EU Commissioner Margrethe Vestager Doesn’t Think Breaking Up Big Tech Is the Answer

Once the darling of the U.S. economy, big tech has increasingly come under scrutiny, with some politicians—most notably Senator Elizabeth Warren—even calling for the breakup of big tech companies.

According to a report by Business Insider, EU Commissioner Margrethe Vestager doesn’t share that opinion. Commissioner Vestager has made a name for herself going after big tech companies like Google, Amazon and Apple, in some cases imposing record fines. In spite of the reputation she’s built, Commissioner Vestager believes breaking up big tech will only result in more problems.

“From a competition point of view, you would have to do something that breaking up the company was the only solution to the illegal behavior, to the damage,” Vestager said. “And we don’t have that kind of case right now. We don’t have a problem that big where breaking up could be the solution.”

Instead, Vestager believes big tech companies—especially those that dominate a particular segment—should be held to a higher standard.

“When you get that big, you get a special responsibility, because you are the de factor the ruler in the sector that you own.”

While scrutiny and fines are certainly not welcome, it’s safe to say most tech companies would welcome Vestager’s approach, especially when compared with the possibility of a breakup.