Momentum grows for a digital watchdog to regulate tech giants

The desire for faster action is fueling demands for a new agency to oversee the industry, an idea that’s gaining traction among liberal and free-market economists in the US, Europe and Australia. — AFP

With Big Tech accused of everything from decimating industries to abusing privacy, calls are growing for the creation of a federal regulator.

US presidential candidates, consumer advocates and some antitrust enforcers have focused on breaking up Amazon.com Inc, Apple Inc, Facebook Inc and Alphabet Inc’s Google – or at least forcing them to unwind past acquisitions. Yet those moves could take years and face lengthy court challenges.