Digital
MEPs to join forces against disinformation
A number of newly elected members of the European Parliament committed to joining forces in the upcoming five-year term in fighting disinformation, during an event organised by EURACTIV foundation.
Czechs alarmed as populist leaders take aim at public media
Czech journalists and media analysts are raising alarm over the "threat" to the country's public media from mounting pressure on the press by populist politicians.
US ambassador: Europe should forget Huawei, embrace Western tech
America cannot have close security, intelligence and technology ties with Europe unless the EU cuts ties with Chinese tech giant Huawei and embraces "Western telecom industry", the US ambassador to the European Union told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview.
Digital Brief: Could Copyright Return?
Welcome to EURACTIV’s Digital Brief, your weekly update on all things digital in the EU. You can subscribe to the newsletter here. “If Copyright damages internet freedom, we should reopen it.” – S&D MEP Marina Kaljurand to EURACTIV. EURACTIV recently...
The media has a big problem, Reuters Institute says: Who will pay for the news?
News organisations are being challenged by technology giants and unsettled by a broader lack of trust but they have a much deeper problem: most people don't want to pay for online news, the Reuters Institute found.
G20 agrees to wrap up Big Tech tax rules by 2020
Group of 20 finance ministers agreed on Sunday to compile common rules to close loopholes used by global tech giants such as Facebook to reduce their corporate taxes, a final communique issued by the bloc showed on Sunday (9 April).
Europeans still anxious about AI facial recognition
Technology experts are usually among the first to embrace new and emerging digital tools. But that idea was put to the test at a stakeholders' gathering about artificial-intelligence–enabled facial recognition this week at the Microsoft Center in Brussels.
AI-enabled facial recognition: More than just ethics?
Facial recognition technology has been advancing rapidly over the past decade and is starting to be common in more devices, more places and real time. The odds are that facial biometrical information is already being analysed regularly. While there are...
How the EU wants countries to tweak transport policy
The European Commission unveiled a whole series of country-by-country recommendations on Wednesday (5 June), including guidance on how to improve transport links and boost sustainability through shrewd investments.
Digital Brief: The power of online platforms
Welcome to EURACTIV’s Digital Brief, your weekly update on all things digital in the EU. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.
Germany’s cyber defence strategy discussed behind closed doors
Germany is currently preparing a new cyber defence strategy. An internal concept paper of the German government foresees the use of so-called hack-backs and changes to the German Basic Law. But the change is happening and the general public is being excluded from the discussions, experts criticise. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Leak: These are the five priorities for the next finance Commissioner
A new strategy for the capital markets union, fintech, financial stability, sustainable economy and Brexit are the priorities listed for the next financial services commissioner, according to the memo drafted by European Commission officials and seen by EURACTIV.com.
Vestager’s grand plan for regulating the digital economy
The EU should be "ready to act" should social values such as "privacy, freedom and fairness" be under threat from expanding digital monopolies, the bloc's Competition Chief Margrethe Vestager said on Monday (3 April).
French economy ministry wants to overhaul EU competition policies
The French Ministry of Economy wants to change competition practices and trade policy in Europe. Its proposals also aim to tackle new digital conglomerates. EURACTIV France reports.
Global roadmap takes step toward solving digital tax conundrum
Nearly 130 countries and territories have agreed to a roadmap aimed at overhauling international tax rules which have been overtaken by development of digital commerce.
Irish Supreme Court rejects Facebook bid to block ECJ data case
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) will hear a landmark privacy case regarding the transfer of EU citizens’ data to the United States in July, after Facebook’s bid to stop its referral was blocked by Ireland’s Supreme Court on Friday (31 May).
Freedom of press in Europe no longer self-evident
Up until recently, freedom of press was considered as a self-evidence in Europe. That is no longer the case, especially in several eastern European countries, where journalists have come under severe political pressure.
Digital Brief: ‘No letting down the guard’
Welcome to EURACTIV’s Digital Brief, your weekly update on all things digital in the EU. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.
Kramp-Karrenbauer faces backlash over ‘censorship’ calls
A broad debate should be held on the possible regulation of political views expressed online, the leader of Germany's ruling Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (AKK), said on Monday. But she faced an immediate backlash, with some accusing her of advocating censorship.
EU coalition and futureproof media: Europe needs a VP for Democracy
Given difficult elections, the new EU Commission President will need a theme supporting MEPs and Prime Ministers. After years of fake news, platforms’ self-regulation and media crisis, this ecosystem could be rebalanced by a Vice-President for Democracy, Media and Platforms, Christophe Leclercq argues.
Digital Brief: Far-right falsities
It’s election time. With the Brits and the Dutch heading to the polls today, the big news of the week is the story that Facebook has removed around 80 pages spreading fake news or using tactics aimed at unfairly influencing the polls.
Facebook shuts dozens of fake-news pages ahead of EU vote
Facebook has taken down nearly 80 pages spreading fake news or using tactics that appeared aimed at unfairly influencing the European Parliament vote this weekend, an NGO reported Wednesday (22 May).
Jourova urges member states to respect ‘the spirit of the GDPR’
EU member states must "respect to the letter and the spirit of the GDPR," Justice Commissioner Vera Jourová said on Wednesday (22 May), after it transpired that some member states are yet to adapt their national legislation to fall in line with EU rules.