Max von Thun
@maxvonthun.bsky.social
Europe Director @openmarkets.bsky.social. Former UK Parliamentary adviser and tech policy consultant. Pro-tech, anti-monopoly.
The most interesting thing about this is not that the German government (like several others) is mulling an underage ban, but that it is considering turning off (for everyone, not just kids) the algorithmic manipulation machines that underpin Big Tech's power and profits.
www.dw.com/en/germany-n...
www.dw.com/en/germany-n...
Germany news: Government mulls social media ban for children
Germany is joining the list of nations considering a ban on social media for children, with both coalition partners drawing up plans. Meanwhile, figures show German industry cut around 124,000 jobs in...
www.dw.com
February 17, 2026 at 3:51 PM
The most interesting thing about this is not that the German government (like several others) is mulling an underage ban, but that it is considering turning off (for everyone, not just kids) the algorithmic manipulation machines that underpin Big Tech's power and profits.
www.dw.com/en/germany-n...
www.dw.com/en/germany-n...
Reposted by Max von Thun
He skipped the Ukraine meeting in order to be able to travel to Budapest to see Viktor Orban.
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
Rubio skips Ukraine meeting with European leaders in Munich
US secretary of state cancels attendance at last minute in move that EU official calls ‘insane’
giftarticle.ft.com
February 14, 2026 at 8:53 AM
He skipped the Ukraine meeting in order to be able to travel to Budapest to see Viktor Orban.
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
‼️ New publication: Taming the Hyperscalers ‼️
In our latest policy brief, @georgecolville.bsky.social and I lay out a blueprint for how Europe can rein in the “hyperscalers” that dominate its cloud market using existing competition and digital laws.
www.openmarketsinstitute.org/publications...
In our latest policy brief, @georgecolville.bsky.social and I lay out a blueprint for how Europe can rein in the “hyperscalers” that dominate its cloud market using existing competition and digital laws.
www.openmarketsinstitute.org/publications...
Report - Taming the Hyperscalers — Open Markets Institute
The Open Markets Institute published a blueprint for Europe’s transition towards an open, competitive, and sovereign cloud market, co-authored by Europe director Max von Thun and EU tech policy fell...
www.openmarketsinstitute.org
February 11, 2026 at 1:33 PM
‼️ New publication: Taming the Hyperscalers ‼️
In our latest policy brief, @georgecolville.bsky.social and I lay out a blueprint for how Europe can rein in the “hyperscalers” that dominate its cloud market using existing competition and digital laws.
www.openmarketsinstitute.org/publications...
In our latest policy brief, @georgecolville.bsky.social and I lay out a blueprint for how Europe can rein in the “hyperscalers” that dominate its cloud market using existing competition and digital laws.
www.openmarketsinstitute.org/publications...
Reposted by Max von Thun
“TikTok is far from the only platform that profits from online addiction, and the Commission should move swiftly to impose similar measures on other dominant – and equally dangerous – social media giants.” @maxvonthun.bsky.social www.openmarketsinstitute.org/publications...
European Commission’s Preliminary Finding Against TikTok Is a Landmark Moment for Platform Accountability — Open Markets Institute
The Open Markets Institute released a statement led by Max von Thun , Director of Europe & Transatlantic Partnership a preliminary finding that TikTok’s platform design contributes to addictive u...
www.openmarketsinstitute.org
February 11, 2026 at 1:55 AM
“TikTok is far from the only platform that profits from online addiction, and the Commission should move swiftly to impose similar measures on other dominant – and equally dangerous – social media giants.” @maxvonthun.bsky.social www.openmarketsinstitute.org/publications...
Reposted by Max von Thun
Free speech all the way!
The policy change orders the removal of any post made by official State Department accounts on X before President Trump returned to office in 2025. n.pr/3MhYNoP
State Department will delete X posts from before Trump returned to office
The policy change orders the removal of any post made by official State Department accounts on X before President Trump returned to office in 2025.
n.pr
February 7, 2026 at 1:58 PM
Free speech all the way!
Big news: the European Commission has told Meta that its exclusion of rival AI assistants from WhatsApp is anti-competitive, and ordered it to reverse the policy.
This is very fast by the EC's standards; the original investigation was only opened in December.
ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
This is very fast by the EC's standards; the original investigation was only opened in December.
ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
Commission notifies Meta of possible interim measures to reverse exclusion of third-party AI assistants from WhatsApp
The European Commission has sent a Statement of Objections to Meta, setting out its preliminary view that Meta breached EU antitrust rules by excluding third party Artificial Intelligence (‘AI\') assi...
ec.europa.eu
February 9, 2026 at 9:48 AM
Big news: the European Commission has told Meta that its exclusion of rival AI assistants from WhatsApp is anti-competitive, and ordered it to reverse the policy.
This is very fast by the EC's standards; the original investigation was only opened in December.
ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
This is very fast by the EC's standards; the original investigation was only opened in December.
ec.europa.eu/commission/p...
