Tag: infosociety

Telecommunications regulations, set for an overhaul later this year, could be expanded to give the mobile sector sweeping new powers over the internet, international leading players representing the web have claimed.

The European Commission is set to launch a substantial review of rules governing personal documents with the aim of making electronic identities take off across the EU. But the proposal faces likely opposition from civil rights groups and member states where identity cards do not exist.

Almost half (48%) of the computer users in the EU admit they have acquired pirated software, according to a new report by the Business Software Alliance (BSA).

Journalism has become the worst choice for a career, with bad pay, long hours and enormous stress, said MEP Doris Pack, who strongly pleaded for public funding to help save the media as a pillar for democracy.

Chinese and European businesses need to find new ways of strategic co-operation, says Huawei’s regional boss in an interview with EurActiv. Kevin Tao is confident that his company can take on incumbents in key ICT markets, but identifies network security as a common challenge affecting all players.

A global trade deal to stop copyright theft could give internet providers the right to spy on users, breaching European Union law, the EU's data privacy chief said yesterday (24 April).

European Union lawmakers approved an agreement on Thursday (19 April) allowing US authorities to obtain and store data on passengers flying to the United States from Europe, ending years of resistance to a deal on handing over such information.

British MEP David Martin, in charge of steering the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) through the European Parliament, said yesterday (12 April) that he would urge lawmakers to reject the controversial treaty.

Germany's political newcomer, the Pirate Party, has become the third political force in the country according to a new survey that gives it 13% of support, ahead of the Greens (11%), the Left (Die Linke, 8%) and the Liberals (5%). EurActiv Germany contributed to this article.

The Commission today (3 April) opened an investigation into whether phonemaker Motorola Mobility breached antitrust rules by allegedly over-charging Microsoft and Apple for use of its patents in their products.

The European Parliament voted today (29 March) over the objections of the airline industry to strengthen rights of passengers who face flight cancellations or other travel interruptions.

Young Europeans are getting fewer degrees in computer science, according to statistics released a week after a policy expert warned the European Commission that regulators are not keeping up with the pace of technological change.

The Socialist and Green groups in the European Parliament vowed to "bury" the controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement by the summer, before the European Court of Justice would have the chance to issue a verdict.

One of the key issues of the Digital Agenda initiative is the implementation of e-invoicing system. But there are still many challenges ahead for European businesses, writes Martin Hurley from Ricoh Europe.

Members of the European Parliament pledge to stick to the lower range of their proposed price caps for roaming charges. A recent report by national regulators found that providers’ costs for these services are likely to remain below the higher caps originally suggested by the Commission and backed by many member states.

As a new candidate for EU membership, Serbia will have to adopt the controversial ACTA agreement if the bloc ratifies it. Official statistics show that software piracy in Serbia remains higher than in any EU member. EurActiv Serbia reports.

The European cable industry aims to increase their coverage of high-speed internet connections to over half of EU households by 2020, in a move that would help meet the EU's ambitious targets on high-speed broadband.

The migration of computing into a cloud of massive data centres spread all over the world is giving regulators a headache as they find themselves on the back foot of an industry-driven trend.

Broadband technology is boosting GDP globally - especially in the developing world - but Europe remains the only continent where telecommunications business is running at a loss, according to speakers at the Mobile World Congress.

Commission President José Manuel Barroso has unveiled one of the initiatives to be adopted by EU leaders at their 1-2 March summit, the launch by June of 'bonds for growth' or 'project bonds' to boost investment in energy, transport and the digital economy.

Europe’s broadband internet coverage is close to 100%, but super-fast connections remain marginal and well behind the EU's official target despite the rhetoric surrounding the benefits of the digital economy.

The new data protection regime envisaged by Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding is going to change the legal landscape from the ground up, according to expert Christopher Kuner, but the proposed changes are so technical he questions whether companies will be able to comprehend them.

The Commission has decided to refer the controversial Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement to the European Court of Justice, halting for now ratification of ACTA by 22 EU countries. The Commission's moved was welcomed by leading European political parties that fear the international accord would trample rights and freedoms.

The European Commission launched this month a consultation designed to streamline electronic public-sector information amid uncertainty as to how new data protection rules will affect public administrations as well as the private sector.