[JAlexoid]

That's unfair assessment.

While I find it hard to believe that European countries are that much more privacy focused... the reason for the divide is that European countries, in or outside of EU, have stricter rules on user data... and much more recourse for users.

Having those rules creates an advantage for any company that doesn't operate by those rules while serving people located in the countries covered by those rules. The goal was never to "limit the reach of US companies", but to prevent uneven playing field.(EU was specifically created to keep markets competitive)

What's worse is that US government, that is legally barred from snooping on people in US, says that data of people not physically present on US soil is fair game to do as they wish.