Reposted by Max von Thun
In next week's foreign policy debate in the European Parliament, the list of trouble spots includes Sudan, northeastern Syria, and….Minnesota.
The European Parliament will next week debate the situation of the rule of law in the United States (!)
February 6, 2026 at 4:45 PM
In next week's foreign policy debate in the European Parliament, the list of trouble spots includes Sudan, northeastern Syria, and….Minnesota.
Reposted by Max von Thun
Europe’s failure to produce globally competitive tech firms should be attributed not to excessive regulation, but rather to weak enforcement, writes @maxvonthun.bsky.social. bit.ly/3Meln1z
Europe’s Tech Firms Need Regulation to Grow
Max von Thun explains why watering down legislation like the GDPR and the AI Act will only undermine digital sovereignty.
bit.ly
December 6, 2025 at 11:32 AM
Europe’s failure to produce globally competitive tech firms should be attributed not to excessive regulation, but rather to weak enforcement, writes @maxvonthun.bsky.social. bit.ly/3Meln1z
Reposted by Max von Thun
The 28-point plan was dead on arrival. Ukraine can't accept it, Trump doesn't have the cards to force them since he's ended most US assistance to them, and Russia won't accept adjustments.
Yet for the past two weeks, Europeans have again had to scramble to go along with a charade.
Yet for the past two weeks, Europeans have again had to scramble to go along with a charade.
Europe plays along as phony peace process for Ukraine continues
With the 28-point plan, European leaders have yet again been left as spectators on the sidelines as Washington and Moscow decide the fate of this continent.
davekeating.substack.com
December 1, 2025 at 8:36 AM
The 28-point plan was dead on arrival. Ukraine can't accept it, Trump doesn't have the cards to force them since he's ended most US assistance to them, and Russia won't accept adjustments.
Yet for the past two weeks, Europeans have again had to scramble to go along with a charade.
Yet for the past two weeks, Europeans have again had to scramble to go along with a charade.
Reposted by Max von Thun
Decline and Fall
A new post from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth just a couple hours after President Trump said he wouldn’t have wanted a second strike on alleged narco boats and that Hegseth said he didn’t order second strikes.
December 1, 2025 at 8:51 AM
Decline and Fall
Couldn't agree more with this point and article by @martinsandbu.ft.com
The EU has a ready-made tool – the Anti-Coercion Instrument – designed precisely for these situations. Next time the U.S. threatens tariffs on Europe, the EU should use the ACI to target Big Tech.
www.ft.com/content/89f1...
The EU has a ready-made tool – the Anti-Coercion Instrument – designed precisely for these situations. Next time the U.S. threatens tariffs on Europe, the EU should use the ACI to target Big Tech.
www.ft.com/content/89f1...
December 1, 2025 at 9:02 AM
Couldn't agree more with this point and article by @martinsandbu.ft.com
The EU has a ready-made tool – the Anti-Coercion Instrument – designed precisely for these situations. Next time the U.S. threatens tariffs on Europe, the EU should use the ACI to target Big Tech.
www.ft.com/content/89f1...
The EU has a ready-made tool – the Anti-Coercion Instrument – designed precisely for these situations. Next time the U.S. threatens tariffs on Europe, the EU should use the ACI to target Big Tech.
www.ft.com/content/89f1...
Reposted by Max von Thun
"Billionaires, tech titans and their opponents are amassing multimillion-dollar war chests for a chaotic, bruising battle over AI regulation ahead of the 2026 midterm elections."
Tech Titans Amass Multimillion-Dollar War Chests to Fight AI Regulation
Some are battling state AI laws and threatening to punish candidates who oppose rapid deployment of the technology.
www.wsj.com
November 29, 2025 at 12:32 PM
"Billionaires, tech titans and their opponents are amassing multimillion-dollar war chests for a chaotic, bruising battle over AI regulation ahead of the 2026 midterm elections."
“Yes, an AI system might remix and recycle our knowledge in interesting ways,” Riley writes. “But that’s all it will be able to do. It will be forever trapped in the vocabulary we’ve encoded in our data and trained it upon — a dead-metaphor machine.”
futurism.com/artificial-i...
futurism.com/artificial-i...
Large Language Models Will Never Be Intelligent, Expert Says
The AI industry is staking its future on language models. But LLMs, an expert argues, are fundamentally incapable of being intelligent.
futurism.com
November 29, 2025 at 10:49 AM
“Yes, an AI system might remix and recycle our knowledge in interesting ways,” Riley writes. “But that’s all it will be able to do. It will be forever trapped in the vocabulary we’ve encoded in our data and trained it upon — a dead-metaphor machine.”
futurism.com/artificial-i...
futurism.com/artificial-i...
Reposted by Max von Thun
There is never any daylight between the positions of Russia and JD Vance.
November 26, 2025 at 12:31 PM
There is never any daylight between the positions of Russia and JD Vance.
