Technology
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Collaboration delivers digital skills for a digital Europe
There is a significant digital skills gap in Europe. To overcome this problem, strategic collaboration between public and private actors is key. Overcoming the digital skills gap will ensure that technology will continue to be beneficial for an inclusive and fair society, today and tomorrow.Promoted content
Europe takes a step ahead of the US in chip policy
For the past decade, a strong sense that the EU is falling behind the rest of the world – particularly vis-a-vis the US - in tech leadership has been the main driver of EU tech policy. This may be true in some areas such as online platforms, but to say that the EU lacks global clout in tech is incorrect.
The European Media Freedom Act must be strengthened
The European Commission must take an ambitious approach to the upcoming European Media Freedom Act and consult civil society leaders and industry experts, five journalism organisations write in an open letter.Promoted content
Intel’s Net-Zero Greenhouse Gas Commitment is Key to Delivering Green Tech
Microprocessors are the backbone of our digital infrastructure and a key enabler for a more sustainable economy and carbon neutral future. Intel has made a commitment to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across our operations by 2040.
World Press Freedom Day: Safeguarding journalism as a public good in Europe
The extraordinary courage of journalists and media workers reporting from conflict areas in Ukraine and other parts of the world reminds us once again how crucial their work is in providing timely, trusted and fact-based information, write Birgit Van Hout, Irene Khan, and Louise Haxthausen.
EU proposal to tackle abusive lawsuits against journalists could be a game changer
Journalists and watchdogs deserve better protection against the ‘lawfare’ of powerful politicians or businesses as the new EU anti-SLAPP initiative could turn the worrying trend of weaponising laws and courts to silence critical voices in Europe.
Internet filters do not infringe freedom of expression if they work well. But will they?
The EU Court has clarified that filters should not be trusted when they cannot do their job with adequate precision. But their supervision remains weak. The upcoming AI Act offers an opportunity to address this, writes Martin Husovec.
Time for Europe to get serious on Artificial Intelligence
Last week, the European Parliament’s Special Committee on Artificial Intelligence in a Digital Age (AIDA) adopted its final recommendations. The headline finding? Europe is falling behind in the global race to gain a competitive edge through Artificial Intelligence (AI).
High stakes for children as DSA negotiations enter final round
One-third of primary-school-age children and half of teenagers fear they are addicted to digital services. Additionally, 10% of 12–13-year-olds believe they are addicted to porn, and 15% of children have stolen money to fund loot box purchases in online games.
Ukraine: The DSA cannot let filters blind us to war crimes
The Digital Services Act must protect our rights by including meaningful safeguards to uphold the fundamental rights of Internet users, especially for those engaged in the indispensable work of documenting war crimes.
The human cost of the EU’s fragmented approach to tackling image-based sexual abuse
One month ago, the European Commission proposed a Directive, one aim of which is to punish perpetrators of cyberviolence against women, including the non-consensual sharing of intimate images. Now, survivors are shocked that the EU is sliding back.
Banning Dark Patterns – Far From a Light Task
Dark patterns refer to how internet platforms trick and deceive users into clicking on something they don’t want to do.
‘Digital sanctions’: How to quickly reduce Russia’s capacity of harm on the internet
Technology companies and regulators in the EU and other western countries have the power to disturb the functioning of the Internet in Russia, and the malicious use of the Internet beyond Russia, without affecting the country’s essential data and infrastructure, nor harming the infrastructure of other countries. These digital sanctions can be implemented quickly, and removed easily when appropriate.
France must not betray European citizens on the DSA at the 11th hour
As civil society, we welcomed Minister Cedric O’s commitment on Friday to prohibit targeted advertising to minors as well as the use of sensitive data for ad targeting in the DSA. Now the French Council Presidency must follow through and protect citizens, 35 NGOs write in an open letter.
Social media companies must increase regulation of their platforms to enable democracy in Serbia
Elections in Serbia and an explosion of pro-Russian disinformation show why manipulation of social media in the Balkans by state actors is now a critical issue for Europe, writes Antoinette Nikolova.Promoted content
Digital strategic autonomy: the EU needs to go beyond legislation
To achieve strategic autonomy in the digital domain, the EU must do more than legislate. It needs to assert more political control over crucial supply chains and standardisation processes, and invest in the development of public digital infrastructure.
The new iron curtain part 2: The free internet stymies Putin
As Russia sends tanks and soldiers to take over Ukraine, it is also dispatching censors and regulators to strangle the Internet. Andrei Soldatov and Irina Borogan argue that both invasions are linked and represent the culmination of a more than a decade-long trend to throttle the free and open flow of information in Russia.
Time to restore fairness and contestability in digital markets
In December 2020, the European Commission presented the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the Digital Services Act (DSA) as “milestones in our journey to make Europe Fit for the Digital Age”.
Breaking digital dominance
Today’s expected agreement on the Digital Markets Act is essential to crack market dominance in digital markets. However, if negotiators fail to agree on effective tools to get under the skin of the underlying business model of advertising, we risk not only stifling of innovation and poor data protection but on top of that also societal harms, such as disinformation and hate speech, write René Repasi and Paul Tang.
The Digital Markets Act is one of our best tools to resist to information wars
The West is involved in at least two wars in Ukraine: a military war and an information war. Meanwhile, governments pressure the largest social media platforms as they are the biggest battleground for the information war, writes Maria Luisa Stasi.
Disinformation: EU lawmakers ask platforms to do more, their DSA talks go the other way
The war in Ukraine is playing out across digital services and social media platforms, with disinformation and propaganda at its core. In just a few weeks, the Spanish fact-checker Maldita.es has already listed more than 750 fact-checks produced to counter disinformation items.
Big tech is pulling tricks instead of doing what is right
There is a 19th-century Russian saying - “to earn a rouble and keep one’s honour” - which applied with irony to people who try to do good, play by the rules and still receive personal gain. Like so many others in the past, the world's tech giants failed at both when Russia invaded Ukraine, writes Janusz Cieszyński.
Ukrainophobia, Russian propaganda and war in Europe
Questioning Ukrainian identity, the right to decide, defend themselves, and ask for sanctions to weaken the Russian economy and thus, ability to attack - remains a tool of Russian propaganda. Let’s make sure we don’t help spreading it, appeals Anna Romandash.