News - For Consumers
Daily digest of all European digital development news

EU Parliament: Social Democrats want to examine digital regulation
EU Social Democrats seek to understand the Digital Services Act's implementation by forming an investigation committee. This move follows the first penalty under the DSA: a €120 million fine against X.

There are people investigating if AIs are better hackers than human hackers. And we do not have very nice news
AI hackers are approaching, and may soon surpass, human hackers, according to a Stanford University study. Researchers pitted an AI hacking bot, Artemis, against professional ethical hackers, revealing the AI's potential in cybersecurity threats.

FinTech and data protection: PayPal collects the sexual preferences of customers
PayPal's foray into advertising is under fire for allegedly collecting and selling extensive personal data, including sensitive information, to advertisers. A legal analysis concludes that PayPal's practices violate data protection laws.

Fortnite only had one space left to conquer: the Android store. The law has ended up giving it the reason
Fortnite returns to the Android store in the US after a legal battle against Google's monopoly, marking a victory for Epic Games. The game's re-emergence follows a court order, though global expansion awaits final approval.

WhatsApp brings the big update of the season: the most important change is not on the mobile, but on the computer
WhatsApp rolls out significant updates, including a new voicemail feature, enhancing its calling capabilities for users. The new 'Missed Call Messages' feature enables users to leave video or audio messages when calls go unanswered, offering a more complete phone-like experience.

DMA: Google threatens high EU fine because of Play Store
Google faces a potential hefty fine from the EU due to the Play Store, unless it makes more adjustments. The penalty could be levied early next year.

Expert opinion: Massive data protection violations at PayPal
PayPal faces criticism again after an audit revealed significant GDPR violations and data misuse for advertising purposes. The report details multiple shortcomings in the service's data protection practices.

Better than Excel? Proton Sheets attacks Microsoft and Google
Proton, the Swiss provider, launches Proton Sheets, a privacy-focused spreadsheet application. It offers end-to-end encryption and real-time collaboration, directly challenging Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets.

Electoral Center: How TikTok wants to protect the presidential elections in Portugal
TikTok is deploying its "Electoral Center" to combat misinformation during Portugal's presidential elections, following its use in legislative and local elections. The platform aims to provide reliable information and resources to voters.

Borrowed Plumes? EU Reclaims Simple iOS-Android Switch for Itself
Brussels is claiming credit for Apple and Google's revamped tools to ease user migration between iOS and Android. The European Commission sees this as a win for the Digital Markets Act and its data portability demands.

Strategic AI Alliance: Telekom is working with OpenAI on an EU solution
Deutsche Telekom and OpenAI have partnered to develop AI products tailored for the European market. This multi-year agreement focuses on creating solutions specifically for the continent's needs.

Translate the web your way, plus choose the Firefox icon that suits your vibe
Mozilla is rolling out on-device web translations for iOS Firefox users, starting with German, French, Japanese, Spanish, and Portuguese. This new feature translates pages directly on the device, ensuring user privacy and offline access.

DMA: Meta gives EU users more choices regarding targeted advertising
Meta will offer EU users Facebook and Instagram services with fewer targeted ads, following approval from the EU Commission. This change comes after the company's commitment to comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

Press Release: EU stands up to Big Tech with €120 million fine to X
The European Commission fined X €120 million for violating the Digital Services Act, a major win for digital regulation. This action underscores the EU's commitment to holding online platforms accountable for misleading users and undermining democracy.

In Finland, they already know how to deal with the excess heat from data centers: converting it into district heating
Helsinki is utilizing excess heat from data centers to warm homes, marking a shift in urban heating. This initiative, involving companies like Equinix, Telia, and Elisa, reuses heat from servers to warm tens of thousands of homes.

EU-Korea Digital Trade Agreement: Bridging digital markets for the benefit of consumers
The EU and Korea finalized a Digital Trade Agreement, aiming to strengthen consumer rights in online markets. The agreement focuses on consumer protection, data privacy, and product safety, creating a framework for cross-border digital trade.

The map of the planet's buildings that Google has not been able to find: an atlas that reveals what we had not seen before
A team from the Technical University of Munich launched the GlobalBuildingAtlas, mapping 2. 75 billion buildings worldwide in 3D using satellite imagery....

Data protection scandal & rip-off: 1N Telecom has to pay 300,000 euros
1N Telecom faces a €300,000 fine for violating GDPR rules due to misleading practices and ignoring deletion requests. The data protection authority penalized the company for severe breaches of data privacy regulations.

Europe fines X 120 million euros for lack of transparency
X faces a €120 million fine from the EU for violating the Digital Services Act's transparency rules. This marks the first penalty levied against a platform under the DSA.

DSA process: Tiktok agrees on advertising with the EU Commission
TikTok reached an agreement with the European Commission to improve advertising transparency under the Digital Services Act. The Commission accepted the proposed improvements, while other investigations continue.
