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The internet is expected to benefit not only US tech giants, but small European businesses as well, and the new rules introduced by the European Union will ensure that, he told Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai.
European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton and Pichai held a video conference late Thursday evening following the leak of an internal Google document, which described a 60-day strategy to oppose the block’s new internet regulations along with other US companies. .
“The Internet cannot remain a ‘Far West’: we need clear and transparent rules, a predictable environment and balanced rights and obligations”, Breton told Alphabet CEO, according to a statement seen by Reuters.
Anything that is allowed offline should be authorized online; and anything that is prohibited offline should be banned online.
The new rules would increase the EU’s ability to tackle unfair behavior by so-called ‘gatekeepers’ or online companies with vast market power, such as Google and other mostly US tech giants. They will be forced to share data with rivals and regulators, as well as act more scrupulously in promoting their services and products.
The Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act, which are expected to be announced on December 2, aim to ensure that the internet not only benefits a handful of companies, but also small and medium-sized European businesses, Breton pointed out.
“Europe’s position is clear: everyone is welcome on our continent, as long as they respect our rules” He said.
Sources familiar with the call told Reuters that Breton showed the leaked document to Pichai, urging him not to use “old-century tactics” and trying to pit the various units of the European Commission against each other.
Alphabet’s CEO reportedly apologized for the document, but insisted he didn’t see or sign it. According to another source, Pichai told Breton that he would engage directly with the commissioner if he sees the language and politics in the rules that specifically target Google, which is a subsidiary of Alphabet.
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Google later described the conversation as frank, but open. A spokesperson for the company said so “Google is committed to continuing to innovate and create services that can contribute to Europe’s economic recovery after Covid.”
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