Silicon Valley's Worst Nightmare
Bloomberg Businessweek|March 18, 2019

What’s next for EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager?

Jeff Muskus
Silicon Valley's Worst Nightmare

South by Southwest long ago ceased to be just an annual film, tech, and music festival. The Austin conference—so popular it’s been known simply as SXSW for much of its 32 years—is now the haunt of ambitious politicians. This year they’ve come to bash the tech giants. At one event was Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who promised legislation that could break up Facebook Inc. or Alphabet Co.’s Google. At another was Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), who declared that she wants to make antitrust “cool again”—a clear swipe at the same companies. And then there was the European bureaucrat who’s won global notoriety and who probably more than almost anyone else makes U.S. technology executives quake in fear and anger: Margrethe Vestager.

No. The European Union’s commissioner for competition can’t run for the White House—though Warren and Klobuchar may envy her accomplishments. They’re only threatening to curb the internet titans; Vestager has already led an antitrust crackdown. But the Dane, whose five-year term is up this year, was clearly indicating that she wants to stay on the world stage. Usually a cautious speaker who keeps her own counsel, she was at a SXSW event on March 11 in a red satin dress and pale blue sneakers winning audiences with pointed humor. She said she eschews the kind of pantsuits that Hillary Clinton and Angela Merkel wear. “Men realize you’re a woman even if you dress like a man with a suitlike jacket and a white blouse,” she said. “So why bother? Better stay true to the value of diversity.” (Cheers from the crowd.)

Denne historien er fra March 18, 2019-utgaven av Bloomberg Businessweek.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra March 18, 2019-utgaven av Bloomberg Businessweek.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEKSe alt
Instagram's Founders Say It's Time for a New Social App
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Instagram's Founders Say It's Time for a New Social App

The rise of AI and the fall of Twitter could create opportunities for upstarts

time-read
4 mins  |
March 13, 2023
Running in Circles
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Running in Circles

A subscription running shoe program aims to fight footwear waste

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
What I Learned Working at a Hawaiien Mega-Resort
Bloomberg Businessweek US

What I Learned Working at a Hawaiien Mega-Resort

Nine wild secrets from the staff at Turtle Bay, who have to manage everyone from haughty honeymooners to go-go-dancing golfers.

time-read
10 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
How Noma Will Blossom In Kyoto
Bloomberg Businessweek US

How Noma Will Blossom In Kyoto

The best restaurant in the world just began its second pop-up in Japan. Here's what's cooking

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
The Last-Mover Problem
Bloomberg Businessweek US

The Last-Mover Problem

A startup called Sennder is trying to bring an extremely tech-resistant industry into the age of apps

time-read
10+ mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Tick Tock, TikTok
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Tick Tock, TikTok

The US thinks the Chinese-owned social media app is a major national security risk. TikTok is running out of ways to avoid a ban

time-read
10+ mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Cleaner Clothing Dye, Made From Bacteria
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Cleaner Clothing Dye, Made From Bacteria

A UK company produces colors with less water than conventional methods and no toxic chemicals

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Pumping Heat in Hamburg
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Pumping Heat in Hamburg

The German port city plans to store hot water underground and bring it up to heat homes in the winter

time-read
3 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
Sustainability: Calamari's Climate Edge
Bloomberg Businessweek US

Sustainability: Calamari's Climate Edge

Squid's ability to flourish in warmer waters makes it fitting for a diet for the changing environment

time-read
4 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023
New Money, New Problems
Bloomberg Businessweek US

New Money, New Problems

In Naples, an influx of wealthy is displacing out-of-towners lower-income workers

time-read
4 mins  |
March 20 - 27, 2023