Google warns EU against ‘erecting walls’ in tech sovereignty push

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Google’s top legal officer has warned that Europe risks undermining its own competitiveness drive by restricting access to foreign technology, as Brussels steps up efforts to reduce its reliance on US tech giants.

Kent Walker, president of global affairs and chief legal officer at Google, told the FT that the EU faces a “competitive paradox” as it seeks to spur growth while “restricting the use of the technologies it needs to get there”.

“We deliver a lot of value to Europe,” he said. “Erecting walls that make it harder to use some of the best technology in the world, especially as it’s advancing so quickly, would actually be counter-productive.”

His warning comes as EU leaders on Thursday gathered for a summit in Belgium focused on how to increase European competitiveness in a more volatile global economy.

Europe’s push for greater…