One hears a lot of talk about curbing the big technology companies these days. Policymakers in Europe have been dreaming of doing this for a while, with many on the continent seeing the tech industry as a foreign (specifically, American) agent.

More recently, the Europeans have been joined by some in the US, which makes things much more serious. Elizabeth Warren, a candidate for the Dem-ocratic presidential nomination, has made breaking up large tech companies a hot topic. So now we contemplate the prospect of an American government curbing its own companies, rather than Europe reining in foreign groups.

Few consider the possibility that bus-inesses and governments could come up with mechanisms that are mutually beneficial. Instead, they take for granted the false premise that technology can be held back.