Digital & Media
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.
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.
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.Editor's picks
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.
Europe and emerging technologies
As the debate on digital sovereignty is as relevant as ever, we discuss with Jean-Marc Leclerc, the co-Director of IBM’s policy lab, Europe’s position on emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, quantum computing and cloud.
Massive cyberattack hits Ukrainian government websites amid Russia tensions
A massive cyberattack warning Ukrainians to "be afraid and expect the worst" hit government websites late on Thursday (13 January), leaving some websites inaccessible on Friday morning and prompting Kyiv to open an investigation.
Choosing between data security and data sharing should not be an option
The French EU Council Presidency should focus its work on major EU digital legislation to lead to greater clarity and legal certainty in an increasingly fragmented digital landscape, argues Yann Padova.
Freedom of the press: Why censorship by platforms must be resisted
The Digital Services Act is a major piece of legislation that should result in a safer digital space. However, a recent vote in the European Parliament stopped short of adopting an amendment that would have made freedom of information in Europe free from non-EU private sector digital giants, writes Pierre Louette.
EU funds fact-checking website in Hungary ahead of crucial elections
Agence France-Presse (AFP) is launching a website to fight disinformation in Hungary, just three months before elections that will determine Orbán’s grip on power - however, experts remain sceptical.
Google proposes measures addressing German antitrust body’s concerns
Google has proposed measures on Wednesday (12 January) to address concerns raised by the German antitrust authority in the ongoing case regarding the Google News Showcase platform. EURACTIV Germany reports.
French MPs call for more transparency, press unity in battle against digital giants
There is a need to put a stop to the information gap between the media and digital platforms, and encourage publishers to join forces to improve negotiations with digital platforms, French MPs concluded in a report presented on Wednesday.
EU institutions kick off negotiations on law targeting Big Tech
EU lawmakers held their first political discussion on the proposed Digital Markets Act, a key piece of the EU's digital legislation, on Tuesday (11 January), with a view to reaching an agreement by the end of March.
EU watchdog condemns Parliament over illegal data transfer from COVID website
The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) issued a reprimand to the European Parliament for violating the bloc's privacy laws on January 5.