Michelle Nie

Europe’s Digital Sovereignty is Strengthened by Leverage, Not Independence At this year’s Munich Security Conference, strategic dependence—and European sovereignty—emerged as dominant themes.

Link to my Substack post here: michellenie.substack.com/p/europes-di...

I’m getting back to writing, starting with something I’ve been thinking about a lot: Europe's digital sovereignty strategy, which has again become relevant after the latest MSC. My latest essay argues that Europe’s power comes from leverage and partnerships, not technological autarky.

📘 Defining Artificial Intelligence - a new collection of expert perspectives exploring how #AI is defined across US law and policy, and why those definitions matter.

Clear definitions shape real-world outcomes. Check out the full handbook here 👉
https://ow.ly/gi7y50YbPvJ

Hoping more states start paying attention to this critical issue. The window for legislation to make an impact & curb the detrimental impacts of cloud concentration is closing.

This idea has gone on to inform legislation such as Vermont's H.720, An act relating to the Cloud Computing Public Utility Act, sponsored by @mepriestley.com and @laurasibilia.bsky.social!

Thanks to @integrity-inst.bsky.social for spotlighting my piece with @theodoraskeadas.bsky.social, @nickgarcia.bsky.social, and @elisephillips.bsky.social!

In it, we argue that the cloud is critical infrastructure that shouldn't be left to the free market. It's up to states to provide oversight.

Addicted to the algorithm: how Big Tech lobbies to keep us hooked on social media | Corporate Europe Observatory As the EU prepares the Digital Fairness Act to tackle the addictive nature of social media design, big tech aggressively protects its business models. With Trumpists and far-right allies likely to joi...

Read the piece, "Addicted to the algorithm: how Big Tech lobbies to keep us hooked on social media," here: corporateeurope.org/en/2026/02/a...

My paper on algorithmic addiction was cited for @corporateeurope.org's piece discussing the EU's Digital Fairness Act (DFA). My name is misspelled, and the work was performed while I was at @openmarkets.bsky.social, but still honored to have been mentioned in such an important and timely report.

CalCompute: California's Chance to Democratize AI New public compute project could change the game for California’s AI innovation ecosystem, but the rules must be set carefully

I wrote a piece on my new rebranded Substack, Cloud Nine, on the importance of CalCompute (public computing initiative created by the passage of California SB53) and the importance of getting it right – by preventing industry capture & ensuring it is governed in an environmentally sustainable manner

Great article by @megafreda.bsky.social! Thanks for the shoutout for my cloud work w/ @openmarkets.bsky.social (w/ @maxvonthun.bsky.social and @danielahanley.bsky.social)

Authored a piece with @theodoraskeadas.bsky.social, @nickgarcia.bsky.social, and @elisephillips.bsky.social on the urgent need for the cloud to be a public utility. We're forming a coalition of state legislators who won't let such crucial infrastructure remain under Big Tech control - join us today!

Excited to have another article out on @techpolicypress.bsky.social about the cloud and what the EU can do to challenge Big Tech dominance, including investing in a cloud marketplace and treating the cloud as a public utility.

NEW Report | Engineering the Cloud Commons: Tackling Monopoly Control of Critical Digital Infrastructure — Open Markets Institute Open Markets Institute report, “Engineering the Cloud Commons: A Blueprint for Resilient, Secure, and Open Digital Infrastructure,” offers a long-overdue reconception of cloud computing as a single ...

🚨 New Report: “Engineering the Cloud Commons” 🚨

Today @openmarkets.bsky.social published a major new report, co-authored by myself and colleagues, on regulating and restructuring the critical cloud infrastructure currently dominated by Big Tech 🧵

www.openmarketsinstitute.org/publications...

WEBINAR: Engineering the Cloud Commons: Tackling Monopoly Control of Critical Digital Infrastructure — Open Markets Institute Join us for a webinar on May 15, 2025 09:00 AM EST to explore how concentrated corporate control over cloud infrastructure threatens competition, innovation, and national security—and what bold step...

Growing market concentration in cloud computing undermines the goals of resilient, open and fair digital infrastructure on which we're building AI and more.

Join our webinar next Thursday to how to address it: www.openmarketsinstitute.org/publications...

Copyright Office thinks AI companies sometimes stole content : Some see an action to benefit Elon. The White House sees an agency obsessed with DEI

And the head of the US Copyright Office was fired the next day after the long-anticipated release of this report, which confirmed what everyone already knew: that AI companies are violating the fair use doctrine.

Coded for privileged access | Corporate Europe Observatory The EU is developing a Code of Practice to govern general purpose AI, as part of the implementation of the AI Act. But Big Tech has heavily influenced the process to successfully weaken the Code.

