Digital
Google’s advertising practices targeted by EU antitrust probe
EU antitrust regulators have sought information from advertisers regarding Google's advertising technology practices, a European Commission document seen by Reuters shows.
EU should assert ‘own interests and principles’ to Beijing, says MEP
In an interview with EURACTIV France, MEP Raphaël Glucksmann (S&D) speaks about the EU and China agreeing on 30 December in principle on a Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CIA) after the French presidency assured on Monday that China's human rights "commitments" would be "very scrupulously checked".
Slovak recovery plan for country’s digital sector remains unaddressed
The Slovak government has emphasised the need to support the digital sector, where the country is lagging behind, but the first plans of the "reform menu", presented in October, do not specifically address it.
New player shakes up Bulgarian media landscape
United Group, a leading multi-play telecoms and media provider in South-East Europe, has bought a large chunk of the Bulgarian media, as its latest acquisition was cleared by the country’s anti-cartel body on Monday (18 January).
Swedish court dismisses Huawei appeal over 5G network ban
A Swedish court has dismissed an appeal by Huawei against its exclusion from the country’s 5G network roll out, paving the way for the 5G spectrum auction scheduled for next week to proceed as planned.
Amazon Web Services opens first office in Greece
Amazon Inc’s cloud computing division opened its first office in Greece on Friday (15 January) to support what it said was a growing number of companies and public sector agencies using its cloud services.
MEPs mull over ‘significant risks’ of Artificial Intelligence
MEPs have been urged to consider the 'significant risks' that next-generation Artificial Intelligence applications could entail, particularly with regards to discrimination, employment, and social exclusion.
Slovenia resumes funding news agency after EU warning
The Slovenian government said on Thursday (14 January) it had restored the financing of national news agency STA after Brussels warned against any attempt to pressure public media outlets.
EU companies in China warned to ‘prepare for the worst’ in digital decoupling
Digital decoupling between China and the United States could severely impact EU businesses in China and they should "prepare for the worst" and may be forced into a costly separation of their international operations, European business groups said.
After Trump, we must fight to rebuild the ruins of democracy
Even after US President Trump is gone, the underlying causes of division, mistrust, and frustration won't go away and Europe must future-proof itself against any risks to democracy – particularly in the online world, writes Věra Jourová.
Space a ‘critical resource’ for green and digital transitions, Portuguese minister says
Portugal's minister for science, technology and higher education, Manuel Heitor, on Wednesday (14 January) described space as a "critical resource" in the EU green and digital transition and in promoting "a new future for Europeans".
Watchdogs across EU should be allowed to challenge Facebook, EU court adviser says
The adviser to the EU’s top court has issued a recommendation to allow data protection agencies in any EU country to take legal action against Facebook or any other tech firm even if their regional headquarters are in a different EU state.Editor's picks
Spain to launch Whatsapp channel to fight vaccine disinformation
Spain’s health ministry will soon launch a WhatsApp interactive channel to fight against disinformation on COVID-19 vaccines, El País reported. This should help reduce the percentage of Spaniards who still refuse to get vaccinated. EURACTIV's partner EuroEfe reports.
German police take down ‘world’s largest darknet marketplace’
German police have taken down the "world's largest" darknet marketplace, whose Australian alleged operator used it to sell drugs, stolen credit card data and malware, prosecutors said Tuesday (12 January).
FBI probes Russian-linked postcard sent to FireEye CEO
The FBI is investigating a mysterious postcard sent to the home of cybersecurity firm FireEye’s chief executive days after it found initial evidence of a suspected Russian hacking operation on dozens of US government agencies and private American companies.
Twitter’s ‘problematic’ Trump ban troubles Europe
Twitter's decision to impose a permanent ban on US President Donald Trump's account has sparked some consternation in Europe, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel calling it "problematic".
‘No longer acceptable’ for platforms to take key decisions alone, EU Commission says
It is "no longer acceptable" for social media giants to take key decisions on content removals online, following the high profile takedowns of US President Trump's accounts on Facebook and Twitter, the European Commission has said.
Parler sues Amazon over Web shutdown, alleges political animus
Parler LLC, a social media platform favored by many supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump, sued Amazon.com Inc on Monday (11 January), accusing it of making an illegal, politically motivated decision to shut it down to benefit Twitter Inc.OpinionPromoted content
New digital regulations: the good and the bad
The introduction of the Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act has raised many questions about the future of digital platforms in the EU. We have to be realistic about the risks behind these new regulations.
Signal sees meteoric rise in daily installs as people look for WhatsApp alternatives
The number of new users installing messaging app Signal every day is on track to cross 1 million, putting it closer to levels seen by larger rival WhatsApp, following an update to the Facebook Inc-owned app’s privacy policy.
EU Presidency: Measures planned to combat hate speech, radicalisation online
Portugal's government will foster "political and legislative steps" to combat hate speech, incitement to violence and the processes of radicalisation on social networks during its presidency of the Council of the European Union, the minister for foreign affairs said on Monday (11 January).
Sweden’s Tele2 picks Nokia for 5G core network
Telecoms operator Tele2 will partner with Finland’s Nokia for the deployment of its 5G core network in Sweden and the Baltics, it said on Monday (11 January).
MEP Cavazzini: Social media response to US riots raises new questions for EU tech rules
Members of the European Parliament have a renewed duty to address the thorny issue of regulating social media content, in the wake of last week’s Capitol Hill riots, the chair of Parliament’s Internal Market committee has said.