Digital
Commission charts end to execution and torture in human rights plans
The European Commission is calling on member states to work together on the world stage to put an end to capital punishment and torture.
A new type of virus is upon us, and it is not corona
The whole world is preoccupied with the coronavirus pandemic. Every day, we experience apprehension and our thoughts focus on how we can protect ourselves, our families and countries. Yet, while nations struggle to mobilise their resources to fight this unparalleled epidemic, another virus is spreading almost undetected, Daniel Milo argues.
Commission touts importance of ‘data for common good’ amid COVID-19 privacy concerns
The European Commission will task EU governments with establishing structures that facilitate the use of data for the 'common good' before the end of the year. The executive is hoping that the response to the Coronavirus crisis can demonstrate the power of data analytics.
Health, trust and journalism: a Coronavirus Plan for the Media
In this Open Letter to the President of the EU Commission, media stakeholders and experts, in a personal capacity, along with MEPs and former MEPs ask for the Commission to support trust in public action, and to help sustain the media in this testing time.
German COVID-19 Hackathon delivers more than 800 projects
Last weekend, the German government had 42,869 participants working to find innovative solutions to acute challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. The result: over 800 ideas on topics such as shopping, childcare and symptom monitoring. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Misguided ‘solution’ to terrorist content will have bad consequences for our rights
One year ago, on 15 March 2019, a terrorist entered a Christchurch mosque, murdering more than fifty people. Beyond the atrocity of such a hate crime, it hit the whole world for two reasons
Elite hackers target WHO as coronavirus cyberattacks spike
Elite hackers tried to break into the World Health Organization earlier this month, sources told Reuters, part of what a senior agency official said was a more than two-fold increase in cyberattacks.
EU citizens stranded as repatriation efforts face obstacles
EU citizens are facing increasing challenges to return to the bloc due to the escalating number of travel restrictions announced across the globe as a result to the coronavirus outbreak. Foreign ministers in their first-ever video conference on Monday (23...
The story behind the Commission’s new emphasis on encryption
The European Commission has begun taking more decisive steps toward secure, encrypted communications. But while all of these steps may be positive, not all of them are identical.
YouTube to reduce streaming quality in Europe due to coronavirus
Alphabet's YouTube said on Friday (20 March) it will reduce its streaming quality in the European Union to avert internet gridlock as thousands of Europeans, constrained by the coronavirus outbreak, switch to working from home.
Netflix to scale down European network traffic after EU pressure
The online streaming giant Netflix has pledged to lower the quality of its videos in a bid to reduce traffic on European networks by 25%. The aim is to preserve the smooth operation of the internet amid an increase in usage during the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
European Parliament to roll out ‘distance voting’ technology for MEPs
Administrative staff at European Parliament have been tasked with developing technology that will "facilitate the remote participation" of MEPs during the prolonged period of remote working brought on as a result of the coronavirus outbreak, documents seen by EURACTIV reveal.
Digital Brief: A Brave, New and Sick World
Welcome to EURACTIV’s Digital Brief, your weekly update on all things digital in the EU. You can subscribe to the newsletter here. “Europe and the whole world are facing an unprecedented situation.” – EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton, 18 March...
Phishing emails, trojans and spam in the age of the coronavirus
Phishing emails, trojans and spam are now spreading over the Internet. Experts estimate that more than three percent of coronavirus websites that have been created since the beginning of the year contain malicious content.
Employers accused of abusing EU data privacy rules to hinder trade unions
The EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is being misused by employers across Europe as trade unions are denied access to information required to recruit and organise workers, a new study has found.
Commission: Internet ‘under strain’ amid COVID-19 overuse
The EU's internet infrastructure is 'under strain' and a series of measures should be implemented by online streaming platforms as a means to mitigate the higher demand for bandwidth amid the current coronavirus quarantine period, the European Commission said on Wednesday evening (18 March).
EU industry touts 3D printing as ‘immediate solution’ to COVID-19 shortages
The EU's additive manufacturing sector is rallying the potential benefits of 3D printing technologies for aiding in the shortage of vital health equipment needed for treating coronavirus patients across Europe.
COVID-19: Austria takes precautionary measures for internet use, despite ‘buffer’ in capacities
The spread of the coronavirus is becoming a stress test for Austria's internet infrastructure, as internet traffic exploded virtually overnight. To protect the country's capacities, the regulatory authority RTR has given the green light for certain online services, like video streaming, to be throttled.
Eurovision becomes latest victim of coronavirus
Eurovision song contest organisers announced on Wednesday (18 March) that this year's edition - scheduled for May in the Dutch city of Rotterdam - is cancelled because of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. The annual contest has run interrupted since its debut in 1956.
Anti-crisis hackers join forces to find COVID-19 solutions
An international community of hackers have embarked on a project to find innovative solutions to the everyday challenges brought on by the Coronavirus outbreak.
Bulgarian investigative journalist assaulted in Sofia
A well-known Bulgarian investigative journalist was assaulted by masked men late Tuesday outside his home on a central Sofia boulevard, sparking angry reactions from journalist organisations.
Big tech could do better at protecting the environment
Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon and Microsoft, known as 'GAFAM' in France, say they are protecting the environment, but that's not the point. Partly responsible for the carbon impact of digital technology, these multinationals are mainly trying to minimise damage. EURACTIV's partner La Tribune reports.
EU auditors probe bloc’s disinformation fight amid COVID-19 concerns
The European Court of Auditors (ECA) has launched a probe into the resilience of the bloc's attempts to stifle fake news that can 'cause public harm,' the institution announced on Tuesday (17 March).