Internet governance
EU countries may soon push for human rights and tech standards focus group in ITU
Est. 3minSome EU countries are looking to start a focus group on human rights and artificial intelligence (AI) under the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) umbrella, Bilel Jamoussi, who leads these groups at the international organisation, told Euractiv.
Bundestag adopts its DSA implementation law with one-month delay
Est. 4minGermany’s federal parliament, the Bundestag, adopted on Thursday (21 March) a law implementing the Digital Services Act (DSA), an EU legislation regulating how online platforms should handle illegal and harmful content.
Breton’s megaphone enforcement is no way to tackle disinformation
Est. 5minEU Commissioner Thierry Breton is taking an aggressive public approach to social media platforms’ failure to tackle disinformation about the Israel-Hamas conflict. Breton’s approach may help boost his public profile – but it risks undermining more useful steps in the fight against disinformation, writes Zach Meyers.
Spanish EU Presidency warns about online radicalisation of minors by terrorists
Est. 4minMinors are especially vulnerable to manipulation by terrorist organisations and more action is needed to respond quickly to this growing threat, according to a document by the Spanish EU Council Presidency, dated 10 October and seen by Euractiv.
Is Europe being sidelined in the quantum computing race?
Est. 5minAs quantum-powered cyber-attack threats become more real by the day, liberal democracies and autocratic regimes are racing to develop quantum-safe encryption. But Europe risks being a spectator.
The 2023 Digital Government Summit
Leaders from across Europe's digital government landscape converged in Brussels to shape the future of citizen-centric services and foster cross-border collaboration. The summit highlighted cutting-edge initiatives, such as Ukraine's Diia digital platform and the Interoperable Europe Act proposed by the European …
Enabling the Enablers: A Path to Europe’s Green Transition
Est. 6minAs ICT companies prepare for the future of connectivity, they remain mindful of our planet’s future. Forward-looking regulatory instruments, with a technology neutral approach to green transitions, will enable the enablers. Learn more during our fourth Digital Debate Series event.
TikTok accused of allowing Kremlin propaganda
Est. 3minKremlin propaganda is being shared on TikTok by a "network of coordinated accounts" despite the platform's ban on new Russian content, according to a study. EURACTIV France reports.
French regulator calls on court to block five pornographic websites
Est. 4minThe French audiovisual regulator has filed a suit demanding the blocking of five pornographic websites, which have been on notice since mid-December for failing to ensure that their content is not accessible to minors. EURACTIV France reports.
Russia reportedly seeks tighter control over the internet
Est. 4minRussia appears to be preparing measures to tighten control over the internet, under the guise of seeking to be more resilient against cyberattacks, according to an internal document circulated on social media and comments by Russian officials.
Europe’s most used consent system deemed incompatible with EU privacy rules
Est. 5minBelgium's data watchdog found that a popular mechanism for managing user preferences in Europe violates several General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) provisions, and it requested advertisers to delete the collected data.
Big tech opposes Germany’s enhanced hate speech law
Est. 3minThe amendment to Germany's Network Enforcement Act known as NetzDG on combatting hate speech online comes into force on Tuesday (1 February) but some of the largest online platforms refuse to cooperate. EURACTIV Germany reports.
French and German SMEs oppose tracking-based ads, survey finds
Est. 4minAhead of a crucial EU parliamentary vote on the Digital Services Act, a survey has found that a majority of small businesses in France and Germany want alternatives to tracking-based advertisements by Google and Facebook, which they perceive as being too invasive.
Google under market abuse control rules after German competition decision
Est. 4minGoogle has been dubbed a platform of 'paramount significance across markets' and will be subject to extended abuse control rules to combat uncompetitive practices, according to Germany's Federal Cartel Office on Wednesday (5 January).
Pornhub says French warnings over age limits ‘encroaches upon privacy of adults’
Est. 4minPornhub has criticised France's broadcasting regulator for sending warnings on Monday (13 December) to five porn-hosting websites over easy accessibility for minors. According to the pornography giant, the decision "encroaches upon the privacy of adults" and ignores most of the industry that remains uncontrolled. EURACTIV France reports.
Internet guardians want to break web’s language barriers
Est. 5minWhen website addresses using writing systems like Chinese and Arabic were introduced back in 2009, it was hailed as a step that would transform the internet.
France ‘very confident’ Brussels will not oppose new parental control bill
Est. 5minThe French government notified the European Commission last week of a new bill aimed at ensuring electronic devices like computers, phones, gaming consoles and tablets sold in the country have parental controls pre-installed. One of the bill's authors is "very confident" Brussels would not oppose the proposed law. EURACTIV France reports.
US democratic alliance on internet governance ‘not yet clear’ for EU Commission
Est. 4minA United States initiative to put forth a proposal on the future governance of the internet is still too undefined for the European Commission, according to an internal communication seen by EURACTIV.
136 countries agree on international tax reform
Est. 6minMore than 100 countries agreed on Friday (8 October) a reform of the international tax regime intended to make it fit for the digital age and respond to longstanding concerns about corporate tax evasion.
Facebook’s plan to cut back on political content sets up Orbán for re-election
Est. 6minBy cutting back on political content, Facebook is taking the responsibility to further distort political competition in countries like Hungary, where media pluralism has been severely hit by the ruling parties. Such a move could help Prime Minister Viktor Orbán secure another term in power, argues Anna Donath.
Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny’s website blocked by regulator before election
Est. 3minRussian authorities blocked access to jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny's website on Monday (26 July) in the run-up to a parliamentary election, their latest attempt to sideline his allies cast by the Kremlin as US-backed trouble-makers.
Germany’s push for tighter tech regulation
Est. 5minGerman lawmakers are making the case for tighter obligations for online platforms in the upcoming EU legislation, as they fear that it could produce weaker rules than their current national framework, EURACTIV Germany reports.
French law on content moderation risks ‘fragmenting’ EU digital market, says Commission
Est. 5minA French bill with several obligations for online platforms similar to a draft EU law poses a "risk to the single market in digital services and to Europe's prosperity", the European Commission has warned. EURACTIV France reports.
Germany’s online hate speech law slammed by opposition, Commission
Est. 4minCivil rights activists and opposition politicians have slammed a recently approved amendment to Germany's law regulating online communications, saying it encroaches on freedom of expression and fragments the European legal space. EURACTIV Germany reports.