European tech companies simply can’t compete with American ones

President Obama made a jab at European governments in a recent interview by suggesting that the collection of investigations into American technology companies in Europe are commercially driven.  According to the President, European officials are trying to make it difficult for American tech companies to operate because European ones simply can’t compete. 

President Barack Obama took his turn in the red hot seat last Friday for a one-on-one interview with Re/code co-executive editor Kara Swisher*. Obama was in Silicon Valley to speak at the White House Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection, and spoke with Swisher after addressing the audience at Stanford University. The brisk conversation touched on an array of tech-focused topics, including cyber warfare, diversity in tech hiring, the White House’s relationship with Silicon Valley — and the president’s own gadgets of choice.This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.