The perils of techno-optimism and the case for regulation
This November, the European Commission introduced two widely awaited digital initiatives: the Democracy Shield (EUDS), aimed at protecting democracy and minors online, and the Digital Omnibus Proposal, which seeks to simplify digital regulations and reduce business burdens. The twin goal of ‘more democracy with fewer rules’ is admirable, but is it realistic?
After years of growing challenges, action is needed not only to protect citizens and businesses, but also to preserve the stability of our democratic fabric and the European project. This article challenges the reductive narratives of techno-optimism and simplification, and calls for robust, comprehensive policy enforcement grounded in four key principles.
The legacy and costs of techno-optimism
Optimistic narratives about technological advancement often highlight its benefits for human progress. While visions of growth and increased productivity may be appealing, uncritical techno-optimism involves risks. It can distract from potential dangers and lead to insufficient regulatory measures that favour innovation above caution.
The early 1990s offer a valuable lesson. The commercialisation of the Internet and the World Wide Web (WWW) brought a widespread sense of excitement and opportunity. Many anticipated significant changes in communication, knowledge access and power structures. Amid this wave of optimism, governments opted for minimal institutional responses.
Three decades later, the world is far from being free of prejudice or economic privilege. Digital services have facilitated the concentration of corporate and political power, contributing to the erosion of liberal democracy. Providers of online intermediary services have built empires based on pervasive tracking methods and opaque ad-tech systems. Their platforms often feature low interoperability and quality, as well as algorithms that amplify far-right ideologies and distort public discourse.
Decoding the EU’s digital challenges
The EU currently faces major, compounding challenges relating to digital security, sovereignty and democratic plurality.
The core threat is the vulnerability of Europe’s digital infrastructure. The EU today is heavily dependent on foreign hardware, software and cloud infrastructure, which expose the region to disruptions, sabotage and potential surveillance. This dependence is particularly worrying amid rising geopolitical and geoeconomic tensions in a multipolar world.
Electoral interference and disinformation, as recently observed in Romania and Moldova, have become another front line of Europe’s digital and democratic sovereignty. However, the threat is not only coming from the East. US companies and their CEOs are also no strangers to meddling in European politics, expressing vocal support for anti-establishment parties and opposition to digital legislation.
The long-term impact of corporate and political overreach on media freedom and pluralism is equally concerning. Growing illiberalism in Europe and algorithms favouring sensationalism over journalistic integrity exacerbate emotional polarisation and impact public discourse. The commercialisation of generative AI tools accelerates these dynamics by making disinformation easier to produce and harder to detect.
Principles for the EU’s digital ambitions
Failing to comprehensively address these issues poses significant threats to the survival and credibility of the European project. Yet in President Ursula von der Leyen’s second mandate, the European Commission’s regulatory and enforcement powers have been underutilised, fragmented or even kneecapped by pressures from across the Atlantic.
Instead of offering timid measures, the Commission should pursue bold action based on the following four principles:
1. The EU must be fit for the digital age, but technology must also be fit for EU democracy.
2. Uncritical techno-optimism is dangerous. Unregulated innovation will not solve economic stagnation, productivity gaps or competitiveness issues. Technology is a catalyst; it can only deliver societal benefits when robust institutional frameworks for regulation and enforcement are in place.
3. Proper implementation and enforcement should take precedence over deregulation. The current institutional obsession with competitiveness is dangerous. It risks weakening citizen safety and creating uncertainty for companies. The institutional culture of compliance should be restored.
4. Effective enforcement demands both capacity and a clear strategy. Tech conglomerates enjoy far greater economic and human resources than EU institutions. Addressing this power asymmetry requires investment in personnel as well as coordinated action to pool expertise across relevant policy domains.
The scale of today’s challenges is unprecedented in modern times. There is no more room for delay: failure to ask now risks turning the institutional paralyses of the past into tomorrow’s unfixable crises.
This commentary forms part of a series leading up to the European Policy Centre's 2025 Annual Conference. Click here to learn more.
Myriam Iehl is Programme Assistant for the Europe’s Political Economy programme at the EPC. Giulia Torchio is a Policy Analyst in the Europe's Political Economy Programme at the European Policy Centre.
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