Liberals have traditionally been wary of government intervention, yet when we asked where there should be more regulation, their answers point overwhelmingly towards the digital sphere.
OUR MEMBER Survey:
Perhaps liberals feel that there are pockets of unchecked power online, particularly in relation to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and social media, where Big Tech dominates. This could suggest a desire to counter these top-down power dynamics and level the playing field.
The four areas in which liberals most strongly call for ‘much more regulation’ are AI, online gambling, social networks and social media, and cryptocurrency. These results typify a wider concern about the digital tidal wave and its knock-on effects.
However, the appetite for regulation extends beyond the digital sphere. The other leading areas point towards a broader concern with the role of large platforms and companies in everyday life – and how much power consumers should have in these relationships.
The pace of digital transformation makes it increasingly difficult for the EU to regulate through legislation such as the Digital Services Act or the AI Act, as the online sphere continues to evolve rapidly. It is therefore perhaps unsurprising that liberals are concerned about the seemingly unchecked power of Big Tech.
The Liberal Paradox:
Liberals are not traditionally in favour of extensive regulation, so why is regulation suddenly seen as necessary in these areas? The rise of these online ecosystems has forced a timely debate around regulation, and it is unlikely to disappear any time soon.
Liberals place a strong emphasis on individual freedoms, so their growing support for regulation in these areas is notable. Perhaps the answer is that they increasingly see regulation as a way of protecting individual freedoms rather than hampering them.
This could be particularly true in the case of AI and social media, where regulation can be viewed as a means of limiting the influence of powerful technology companies over the public.
Liberals may also recognise that the relationship between individuals and Big Tech is fundamentally unequal. A single consumer has little influence compared with a multinational technology company. Regulation could therefore protect the public in ways that the market alone may not be able to.
The problem is not simply that these technologies are new, but that they are evolving faster than the rules intended to govern them. Regulators are increasingly being asked to address problems that did not exist when the legislation was written.
The growing liberal support for regulation may therefore not represent a rejection of individual freedom, but a changing understanding of what it takes to protect it.
As technology gives private companies increasingly powerful roles in people's lives, regulation may be seen not as restricting freedom, but as ensuring that this power does not go unchecked.
*ALDE Party member survey, conducted by our Research Team:
