News - For Consumers
Daily digest of all European digital development news
EDRi welcomes EU preliminary findings on TikTok’s addictive platform design
EU regulators preliminarily found TikTok breached the Digital Services Act with its addictive platform design. EDRi urges TikTok to swiftly mitigate risks to its 500 million European users.
Behavior scanner in Mannheim: No criminal offenses, but camera surveillance
Mannheim's AI-powered "behavior scanner" surveillance project faces scrutiny. Baden-Württemberg's data protection authority is investigating a section where no crimes were reported since cameras were installed.
The EU threatens to take measures against WhatsApp, which excluded ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other AI assistants
EU threatens provisional measures against Meta for blocking third-party AI chatbots like ChatGPT on WhatsApp. Meta's policy shift now excludes rivals, prioritizing its own AI.
heise offer: iX-Workshop: IT Law for Admins – Paths to Legally Compliant IT Practice
IT professionals can now learn how to legally run their systems under CRA, NIS-2, and the AI Act. Practical insights for ensuring compliant IT practices are offered in a new workshop.
In 2010 a student from Barcelona was looking for an easy way to edit PDFs. 16 years later, it is one of the most viewed websites on the internet
Barcelona-born iLovePDF offers free PDF editing tools, growing into one of the internet's most visited websites. The platform simplifies document management for millions globally.
Digital sovereignty: 8 European alternatives to the services you use every day
Europe unveils 8 digital alternatives to replace Big Tech, championing private life over surveillance. These homegrown solutions cover search engines to AI, aiming for greater digital sovereignty.
Nextcloud Activates the ADA Turbo: Significant Performance Improvements Arrive
Nextcloud unleashes its ADA Engine, slashing server load and speeding up large installations. This new data access architecture promises significant performance gains for the open-source platform.
Voluntary chat control: Exception rule extended for the second time
EU lawmakers are extending a temporary loophole for the second time, allowing internet services to voluntarily scan user communications. This exemption bypasses privacy rules for combating child sexual abuse, raising proportionality concerns.
An alliance between Ford and Geely sounds like melodic music for Almussafes. The reality is much more complex
Ford explores partnerships with Chinese EV makers like Geely for European production. Talks include technology sharing, potentially impacting its Almussafes plant.
Addictive Design: TikTok illegal in its current form under EU law
TikTok's addictive design violates EU's Digital Services Act, potentially making its current format illegal. The EU's preliminary findings suggest the platform's practices contravene new digital service regulations.
The European Commission says one thing with the Digital Omnibuses, but does something else
EU Commission proposals threaten digital rights by excluding pseudonymized data from GDPR and allowing processing of sensitive personal data. This risks mass surveillance and discrimination, undermining vital data protection safeguards.
Doom-scrolling and addiction risk: EU Commission calls for changes at TikTok
EU Commission flags TikTok for Digital Services Act violations over addictive design. Brussels demands platform changes to curb harmful user engagement.
Digital Services Act: EU Commission wants to limit TikTok use
EU Commission finds TikTok insufficient in curbing addictive platform risks. A preliminary ruling under the Digital Services Act could lead to penalties, citing concerns over youth mental health impacts.
Brussels concludes that TikTok's "addictive design" violates EU law
Brussels finds TikTok's "addictive design" violates EU's Digital Services Act. This preliminary conclusion could lead to fines up to 6% of the platform's global revenue.
TikTok’s infinite scroll is too addictive, say EU regulators
EU regulators warn TikTok's addictive features may violate the Digital Services Act. A potential breach could force the platform to redesign its service to prevent harm.
Areas without network: ANACOM asks operators to activate national roaming
Portugal's ANACOM urges telcos to enable national roaming for areas hit by severe weather disruptions. The regulator seeks to restore essential communication services rapidly across affected regions.
Statement of solidarity with EDRi members and allies facing pressure for their work on platform regulation
EDRi network condemns US administration pressure on members over platform regulation. This highlights ongoing tensions between online speech advocacy and regulatory enforcement in Europe.
Interpretation Issue 152: Data Protection Economic Advantage?
Privacy debate intensifies: Does data protection stifle business or provide an economic edge? Podcast hosts discuss with Frederik Richter, exploring potential benefits and challenges for companies.
Colibri Project strengthens digital resilience in emergency scenarios
Portugal launches Projeto Colibri to bolster digital resilience against escalating emergency threats. The initiative aims to secure critical infrastructure and ensure service continuity during natural disasters.
Telefónica sought to lay off 4,525 employees with its ERE. Now it has a problem called 5,124 volunteers
Telefónica's Spanish ERE sees 5,124 volunteers, exceeding the 4,525 planned layoffs. Over 350 workers are now outside the voluntary redundancy plan due to the surge.