EU Mulls Powerful Regulator to Keep an Eye on US-Based Internet Giants

The European Union is considering establishing a powerful regulator to keep an eye on mostly US-based Internet companies in Europe, raising concerns that companies like Facebook and Google are in for a major clampdown, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a leaked document.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The blueprint for the new regulator, dated February, was leaked to the media outlet in April. It envisages the regulation of online networks in Europe "that goes far beyond a general plan for the region's digital sector that is due to be announced next month," the newspaper reported on Thursday.

The move is apparently aimed at some online websites that, according to the document, have become an integral and crucial part of the European economy.

Answering the daily's inquiry into the broad new rules, the spokesperson for EU digital commissioner, Guenther Oettinger, said these proposals were prepared at his request in order to "look into the possibilities."

No decision has been made yet, and the rules will first have to be endorsed by national governments.

Many US companies have already been targeted for probes, lawsuits, and tighter controls by both Brussels and separate members of the 28-nation European Union.

EU plans to sue Google for anti-trust practices. #RoundOne pic.twitter.com/LfdmTgWkKP

— Sia Ayrom (@siaayrom) 16 апреля 2015

In the most recent case in mid-April, the European Commission's antitrust watchdog formally accused Google of abusing its position in Internet searches. If this is confirmed, the US search giant could face a hefty fine, the commission's spokesperson told Sputnik.