, had warned the government to hold its nerve on the issue. He told the Financial Times Starmer should refuse an EU demand to extend extant access arrangements to British waters. The paper reported: “Cohen said EU fishermen took about £500mn of fish each year from UK waters under a post-Brexit deal that comes up for renewal in 2026.” Meanwhile the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation wrote a letter to the PM urging caution – its chief executive told the BBC that “if another multi-year deal is on the table, that must come with some transfer of meaningful commercially viable fishing opportunities to the UK.” Starmer is going to suffer a huge backlash on this…
UPDATE: 12 year fishing rights confirmed. A major sellout…
- EU has not time-limited the sanitary and phytosanitary deal – the UK must accept dynamic alignment.
- UK will join Erasmus+.
- EU will allow brits to use e-gates.
- EU will work to ease travel for for artists.
- EU says it will explore paths for participation in defence fund.
UPDATE II: Nigel Farage says that is “the end of the fishing industry.“
Lord Khan in the Telegraph: “I hope, and I say this in a non-pompous way, that the public service I do will bring rewards in this world and the hereafter,” he says. “I’m hoping the work I do is earning me Brownie points.”
