Digital
Twitter publishes tweet trove from Russia, Iran trolling campaigns
Twitter published a trove of some 10 million tweets that it said are potentially the product of state-backed operations by Russia and Iran, shedding new light on the scale and nature of misinformation campaigns mounted by the two nations.
At EU summit, Borissov deplores ‘terrible’ Russian cyberattacks on Bulgaria
Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov disclosed on Wednesday (17 October) that his country had been targeted by “terrible” Russian cyberattacks before its EU presidency.
EU-US Privacy Shield review: Jourová to meet US secretary amid compliance concerns
The EU's Justice Commissioner Věra Jourová will sit down with US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross on Thursday (18 October), as they launch a review of the EU-US privacy shield, while certain EU MEPs remain unconvinced by the agreement.
Hackers accused of ties to Russia hit 3 East European companies: cybersecurity firm
Hackers have infected three energy and transport companies in Ukraine and Poland with sophisticated new malware and may be planning destructive cyber attacks, a software security firm said on Wednesday (17 October).
Google to charge licensing fee for Google Play in Europe
U.S. tech giant Google will charge smartphone makers a licensing fee for using its popular Google Play app store and also allow them to use rival versions of its Android mobile operating system to comply with an EU antitrust order.
EU code of practice on fake news: Tech giants sign the dotted line
Tech giants including Facebook, Google, Twitter and Mozilla have submitted plans to the European Commission outlining how they will abide by a code of practice against fake news, amid opposition on the proposals from a multistakeholder forum.
Deutsche Telekom CEO optimistic about EU okay for Tele2 Dutch deal
Deutsche Telekom is confident it will secure EU antitrust approval to buy Tele2’s Dutch business, the German company’s chief executive said, adding that the deal was necessary to help the companies compete with bigger rivals.
The Brief, powered by The International Bromine Council – Warning from a ghost in the machine: European elections face imminent threat
Lyudmila Savchuk is a diminutive Russian in her mid-30s, there is a perceptible fatigue patterned across her face as she sits in the lobby of a mid-range Brussels hotel which normally accommodates Eurocrats and political officials.
Caruana Galizia’s murder a toxic mystery in Malta one year on
A year after a car bomb killed Maltese anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, those who ordered the murder remain free while others continuing her work in the EU's smallest state are branded traitors.
Italy resists EU push to impose sanctions over cyberattacks
Italy is resisting a European Union push to impose sanctions on states who carry out cyberattacks, a move that appears in line with Rome’s calls to de-escalate tensions with Russia but that could alienate Italy from its EU allies.
Digital tax to come by Christmas, Moscovici says
The EU's Economic and Financial Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici has rallied the cause for an EU-wide digital tax to be rolled out in time for Christmas, amid a raft of opposition on the plans from member states, legal experts and industry associations.
MEPs stake claim for the copyright of data in autonomous vehicles
MEPs sitting in the European Parliament's Legal Affairs committee voted down an important clause in a draft opinion on Tuesday (10 October), backing the notion that data capture during the operation of autonomous vehicles should be subject to copyright rules.
Borissov lashes out at EU’s ‘unfair pressure’ over journalist murder
Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said on Wednesday (10 October) the murder of journalist Viktoria Marinova was of purely criminal nature and lashed out against what he called “European pressure”, warning that he would raise the issue at the European People's Party (EPP).
Google appeals record EU fine over Android
Google on Tuesday (9 October) appealed the biggest ever anti-trust fine by the EU, which imposed a 4.34 billion euro penalty on the US tech giant for illegally abusing the dominance of its operating system for mobile devices.
EU privacy chief expects first round of fines under new law by year-end
Regulators are set to exercise their new powers by handing out fines and even temporary bans on companies that breach a new EU privacy law, with the first round of sanctions expected by the end of the year, the bloc’s privacy chief said.
EU digital tax: MEPs call for higher rates
The European Commission should consider increasing the proposed rates in the controversial digital tax plans, MEPs from the European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs committee suggested on Tuesday (9 October).
Ireland joins growing list of EU digital tax opponents
The European Commission's proposal to oblige tech firms to pay a 3% levy on revenues faced a further setback on Sunday (7 September), as Ireland joined a growing list of member states opposing the measures.
Television journalist’s murder shocks Bulgaria
A television journalist has been raped and murdered in Bulgaria's northern town of Ruse, prosecutors and a minister said Sunday (7 October), in a case that has shocked fellow journalists and sparked international condemnation.
Apple, Amazon deny Bloomberg report on Chinese hardware attack
Apple Inc and Amazon.com Inc denied a Bloomberg Businessweek report on Thursday that said their systems had been infiltrated by malicious computer chips inserted by Chinese intelligence agents.
Estonia and Finland first to start exchanging healthcare data by end of year
Estonia and Finland will start exchanging digital prescriptions at the end of the year, in a groundbreaking move that Estonian Health Minister Riina Sikkut said she hoped other EU countries will follow.
‘Russia must stop its reckless pattern of behaviour’, NATO’s Stoltenberg warns
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told Russia on Thursday (4 September) to "stop its reckless pattern of behaviour" and vowed to strengthen the alliance's defences, citing recent Russian-led cyber-attacks on the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
Margrethe Vestager’s uncertain future in Brussels
Four years spent fighting against the monopoly of the US digital giants have given Margrethe Vestager political prominence. But due to a lack of support from Copenhagen for a second mandate, the competition Commissioner is expected to leave Brussels after the elections. EURACTIV France reports.
A ‘fifth freedom’ of the EU: MEPs back an end to data localisation
MEPs voted on Thursday to (4 October) to support the final text on the free flow of non-personal data across the EU, hailed as a potential game changer for the digital economy. The regulation was adopted with overwhelming support in the European Parliament with 520 votes to 81.