The EU and authorities around the world will have to regulate big technology and social media companies at some stage, the deputy head of the European Commission said on Monday. First Vice President Frans Timmermans said introducing regulations would work better if online platforms, such as Google and Facebook, worked with authorities, Reuters reports. “At some point, we will have to regulate,” Timmermans told the World Policy Forum in Berlin. “The first task of any public authority is to protect its citizens,” the official noted. “If we see you [tech giants] as a threat to our citizens, we will regulate and if you don’t work with us, we will probably regulate badly.”