European Lawmakers Scold US for Levying Charges of Digital Protectionism

European lawmakers are rebuffing charges from US politicians that the continent is engaging in systematic "digital protectionism" intended to thwart Silicon Valley's global dominance, arguing that talk of a "Transatlantic rift" on data issues is overblown despite ongoing regulatory challenges for tech firms like Google and Facebook.

In a signed statement dated Sept 21 but not yet officially released publicly, more than 50 members of the European Parliament say they are "surprised and concerned about the strong statements coming from US sources about regulatory and legislative proposals on the digital agenda for the [European Union]." The statement calls out President Barack Obama by name before adding, "The political debates on the way forward are not a 'Transatlantic rift' and should not be made into one. Rather they represent different views and beliefs that run right through our societies."