Scott Chipolina

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-...

If you haven’t already, please follow @balancedeconomy.bsky.social for research and insight into monopolies and excessive corporate power.

#trade #monopolies #power

Teresa Ribera speaking today, when asked about the head of the FTC saying “I definitely don’t want the Europeans levying taxes on US firms.”

“I’m sure that when the US takes a decision to enforce US regulations or tax, they do not pay attention to the origin of the company they are taxing.”

Thanks very much Naomi!

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.

Excited to get off the mark covering unchecked corporate power and the impact monopolies have on business, politics and markets.

Here is my debut piece for @balancedeconomy.bsky.social: “The state of play in the fight against monopoly power”

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

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.

Subscribe to The Counterbalance, our newsletter covering corporate power and the impact monopolies have on business, politics and markets.

This week’s edition by @scottchipolina.bsky.social: “The state of play in the fight against monopoly power”

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