The EU is set to finalise the rules that will govern advanced AI.

🧐 New research together with @lobbycontrol.bsky.social reveals:

⚠️ Big Tech enjoys privileged access to drafting the Code of Practice on General-Purpose AI

⚠️ A glaring conflict of interest

👇 corporateeurope.org/en/2025/04/c...

OMB guidance: Vendor Lock-In Protections. As described identified during solicitation development, terms on this subject are necessary to reduce the risk that switching vendors could become cost-prohibitive. Protections against vendor lock-in can vary, but include requirements for vendor knowledge transfers, data and model portability, providing agencies with rights to code and models produced in performance of a contract, and transparency in licensing and pricing. .. E. Ongoing Testing and Monitoring. Contractual terms must provide the contracting agency the ability to regularly monitor and evaluate (e.g., on a quarterly or biannual basis, based on the needs of the program) performance, risks, and effectiveness of an AI system or service.

The White House OMB recently released a memorandum providing guidance on procurement of AI. Although more focused on American AI leadership than the previous memo, notably, it directs agencies to avoid vendor lock-in and to be able to regularly evaluate performance, risks, and
effectiveness.

Google's latest Gemini 2.5 Pro AI model is missing a key safety report in apparent violation of promises the company made to the U.S. government and at international summits Experts say Google and other top AI labs reneging on promises to inform the public about the capabilities and risks their AI models present

"Responsible research means that you are open about the capabilities of the system. If this was a plane, we wouldn’t say: bring this to market ASAP, we will look into safety later. With genAI there’s an attitude of putting it out there & worrying & fixing issues later" fortune.com/2025/04/09/g...

DOGE has arrived at the FTC The agency oversees businesses like Elon Musk’s X.

DOGE has arrived at the FTC

Directly elected judges are not a good idea.

But let us take our pleasures when we can.

The winning judge’s speech is a boon you need at this otherwise dreadful time.

If things turn, this is how they start.

The Corner Newsletter: Undersea Cables as Critical Infrastructure ( March 28th, 2025) — Open Markets Institute In this issue, we explore underseas cables and who controls this critical infrastructure amid Meta’s proposal to build the world’s longest.

ICYMI: "Meta’s Foray Into Undersea Cables Raises Questions Over Critical Infrastructure," by our tech policy fellow @michellenie.bsky.social: 🌊🌊

www.openmarketsinstitute.org/publications...

The FTC's outrageous assault on consumer protection wipes out 4 years of critical information on AI oversight and landmark privacy cases against #BigTech, making Americans less safe and putting corporate interests before the public interest.

Trump Fires Democrats on Federal Trade Commission The decision to fire the two members of the traditionally independent regulatory body is likely to face a legal challenge.

The tech coup
continues ↘️ www.nytimes.com/2025/03/18/t...

Barry Lynn's statement on Trump's illegal, unconstitutional attempt to fire FTC Commissioners Bedoya and Slaughter.

"[H]e has chosen to put the interests of the oligarch and all-powerful corporation first, and the interests of every other American last."

FTC Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya: "This opens the door for a law enforcement apparatus that is controlled not by the law, but by money."

Absolutely right.

Statement from Open Markets: Donald Trump Attempts to Fire Democratic FTC Commissioners Bedoya and Slaughter — Open Markets Institute Open Markets Executive Director Barry Lynn released a statement concerning the news that President Trump has moved to fire Democratically-appointed Federal Trade Commission (FTC) commissioners Alv...

President Trump’s illegal, unconstitutional attempt to fire FTC Cmrs. Slaughter & Bedoya makes abundantly clear that he is not interested in protecting the liberty & economic wellbeing of the American people... www.openmarketsinstitute.org/publications...

FTC Removes Posts Critical of Amazon, Microsoft, and AI Companies Business-guidance content published during the Biden administration has been removed from the Federal Trade Commission website.

They are weaponizing the FTC, an independent, bipartisan agency, and this is an outrage. www.wired.com/story/federa...

Governments Need to Protect AI Industry Whistleblowers: Here’s How Introduction  In 2009, James Glenn, a security consultant for a Cisco distribution partner, submitted a detailed report to Cisco regarding cybersecurity flaws in its video surveillance systems…

Recent high-profile exits from frontier AI labs highlight the urgent need for better whistleblower protections. My latest for AI Policy Bulletin examines current laws in the US, EU & UK and how they can be adapted for AI workers facing unique industry challenges and career risks.

Proud to have contributed to this submission with @cjl4news.bsky.social and @openmarkets.bsky.social to urge the UK government to prioritize its flourishing creative industries over the profits of the AI industry.