In May 2018, Mark Zuckerberg faced tough questioning from European lawmakers about Facebook’s involvement in the lost Brexit referendum. With a sense of impunity, he responded with a brief “I’m sorry” before swiftly leaving the room, avoiding uncomfortable questions. This encounter sparked a vow among European Members of Parliament to put an end to the digital Wild West.

Despite this, tech giants like Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft continue to pour hundreds of millions of euros into lobbying efforts in Brussels, trying to prevent European officials from examining their algorithms and challenging their business models. In this battle of pressure, threats, and destabilisation, no tactic is off the table.

In a world dominated by a single social network, marketplace, and search engine, these digital super-giants wield excessive control over access to the internet and information. Their abuse of power has caused widespread concern in the European political arena. In response, Europe has introduced two crucial pieces of legislation —the Digital Services Act and the Digital Market Act— to address the issue.

Les maîtres du monde, l’Europe face aux géants du numérique (Europe vs. the Tech Giants), directed by Yann-Antony Noghès (France, 2024), takes viewers behind the scenes of the vote on one of the most significant laws since the late 19th century.