Democracy vs. Digital Giants: Is the EU Ready to Protect Democracy from Digital Oligarchs?

In the wake of Elon Musk’s multiple attacks on different European politicians, French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his surprise that the most powerful man in the world was supporting the “reactionary international.” He called for defending EU democracies and the European project from the interference of digital tycoons. While democracies have always coexisted with economic oligarchies – the United States more than most European ones – the power acquired by a few men is beginning to take on new economic and political characteristics. The technological revolution – satellites, software and search engines, AI – provides them with an extraordinary global power, as governments and decision-makers increasingly depend on their services. This grants them an unmatched capacity to influence policies by controlling data, as well as through the lack of alternatives to several services.