Balanced Economy Project at Scotland’s Economic Festival: Why Tackling Monopolies Is Key to a Fairer Scottish Economy — Balanced Economy Project Resisting Big Tech

Read up on our talking points from Scotland’s Economics Festival:

www.balancedeconomy.org/latest/bep-s...

@balancedeconomy.bsky.social

Claire Godfrey, our Exec Director is in conversation with Daniel Hind at
@scoteconfest.bsky.social on 'Constraining Corporate Power' and why corporations dominate, the impact on democracy/inequality, and practical anti-

WeMove Europe on Instagram: "💌 This Valentine’s, Europe is getting mail. A lot of it. Hundreds of Valentine’s cards are on their way to the European Commission, all carrying the same message: Break up... 73 likes, 29 comments - wemove_europe on February 3, 2026: "💌 This Valentine’s, Europe is getting mail. A lot of it. Hundreds of Valentine’s cards are on their way to the European Commission, all carr...

Europe’s toxic relationship with Big Tech. Check out the hundreds of postcards created calling on Europe to break up with Big Tech this Valentine’s Day:

www.instagram.com/p/DUSsBOtEsg...

@wemoveeurope.bsky.social @balancedeconomy.bsky.social

Net zero is an insidious loophole that distracts from the scientific imperative to eliminate fossil fuels | Joëlle Gergis History tells us that polite incrementalism and political kowtowing will prevail at Cop30 – even as catastrophe unfolds around us

Excellent, spot-on, piece from @joellegergis.bsky.social

It's fossil fuels stupid!

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

CMA declines investigation into Big Pharma Hello and welcome to the latest edition of The Counterbalance. This week, we’re taking a follow up look at the UK’s troubles with Big Pharma.

If Big Pharma can "coordinate to extract even higher prices (pressuring govt in "cartel-like behaviour [with] serious consequences for public health") the public is ultimately paying twice: once through higher drug costs & then again through poor regulatory oversight"
~ @balancedeconomy.bsky.social

A child lies in bed wearing a blue shirt, holding a smartphone. The screen glows brightly, illuminating the child's face in the dimly lit room. The background shows a blurred view of a bed with floral-patterned sheets.

On #WorldMentalHealthDay, remember how Big Tech’s addictive design harms young minds and self-worth. This briefing calls for urgent regulation: #bettermentalhealth

lhttps://peoplevsbig.pulse.ly/tkdemkcnij

Campaigners demand investigation into big pharama’s “cartel-like” threats to the NHS — Balanced Economy Project

www.balancedeconomy.org/latest/lette...

Read the latest on @balancedeconomy.bsky.social

#UK #CMA #Competition #NHS #Healthcare

NGOs demand UK competition authority probe pharma over investment pauses A letter to the Competition and Markets Authority from three NGOs accuses companies of “suspected” anticompetitive behavior.

www.politico.eu/article/ngo-...

Read @politico.com coverage of a letter signed by @balancedeconomy.bsky.social and other orgs urging the UK’s CMA to open an investigation into suspected anticompetitive behaviour among drugmakers. 👇

Great work by @lobbyctrl-tech.bsky.social highlighting the #google situation as @teresaribera.ec.europa.eu has carried out with her #adtech decision.

Royal Mint makes real Monopoly money with collectible 50p A special limited edition 50 pence piece has been created to mark the popular board game's 90th anniversary.

A Happy 90th to the world's favourite boardgame. #Monopoly taught us that if someone has all the money and all the properties, no one else can even play. Centralised power is good for the winners, a nightmare for everyone else!
https://bbc.pulse.ly/fwmgkg7dtn

Europe and Google: At a Crossroads Hello and welcome to the latest edition of The Counterbalance. This week, we’re continuing our look at the biggest competition case going: Google.

This week’s Counterbalance lays out why structural remedies—not slap-on-the-wrist fines—are the only way forward.

📬 Read, share, and subscribe: https://substack.pulse.ly/q10r8abwql

#Counterbalance #Adtech #MonopolyPower #DigitalDemocracy #EUCompetition

Balanced Economy Project joins call to resist profit-driven policy ahead of EU Commission President State of the Union — Balanced Economy Project Portrait of Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission © European Union, 2025

470 organisations including the Balanced Economy Project have spoken with one voice.

Their message to President von der Leyen and the EU:

This Commission’s deregulation campaign threatens public interest. We denounce it


#EuropeanCommission #Antitrust,
https://balancedeconomy.pulse.ly/fsma9vveho

Stunning advice being given to Downing Street

Europe blinks in the fight against Big Tech Hello and welcome to the latest edition of The Counterbalance newsletter. This week, we’re taking stock of Europe’s latest move on Google.

