Digital & Media
Intel wins appeal against $1.2 billion EU antitrust fine
Intel on Wednesday (26 January) won its appeal against a $1.2 billion EU antitrust fine handed down to the U.S. chipmaker twelve years ago for stifling a rival, in a major setback for EU antitrust regulators.
EU must resist attempts to dilute Digital Markets Act
The EU is on the brink of adopting new rules that will transform the dynamics of the digital economy and so significantly improve consumers’ experience. But it is crucially important that EU lawmakers resist last-ditch attempts by Big Tech companies to derail or neutralise these rules before they reach the statute book, writes Ursula Pachl.
EU auditors worry about divergent policies on 5G suppliers
Discordant rules among EU countries over the vetting of suppliers of 5G technology pose a security risk to the bloc, the European Court of Auditors (ECA) said in a report Monday (24 January).
Facebook trumpets massive new supercomputer
Facebook's parent company Meta announced on Monday (24 January) it was launching one of the world's most powerful supercomputers to boost its capacity to process data, despite persistent disputes over privacy and disinformation.
Uber and Deliveroo workers will be reclassified as employees, trade unions say
The workers of some of the most prominent platform companies in Europe would qualify as employees under the EU’s new platform worker proposal, according to the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).
How the Parliament’s AIDA Report Misdiagnoses the Risks and Benefits of Health AI
In November 2021, the European Parliament’s Special Committee on AI in a Digital Age (AIDA Committee) put forward its draft report on artificial intelligence (AI) in a digital age. The report advocates for a very permissive approach to regulation of AI to stimulate innovation and foster the competitiveness of the EU. With this, however, it understates the possible risks specific to development and use of AI in the context of health and lacks actual solutions to translate potential into action. We identified five shortcomings and hereby appeal to the regulator to address them.
Digital Brief powered by YouTube: DSA plenary, Germany stalling, voice assistant
Welcome to EURACTIV’s Digital Brief, your weekly update on all things digital in the EU.
Digital anonymity and the Online Safety Bill
As efforts to regulate digital platforms gather steam, attention to the issue of online anonymity is growing.
Russia proposes ban on use and mining of cryptocurrencies on its territory
Russia's central bank on Thursday (20 January) proposed banning the use and mining of cryptocurrencies on Russian territory, citing threats to financial stability, citizens' wellbeing and its monetary policy sovereignty.
Voice assistants under fire in IoT competition report
Voice assistants have come under particular scrutiny in the conclusions of a Commission competition inquiry into the consumer Internet of Things (IoT) sector.
MEPs adopt Digital Services Act with significant last-minute changes
A large majority of MEPs voted in favour of the Digital Services Act on Thursday (20 January), after plenary amendments introduced important changes to the text.
Campaigner: Digitalisation opens ‘new era of transparency’ for climate policy
Digital technologies like earth monitoring satellites allow for real-time automatic collection of data on things like greenhouse gas emissions, opening up a new world of possibilities for policymakers, says Jill Duggan.Editor's picks
Washington proposes ban on targeted ads
Three US lawmakers on Tuesday tabled the Banning Surveillance Advertising Act, a proposal aimed at banning the use of personal data for targeted advertising.
Polish district prosecutor launches proceedings in spyware-hack case
A local prosecutor's office in Poland on Tuesday (18 January) launched proceedings in a case involving a senior opposition figure's phone being hacked by spyware developed by Israel-based NSO Group.
EU Commission presents toolkit to tackle foreign interference in research
The Commission has released a toolkit aimed at tackling foreign interference in research and innovation (R&I), identified as a growing threat in the increasingly internationalised arenas of education and research.
Chip crisis pushes European car sales to new low
EU car sales fell to a new low last year as the auto sector was hobbled by the Covid pandemic and a shortage of computer chips, industry figures showed Tuesday (18 January). Registrations of new passenger cars in the EU...
Major US airlines warn 5G could ground some planes, wreak havoc
The chief executives of major US passenger and cargo carriers on Monday (17 January) warned of an impending "catastrophic" aviation crisis in less than 36 hours, when AT&T and Verizon are set to deploy new 5G service.
DSA cramped with amendments ahead of key vote in the European Parliament
Over a hundred alternative amendments were tabled on the DSA ahead of the plenary vote, with some critical comebacks and reformulations of existing proposals. The amendments are a mixed bag of new bids, bring-backs of measures discarded in the consumer...
French and German SMEs oppose tracking-based ads, survey finds
Ahead of a crucial EU parliamentary vote on the Digital Services Act, a survey has found that a majority of small businesses in France and Germany want alternatives to tracking-based advertisements by Google and Facebook, which they perceive as being too invasive.
German kick-off for digital transition on hold
Germany's digital transition is delayed as ministries still have not determined where different competencies will lie, despite it, along with climate change, being one of the key focus areas of the new government's coalition agreement.
Facebook faces £2.3bn class-action in the UK for data ‘exploitation’
Meta is facing a major class-action lawsuit in the UK over claims that it abused its dominant market position to exploit the personal data of British users.
Digital Brief powered by Facebook: Europol’s saga, Schrems II fallout, DMA trilogue
Welcome to EURACTIV’s Digital Brief, your weekly update on all things digital in the EU.OpinionPromoted content
The EU needs legislation on access to in-vehicle data
Digitalisation has the potential to revolutionize the way we use, maintain, repair, and insure cars; the existing sector-specific legislation needs some overhaul to keep allowing consumers to control and manage data flows that they generate while using their vehicles.