Internet governance
Commission lobbies for police access to website owners list
The European Commission has suggested that law enforcement authorities could soon have restricted access to the WHOIS database that identifies website owners because the system is on a collision course with the EU’s strict new data protection law.
Facebook widens probe into alleged Russian meddling in Brexit
Facebook Inc said on Wednesday (17 January) it would conduct a new, comprehensive search of its records for possible propaganda that Russian operatives may have spread during the run-up to Britain's 2016 referendum on EU membership.
Reding: ‘Endangered languages could be saved by the internet’
Internet platforms have helped the internet to become more multilingual, and especially less widely spoken languages like Luxembourgish, Viviane Reding told EURACTIV.com in an interview.
Domain names on a multilingual internet
More than half of the content on the internet is in English. Some online platforms like Facebook and Google Translate have increased their offers in other languages, and are now available in more than 100 languages.
EU urged to help expand internet domain names in different languages
Researchers and officials working on internet governance have urged EU institutions to help expand the use of internationalised domain names, which contain letters from alphabets including Cyrillic or Greek, or accented letters like in the word “café”.
EU plans aid to prosecute hackers and support member states
EU diplomats agreed to provide support to find and prosecute hackers outside the bloc and help member states that are hit with cybersecurity breaches, as part of a strategy to step up defence against large-scale attacks.
What is next for eGovernment ?
This year the Estonian EU Presidency is putting eGovernment at the forefront of discussions leading up to a Tallinn Declaration. Estonia is ranked number 1 in the EU and has emerged as a global leader in eGovernment operations.
In Europe, a new wave of terrorism driven by social media
The proliferation of extremist content online has led to growing pressure on tech firms. The EU has an opportunity to provide leadership by developing clear standards to decrease the prevalence of extremist propaganda, writes Radek Sikorski.
The EU shouldn’t fall for false “digital freedom”
Data monopolies, black-box algorithms, intellectual property, data protection and cybersecurity threats - it is high time for the EU to consider the costs of allowing our digital "freedom" to go unregulated, writes Helga Trüpel.
Notaries turn blockchain into ally for digital transactions
Once feared as a technology that would make legal practitioners redundant, blockchain has now actually strengthened the role of notaries as interpreters of complex transactions, best illustrated by the convoluted issue of land registries.
Tweets of the Week: Google fine, DUP deal, and equality in Germany
Welcome to EU Tweets. This week it’s Google in a pickle, Theresa May looking fickle and opposition to gay marriage in Germany slowing to a trickle.
Darknet guru: New technology can help build European identity
Modern technology could shore up the European project, boost transparency and help governments collect taxes. Author Jamie Bartlett told EURACTIV.com that the EU should become the great technological innovator but warned that politicians simply aren’t prepared for massive changes ahead.
EU states approve plans to make social media firms tackle hate speech
European Union ministers approved proposals on Tuesday (23 May) to make social media companies such as Facebook, Twitter and Google's YouTube tackle videos with hate speech on their platforms.
Romanian EU-funded project accused of data protection violations
The Romanian government has been accused of bias in its awarding of EU funding to the country’s intelligence services. The e-Governance project is also facing serious allegations that it violates European and domestic laws on personal data protection.
Dreaming big can help reform gigabit society
Europe’s digital transformation will connect previously-isolated rural communities and create jobs in multiple sectors, as well as improving individual wellbeing through eHealth solutions and encouraging SMEs to flourish, writes Pierre Louette.
Civic tech guru: Trump, Breitbart and populism are ‘the new normal’
The election of Donald Trump in the United States, helped by the far-right opinion news site Breitbart, is not a one-off event, says Victor Fleurot, a communication expert and self-proclaimed "visual activist", in an interview with Euractiv.com.
EU urges US tech giants to act faster against hate speech
US tech giants including Facebook, Twitter, Google's YouTube and Microsoft will have to act faster to tackle online hate speech or face laws forcing them to do so, the European Commission said on Sunday (4 December).
New telecoms rules mark ‘quiet revolution’ as Commission aims to boost internet speed
A set of EU telecoms laws will be remodelled when the European Commission proposes an overhaul today (14 September) of how the sector is governed.
Failed rocket was carrying Facebook satellite to give Africa the Internet
The space rocket which exploded before take-off yesterday (1 September) was carrying a satellite Facebook intended to use to connect sub-Saharan Africa to the internet.
EU may require YouTube, DailyMotion to seek deals with music industry
Websites such as Google's YouTube, DailyMotion and Pinterest could be required to seek licences or revenue-sharing deals with artists for content that is uploaded by their users as part of the European Union's planned copyright overhaul.
European digital single market needs strong net neutrality guidelines
Without a strong protection of the principle of net neutrality, European digital businesses will be confronted with regional fragmentation and new barriers to market entry that will favour the already dominant tech companies from Silicon Valley, writes Stefan Heumann.
Commission asked to crack down on YouTube, Spotify, Netflix in copyright bill
Two groups representing the film and music industry wrote to Jean-Claude Juncker on Monday (11 July) asking the European Commission to crack down on internet companies they say are exploiting artists.
Time for a stakeholders-led platform to shape e-commerce rules
E-commerce is revolutionising, raising new challenges on governance, regulation and traditional international rules. Time is ripe for a stakeholder-based World e-Trade Platform (eWTP) to propose new standards and incubate rules, writes Luigi Gambardella