The Counterbalance is back this week after a brief summer hiatus. Read my latest on Europe’s decision to freeze a ruling on Google amidst political pressure from the US:

thecounterbalance.substack.com/p/europe-bli...

If true, this update is astonishing.
The Commission climbed down from a planned break up of Google’s ad business to a mere fine, and then dropped even the fine for fear of offending Trump.

This is for market violations that have been proven in U.S. court.

EU flag

The reports that the EU is holding off action against #Google’s illegal AdTech monopoly take Europe’s democratic deficit to a new level.

Doing nothing hands #BigTech & the US state dangerous power, undermining Europe’s own competition laws.

#DigitalSovereignty #BreakUpBigTech #Antitrust #EU

BEP Joins Civil Society Letter Urging EU to Stand Firm on Digital Sovereignty — Balanced Economy Project BEP Joins Civil Society Letter Urging EU to Stand Firm on Digital Sovereignty — Balanced Economy Project

The Balanced Economy Project, alongside over 50 civil society groups and experts, has today signed a letter urging the EU to stand firm on digital sovereignty.

Read below 👇

www.balancedeconomy.org/latest/lette...

Despite having such a positive transfer window, I’m glad it’s all over and we can get back to just focusing on the football #LFC

The short version of AI adoption driven by CEOs and executives:

Policy options:

1) Effectively regulate the energy consumption of data centers in the UK;

2) Ask the general public to delete precious memories of their families and friends;

The UK government:

Hi there. Do you, a friend, colleague, or family dog, want to nail #OSINT basics: geolocation, flight tracking, hidden info, disinfo etc?

I've published 40 videos on YouTube.

Upside: they're free. Downside: my Aussie twang and choice of intro tunes. www.youtube.com/@Bendobrown/...

Big Tech's chaotic encroachment into finance Hello and welcome to the latest edition of The Counterbalance. This week we’re taking a look at the crypto industry’s quest for legitimacy.

Despite the fact that "stablecoins are anything but stable...the US Senate last month passed legislation that created a pathway for private tech companies to issue stablecoins to consumers." thecounterbalance.substack.com/p/big-techs-... from @scottchipolina.bsky.social @balancedeconomy.bsky.social

🚨 Today we're sending a loud message to the EU to stand up to the tech oligarchy and #BreakUpBigTech! 📣📣

We've delivered a petition from +115,000 people calling on @ec.europa.eu @teresaribera.ec.europa.eu to break up Google, ahead of its major ruling on Google's toxic online advertising monopoly.

The EU slams Apple and Meta with a combined fine of almost $800 million  — Balanced Economy Project

Europe has fined Apple and Meta in a potentially watershed moment in the fight against monopoly power.

Read our story below:

www.balancedeconomy.org/latest/fcxan...

The EU slams Apple and Meta with a combined fine of almost $800 million  — Balanced Economy Project

BREAKING: Europe has fined Apple and Meta a combined value of almost $800 million. Read our story at the Balanced Economy Project here:

www.balancedeconomy.org/latest/fcxan...

With High Tariffs, Has Trump Ended Or Revived Neoliberalism? Donald Trump's problematic tariff plan will engender a 'capital strike' from big business and the rest of the world. Wall Street is planning revenge. Small business is panicking. What comes next?

Tariffs: "without changes to Wall St reindustrialization can’t happen. The US financial system is so parasitic that any benefits to domestic firms will not result in more investment but will just be sucked away by Wall St" (&Trump is NOT going to take on financialisation) @matthewstoller.bsky.social

Did your university respond/make any changes?

No time to lose - SOMO Tackling monopoly power to protect democracy Last week, SOMO hosted a civil society gathering to confront the rising tide of corporate monopoly power and its deepening entanglement with the global far...

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗽𝗼𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗶𝘁𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳.

Last week, we brought together CSOs to confront this reality and strategise on how to fight back.

Lessons:

🌍Monopolies are global and so should be our solutions
🤝We have an opportunity to build bold new alliances

Read more ⬇️

Teresa Ribera defends Digital Markets Act in wake of US tariffs — Balanced Economy Project

Teresa Ribera came to the defence of the #DMA during a fireside chat at The Atlantic Council earlier today.

www.balancedeconomy.org/latest/fcxan...

The state of play in the fight against monopoly power Hello and welcome to the latest edition of The Balanced Economy Project’s Counterbalance Newsletter. We’re making some changes to our newsletter which we’re excited to share with you.

Follow @scottchipolina.bsky.social, our lead writer on all things finance and author of our weekly Counterbalance newsletter. This week’s edition is available below:

thecounterbalance.substack.com/p/the-state-...