…The pressure mounting on the likes of Google and Facebook to explain their tracking operations in recent years has been growing a source of tension between US and Europe, with President Obama publicly attacking the latter earlier this year for using data protection as an excuse for furthering commercial interests. He told Re/Code:
“We have owned the internet. Our companies have created it, expanded it, perfected it in ways that they can’t compete. And oftentimes what is portrayed as high-minded positions on issues sometimes is just designed to carve out some of their commercial interests.”