Episode 11- Viktorija Morozovaite - Hypernudging, Discursive Power, and Europe's Tech Future

In this episode, Anush and Kena sit down with Dr. Viktorija Morozovaite, Postdoctoral Researcher in EU Competition Law and Digital Regulation at Utrecht University, to explore three cutting-edge themes at the intersection of competition law, technology, and democracy. Viktorija unpacks the concept of hypernudging: the sophisticated behavioural manipulation tactics employed by digital platforms that go far beyond traditional nudging. We examine why these practices raise specific concerns under Article 102 TFEU and how they fundamentally challenge conventional competition law frameworks. We delve into her groundbreaking work on discursive power, exploring how Big Tech companies wield influence over public discourse in ways that differ fundamentally from traditional media. Viktorija introduces an analytical framework distinguishing between 'power behind discourse' (structural control) and 'power in discourse' (content and access), and makes a compelling case for why competition law should engage with these democracy-protecting concerns alongside newer regulations like the Digital Services Act. Finally, we discuss the European tech scaleup gap and Europe's strategic dependencies on US and Chinese digital infrastructures. Viktorija explains how cooperative innovation could help European firms scale up, and examines how competition law and the Digital Markets Act interact with these efforts.