News - For Consumers

Civil society groups urge EU lawmakers to reject AI Omnibus proposals weakening AI Act transparency. This move risks fundamental rights and enforcement for negligible company benefits.

Amazon Ring introduces AI-powered "Search Party" for finding lost pets, but critics warn it builds foundations for mass surveillance. The feature raises significant privacy concerns across Europe.

Chinese tech firm Dreame, which started as a Xiaomi supplier, is investing €10 million to become the next Samsung. The company unveiled a robot vacuum with a four-legged chassis capable of climbing stairs at IFA Berlin.

Francia, Alemania y España fail to align on a European combat aircraft. This strategic project, aimed at digital sovereignty, faces delays due to disagreement on shared control.

WhatsApp scores a win as the European Court of Justice allows direct appeals against the European Data Protection Board. This decision impacts potential multi-billion euro data protection fines for Meta.

Spain's MareNostrum 5 supercomputer receives €129 million to integrate AI capabilities. The upgrade, co-funded by Spain, Portugal, and Turkey, aims to boost its capacity for AI model training and inference.

Movistar launches aggressive fiber and streaming bundles under €25, aiming to slash prices in a competitive market. The offer includes 300 Mb symmetric fiber and Movistar Plus+ without a commitment period.

Spotify announces record user growth in Q4 2025, boosted by a successful Spotify Wrapped campaign. The streaming giant exceeded its own forecasts, signaling strong platform engagement.

EDRi urges the Council to reject the Digital Omnibus proposal, citing fundamental rights violations and poor regulatory practice. The group demands the Commission resubmit the legislation with comprehensive assessments.

AI integration in operating rooms sparks concern over botched surgeries and misidentified body parts. FDA approval of thousands of AI-assisted surgical devices prompts criticism for potentially compromising patient safety.

LibreOffice slams Microsoft's commercial practices, accusing them of hindering interoperability over proprietary interests. This renewed criticism highlights ongoing tensions in the software market regarding open standards.

OpenAI rolls out ads in ChatGPT tests, mirroring Netflix's strategy to monetize AI. This shift signals a new era for AI platforms as they seek revenue beyond subscriptions.

ZB MED launches fundraising for European OLSPub, a PubMed alternative aiming for digital sovereignty in research data. The project seeks funding to secure independent access to scientific literature.

Cisco AI Summit forecasts significant AI breakthroughs in 2025 and 2026, despite unclear ROI. The industry leaders emphasize the need for robust infrastructure to support widespread AI adoption.

Big Tech lobbies against the EU's Digital Fairness Act, aiming to curb manipulative online design. Google and Meta face scrutiny over practices that steer user behavior.

EU Commission threatens Meta with enforcement actions over WhatsApp data API access. Brussels deems Meta's conduct anti-competitive, citing restricted rival access.

Siemens CEO envisions automating entire factory processes with AI, merging physical and digital worlds. This ambitious plan aims for optimal operations but raises questions about workforce displacement.

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.

Anthropic launches Claude Code, an AI tool for developers to generate programming code directly from their computer's terminal. This integration streamlines workflows by eliminating the need for separate applications and constant web queries for coding assistance.

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.