Big tech is built on massive amounts of consumer data, which once accumulated represents an “impossible bar for other nascent competitors to reach,” he said. He believes the EO could have two effects — a pathway for smaller firms to grow rather than just be acquired and the potential to foster more innovation.
“Simply having a lock on a consumer’s — or business’ — internet history means you don’t have to try that hard to sell to them or keep them as customers, as you essentially own them,” he said. “If that lock is opened, it then opens opportunities to build less intrusive and more equitable relationships between sellers and buyers.”