European Tech CEOs Advocate for 'Europe First' Approach Against the U.S.

European technology CEOs are calling for bolder steps from regional countries to combat the dominance of Big Tech and to counter dependency on the U.S. in critical technologies like artificial intelligence following Trump’s election win.

The Republican politician's victory was a significant topic among prominent tech leaders at the Web Summit conference held in Lisbon, Portugal. Many participants expressed uncertainty about what to expect from the newly elected U.S. president, citing this unpredictability as a fundamental challenge at present.

Andy Yen, CEO of Swiss VPN developer Proton, stated that Europe needs to reflect American protectionist trends and adopt a more "Europe-first" approach to technology.

Yen told CNBC, "It’s time for Europe to take action. It’s time to be bold. It’s time to be more aggressive. And now is the perfect time, because we have a leader in the U.S. saying 'America first,' I think our European leaders should also say 'Europe first.'"