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If there is one thing the coronavirus crisis proved to us is that automated tools used by big social media companies completely fail to provide a suitable online space for the exchange of vital health-related information, write Chloé Berthélémy and Diego Naranjo of European Digital Rights (EDRi).

The largest conglomerations of people worldwide at the start of this year could be observed at train and bus stations, airports, city squares and parks.

Germany changed course on Sunday (26 April) over which type of smartphone technology it wanted to use to trace coronavirus infections, backing an approach supported by Apple and Google along with a growing number of other European countries. Chancellery Minister Helge …

The European External Action Service (EEAS) has hit out at reports that it toned down allegations made against China as part of a report into state-led disinformation campaigns, following pressure from Beijing.

The EU's digital chief Margrethe Vestager has sought to allay privacy fears over the use of certain mobile applications in the fight against the coronavirus, a day after the EU rolled out a series of recommendations for the use of such technologies.

Mobile apps to track coronavirus cases in Europe should keep as much data as possible on the user’s device rather than in a central server to best maintain individual privacy, an EU document says.

The European Commission has warned against the processing and storage of location data in the use of mobile applications designed to trace the potential spread of the coronavirus across the bloc.

The European Parliament and Council should work with the Commission to consider how best to implement a potential legal clampdown on fake news online, the EU's Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders has said.

There has been a spike in recorded cases of racist abuse against people perceived to be of Chinese or Asian descent in the European Union amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis, the European Union's Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) said in a report published on Wednesday (8 April).

The UK's Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has announced a partnership with a contingency of the UK’s leading video games firms to deliver in-game coronavirus warnings to players.

EU Member States and the European Commission should "thoroughly analyse the experiences gained from the COVID-19 pandemic" in order to inform future policies across the entire spectrum of the digital domain, leaked Council documents seen by EURACTIV reveal.

Ireland's Prime Minister Leo Varadkar is to serve as a doctor in his country's fight against the ongoing spread of the deadly coronavirus, the leader's office announced on Sunday evening (6 March).

The European Commission is monitoring the use of mobile applications used in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic to make sure that the bloc's "values and rules" are not being infringed upon, Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said on Thursday (2 April).

The European Council and Commission are under pressure to make headway on rules to stamp out online terrorist content, the substance of which could provide a precedent for the upcoming Digital Services Act, an MEP involved with the matter told EURACTIV.

A top official of the telecommunications giant Huawei has said that Beijing may consider counter-measures should the United States choose to impose further restrictions on exports of American equipment to be used by the Chinese firm.

The photonics industry is an emerging but already consolidating market, with more than 100 acquisitions per year. But does Europe lack a financial market for the technology? EPIC's Carlos Lee explores.

Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei will halt its European mask donation programme for fear of becoming embroiled in a wider geopolitical powerplay, following comments from the EU's Foreign Chief Josep Borrell that a ‘politics of generosity’ is being played out, as well as a 'global battle of narratives'. 

The European Commission's Internal Market chief Thierry Breton has defended plans to obtain mobile data from EU telecom firms during the coronavirus outbreak, saying the acquisition of certain datasets allows for a clearer reading of "the impact of the confinement measures taken by member states."

The European Commission is calling on member states to work together on the world stage to put an end to capital punishment and torture.

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.

The European Commission has rebuked online platforms including Facebook, Google, Amazon, Alibaba and eBay for the alleged "proliferation of deceptive marketing techniques" that exploit consumers' fear of Coronavirus for economic gain.

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.

A week before the European Council, the coronavirus is dominating the agenda. The EU is struggling to find solutions - but the world is not standing still and other challenges remain acute. Austria's EU Minister Karoline Edtstadler (ÖVP) tells EURACTIV Germany how the virus will affect the summit and explains Austria's position in the crisis.

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.