Eric Schmidt Talks Alphabet, Encryption, European Policy | Re/code

From a supposed-to-be-closed-door Internet Association trade group summit

"He said he was “very worried” about recent data privacy proposals in Europe, such as its Safe Harbor ruling last week, that assign digital regulation to individual nations — creating “per-country Internets,” in Schmidt’s words. “If that occurs,” he said, “we would lose one of the greatest achievements of humanity.”

He was not asked about the antitrust cases Google has faced and currently faces, nor did he bring them up.

None of Schmidt’s comments on policy were new. His statements on Alphabet reiterated what (little) the company has said. But he did voice what’s been unsaid, yet largely assumed, about the conglomerate — that there may be many more subsidiaries to come.

How many? “After 26, we’re going to probably transcendental numbers” like π, Schmidt said to laughs. “You think I’m kidding?”

He went on: “I’ve been meeting with the current CEOs of the Alphabet companies and the proposed ones. So you’ll see a lot coming.”"

Eric Schmidt Talks Alphabet, Encryption, European Policy | Re/code