Over video conference, Sundar Pichai told Thierry Breton, the EU’s internal market commissioner, that he was “sorry” about a leaked internal document that detailed a 60-day strategy to push back against the EU’s proposed new rules on Big Tech. Pichai said the document was “never shown to me,” and that he had not “sanctioned” the plan. (Financial Times, Reuters)

Talking point: “I was not surprised. I’m not naive. I thought it was a bit old fashioned,” Breton told media in response to the document. The French commissioner also told Pichai that the internet could not remain a “Wild West,” and that there had to be “clear and transparent rules.” The document contained a two-month strategy to retaliate against “unreasonable constraints” on Google’s business model, singling out Breton. Google has faced the wrath of EU regulators over anti-competitive behaviour—it has been levied fines of almost US$10 billion over the past three years for unfairly favouring its Android operating system, advertising business and comparison shopping service.