Reposted by Max von Thun
Heres steve witkoff helping the Russians, get a deal with Donald Trump
November 26, 2025 at 12:35 PM
Heres steve witkoff helping the Russians, get a deal with Donald Trump
Reposted by Max von Thun
same
Still have yet to see AI make my life better in any way
November 26, 2025 at 12:39 PM
same
“There is a long tradition of great powers in Europe making deals over the heads of smaller countries, leading to terrible suffering. The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact…brought us World War II. The Yalta agreement gave us the Cold War. The Witkoff-Dmitriev pact…will fit right into that tradition.”
This is not a peace plan. It is a proposal that weakens Ukraine and divides America from Europe, preparing the way for a larger war in the future. In the meantime, it benefits unnamed Russian and American investors, at the expense of everyone else.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Trump Has a Recipe for War and Corruption, Not Peace
Who would benefit from the White House’s 28-point proposal for Ukraine?
www.theatlantic.com
November 22, 2025 at 11:40 PM
“There is a long tradition of great powers in Europe making deals over the heads of smaller countries, leading to terrible suffering. The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact…brought us World War II. The Yalta agreement gave us the Cold War. The Witkoff-Dmitriev pact…will fit right into that tradition.”
Reposted by Max von Thun
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has seen her favourability drop 32 points among Labour members since her plans for asylum policy reform were announced
Cabinet rankings: Mahmood sees sharp drop in approval among Labour members – LabourList
Shabana Mahmood’s approval among Labour members has plummeted since her announcement on reform of asylum policy, exclusive polling for LabourList has revealed. The poll, conducted…
labourlist.org
November 22, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has seen her favourability drop 32 points among Labour members since her plans for asylum policy reform were announced
Reposted by Max von Thun
Hear me out… is there a way Ukraine can make Mamdani their ambassador to the United States?
November 21, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Hear me out… is there a way Ukraine can make Mamdani their ambassador to the United States?
Reposted by Max von Thun
We don’t need another delegation of European leaders flying off to Washington to kiss Trump’s ring now. We need them to get on the train to Kyiv and stand shoulder to shoulder with Zelenskyy.
November 21, 2025 at 7:39 PM
We don’t need another delegation of European leaders flying off to Washington to kiss Trump’s ring now. We need them to get on the train to Kyiv and stand shoulder to shoulder with Zelenskyy.
Reposted by Max von Thun
Reposted by Max von Thun
was already feeling insane from the Trump/Mamdani meeting but I now worry that my brain chemistry will simply never be the same
He said "Amen" straight into the drop
Lmao Pope Leo threw a rave for an archbishop's 75th birthday this is kind of incredible
Lmao Pope Leo threw a rave for an archbishop's 75th birthday this is kind of incredible
November 21, 2025 at 9:39 PM
was already feeling insane from the Trump/Mamdani meeting but I now worry that my brain chemistry will simply never be the same
Reposted by Max von Thun
I just think Trump understands Mamdani is not someone he wants to tangle with. Too smart, too charismatic, too New York, too straightforward, too young. Easier targets elsewhere, like everyone who works for him and most of Congress. (1/2)
November 21, 2025 at 10:35 PM
I just think Trump understands Mamdani is not someone he wants to tangle with. Too smart, too charismatic, too New York, too straightforward, too young. Easier targets elsewhere, like everyone who works for him and most of Congress. (1/2)
Reposted by Max von Thun
1/ What a Russian breaking of the ceasefire will look like, step by step.
There are far better experts on this, but I was an Australian diplomat in Ukraine in 2014 so I've seen this play out up close.
So join me, brothers and sisters, as we count down to a fullscale re-invasion.
There are far better experts on this, but I was an Australian diplomat in Ukraine in 2014 so I've seen this play out up close.
So join me, brothers and sisters, as we count down to a fullscale re-invasion.
November 21, 2025 at 2:23 PM
1/ What a Russian breaking of the ceasefire will look like, step by step.
There are far better experts on this, but I was an Australian diplomat in Ukraine in 2014 so I've seen this play out up close.
So join me, brothers and sisters, as we count down to a fullscale re-invasion.
There are far better experts on this, but I was an Australian diplomat in Ukraine in 2014 so I've seen this play out up close.
So join me, brothers and sisters, as we count down to a fullscale re-invasion.
This is a must-read analysis of the Trump administration's disgraceful, Kremlin-authored plot to sell Ukraine down the river and rehabilitate Putin's Russia as a respectable economic and political actor.
Europe cannot be complicit in this betrayal.
Europe cannot be complicit in this betrayal.
Some notable things in what's being called the "Trump peace plan" but which could not have been more clearly written in Moscow if it came with a 2 for 1 deal on tickets to the Bolshoi Ballet. 🧵
November 21, 2025 at 12:42 PM
This is a must-read analysis of the Trump administration's disgraceful, Kremlin-authored plot to sell Ukraine down the river and rehabilitate Putin's Russia as a respectable economic and political actor.
Europe cannot be complicit in this betrayal.
Europe cannot be complicit in this betrayal.