Digital
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No ‘ministry of truth’, EU vows at democracy action plan launch
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Digital Brief, powered by Google: DSA/DMA, Twitter data decision, NIS directive
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Google’s last-ditch plea to Commission: Our EU services are at risk in Digital Markets Act
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Market investigation tool at risk in Commission’s digital clampdown
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Commission reveals details on bolstered cybersecurity rules
Commission floats sanctions regime for disinformation offenders
As part of the European Commission's Democracy Action Plan, presented on Thursday (3 December), the EU is charting the establishment of punitive measures to improve the bloc's and member states' capacity to counter disinformation.
Market investigation tool at risk in Commission’s digital clampdown
The European Commission's 'market investigation tool', expected to feature as part of the upcoming Digital Markets Act, will be scaled-down and its powers limited, after the EU executive's internal review panel raised concerns over its operation, two sources close to the matter have told EURACTIV.
Digitalisation in agriculture: Mission impossible?
The German Agriculture Ministry and the European Agricultural Research Initiative examined what politics and research can do to effectively tackle the problem of digitisation in agriculture at an online conference on Wednesday (2 December). EURACTIV Germany reports.
Connected cars can help curb emissions, says study
Europe’s transport sector is one of the few parts of the economy where emissions are still growing and as policy-makers mull how best to reduce mobility’s environmental impact, the idea of cranking up efficiency through technological fixes is building momentum.
Biden should clarify US position on digital tax within two months, France says
The European Union hopes Joseph Biden’s incoming administration will clarify the U.S. position on digital taxation within two months of taking office, a French Finance Ministry source said on Monday (30 November).
Britain bans new Huawei 5G kit installation from September 2021
British telecommunications firms must not install new Huawei 5G kit after September 2021, the government said on Monday, as part of a plan to purge the Chinese firm’s equipment from high-speed mobile networks.
Make Big Tech accountable, Austria says in Digital Services Act recommendations
Austria has called on the European Commission to make online platforms more accountable for the hosting of illegal content in a series of recommendations for the EU's Digital Services Act, citing the country's Communication Platforms Act as an example for the EU to follow.
Ahead of EU presidency, Portuguese say reaching budget deal is ‘fundamental’
Reaching a solution for the deadlocked EU budget between all EU countries as soon as possible is a 'fundamental issue', the forthcoming Portuguese presidency of the EU has said, warning that failure to do so would further undermine citizens' trust in the bloc.
Video games are ‘under-regulated’: EU anti-terror czar
Online video games can be used to propagate extremist ideologies and even prepare attacks, the EU's anti-terrorist coordinator told AFP in an interview in which he urged more regulation.
Digital Brief, powered by Google: Data Governance, EU 5G bonanza, DMA latest
Welcome to EURACTIV’s Digital Brief, your weekly update on all things digital in the EU. You can subscribe to the newsletter here. “The principle behind the intermediaries is to boost voluntary data sharing whilst preserving control over the data from companies...
Greece to spend big part of EU recovery funds on green, digital projects
Greece plans to spend more than half of the 32 billion euros ($38 billion) it will get from the European Union’s recovery fund on green and digital transformation projects, its deputy finance minister said on Wednesday (25 November).
Portugal: EU asked telecoms regulator to clarify controversial 5G auction terms
The European Commission in October asked Portugal’s communications regulator, Anacom, to clarify the terms of the auction of fifth-generation mobile telecommunications frequencies.Editor's picks
France to levy tax on digital giants before Biden administration takes office
France confirmed on Wednesday it will levy its tax on digital giants for 2020, following a warning by Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire in October that it would do so. With this decision, however, it risks US countermeasures at a time when it is scrambling for public money amid a devastating pandemic. EURACTIV's partner Ouest-France reports.
Breton reveals details on gatekeeper criteria in Digital Markets Act
The EU's Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton has disclosed details on the forthcoming criteria for the definition of so-called 'gatekeeper platforms' as part of the hotly-anticipated Digital Markets Act, set to be proposed by the EU executive in early December.
New EU data brokers won’t have to be European, Commission says
The European Commission has decided against imposing geographical restrictions on the establishment of so-called 'data sharing services,' as part of ambitious new plans laid out in the executive's landmark Data Governance Act.OpinionPromoted content
16 days to shine a light on violence against women in Europe
An increase in violence against women and girls is one of the hidden consequences of the COVID-19 crisis. According to UN Women, calls to helplines have increased five-fold in some countries as more people stay at home to counter the...
Diversity in media sector: Still lots of room for improvement
Europe’s newsrooms are still predominantly white and middle-class, though societies are changing at a rapid speed. Experts are calling on the sector to change and enable journalists to reflect the society they are reporting about.
The Digital Services Act could make or break European democracy
The upcoming EU digital services act marks a key moment for democracy across the bloc, writes Iverna McGowan.
Amazon’s ‘business model poses serious problems’, says French socialist MP
In an opinion piece published on France Info last week, 120 politicians and trade union leaders called for "stopping Amazon's expansion". In an interview with EURACTIV France, parliament member Dominique Potier discussed the need to rethink society's approach to consumption.
5G expansion: German foreign ministry gets a say, but no veto
Germany's upcoming IT security law is intended to protect the country's 5G network, among other things. When it comes to Huawei, the Foreign Office fought for a right of veto. The result: now it can have a say but not singlehandedly block a supplier. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Britain’s telcos face fines if they use suppliers deemed high-risk, like Huawei
Britain’s telecoms companies could be fined up to 10% of turnover or 100,000 pounds a day if they contravene a ban on using equipment made by China’s Huawei Technologies Co Ltd under a new law put forward on Tuesday (24 November).
COVID disinformation in Bulgaria: When mainstream media are no better than Facebook
While in most other countries experts blame disinformation on social media like Facebook or foreign powers such as Russia or China, in Bulgaria, the country’s own mainstream media and politicians have contributed the most to spreading confusion and ignorance, write Julia Rone and Georgi Hristov.
Time to act against fake news
Platforms committed in 2018 to a Code of Practice against disinformation, including changes to their algorithms based on ‘Trustworthiness indicators’. As the EU prepares a Digital Services Act and Action Plans on democracy and on media, clearer references are required, write Marc Sundermann, Christophe Leclercq and Paolo Cesarini.