Europe needs to fight back against US software dominance – and now is the time

In an opinion piece for The Conversation (UK), Francesco Grillo argues that Europe's reliance on American software has become an addiction, and that the longer it waits, the higher the cost. He points out that European alternatives exist for many products, from France's Visio video conferencing to Qwant and Ecosia search engines, but they're underused because US platforms already dominate. The piece proposes a gradual, legally grounded plan to create protected space for European industry, with social media as a likely first target, citing the EU's Digital Services Act and Meta's eighteen billion dollar settlement with US states. Grillo also highlights Europe's leverage through companies like ASML and the SWIFT payment system, and concludes that a dynamic plan is needed to give EU digital policy teeth.

Listen to this story

Hear this and more stories in a personalized audio briefing.

Open The Chonkerton