Alphabet CEO: Plan to target EU commissioner was not “sanctioned” by me

The CEO of parent company Google Alphabet apologized to Thierry Breton after an internal document presented a plan to attack the EU commissioner and promised such tactics were “not the way we operate”.

In a virtual meeting on Thursday, Sundar Pichai told Internal Market Commissioner Breton that Google was a very large company and the document “was never shown to me”. He added that he had not “sanctioned” the plan, according to two people familiar with the conversation.

The document lays out Google’s response to historic new EU legislation as the bloc reshapes the way it regulates internet businesses.

It contained a two-month strategy to remove “unreasonable constraints” from Google’s business model and “reset the narrative.” He singled out Mr Breton, enumerating an objective to “increase the hindsight” of the French commissioner in order to weaken support for the plans proposed in Brussels.

Mr Breton, who is leading the overhaul of digital rules in the bloc, told Mr Pichai that the EU has listened to Google’s comments during public consultations on the new regulations.

“I want to hear and listen to everyone. You sent us two documents. I read them carefully, ”said Breton.

Referring to the leaked document, he said: “It’s a question of the old century: pushing back a regulator, saying we need to mobilize the US government, saying that [the new rules] could destroy the transatlantic alliance … not really.

Mr Pichai said he also learned about it when it became public in the media. He said, “I’m sorry it happened that way.” But he said he took full responsibility for the leak and added: “It’s not Google.”

Mr Pichai assured the commissioner he would engage directly with him, adding that he understood there was a need for balanced regulation, saying the company would be “straightforward and transparent”.

The revelations came at a particularly tense time as EU regulators are expected to present draft proposals in the weeks.

The bill will mark two important changes. Firstly, Brussels will define more responsibilities for large platforms on how they should control illegal content and counterfeit products in the law on digital services.

Second, the EU will come up with new criteria on what constitutes a ‘gatekeeper’ and draw up a list of what is expected of major internet platforms, a move that will likely lead to stricter rules for companies like Google. and Facebook.

Google said Mr Pichai and Mr Breton “had a frank but open conversation about plans to update digital policy in Europe”.

He added, “Our online tools have been a lifeline for many people and businesses thanks to the foreclosure, and Google is committed to continuing to innovate and create services that can help the economy recover. Europe after Covid. ”

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