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

Civil society calls for an ambitious Digital Fairness Act on World Consumer Rights Day
Civil society urges a strong Digital Fairness Act, targeting manipulative online models and harmful practices. This call amplifies existing recommendations for a rights-based approach to digital fairness.

New tool for government cloud choices
Dutch government launches a new tool to assess cloud service risks, enhancing digital sovereignty. The DICTU instrument helps officials choose services based on data control, transparency, and legal context.

Conseil d'État upholds Criteo's €40M GDPR fine
France's top court upholds €40M GDPR fine against ad tech giant Criteo. The ruling bolsters data privacy enforcement against major online trackers.

Joint call for an ambitious Digital Fairness Act to better protect people online
Consumer groups urge an ambitious Digital Fairness Act to shield all users online from harmful practices. This act will update EU consumer law, boosting legal certainty and fair competition across digital markets.

Fewer rules, more innovation? The miscalculation of the new Brussels
EU risks sacrificing fundamental rights for AI innovation. A new analysis warns Brussels' drive to "regulate better" may weaken protections, pushing Europe into a misunderstood competitiveness race.

Rat und Parlament einig: Verbot für sexualisierte Deepfakes rückt näher
EU lawmakers agree to ban non-consensual deepfakes, incorporating the prohibition into the AI Act. This move tackles AI-generated non-consensual nude imagery through legislative action.

Negotiations in Brussels: Federal government saws away at data protection
Germany pushes to exempt pseudonymized data from GDPR, sparking warnings from civil society and data watchdogs. Other EU members reportedly oppose the proposed GDPR carve-out.

Digital Wallet: EU Commission wants Amazon to give you your face
EU's digital wallet faces backlash as privacy groups warn the Commission's changes could force biometric facial data sharing. This move risks undermining user privacy and security protections agreed upon by Parliament and Council.
FAQ on the EUDI Wallet: The most important questions and answers on the digital wallet
Germany launches digital wallet to streamline citizen identification with authorities and businesses. Privacy advocates warn of potential misuse, while proponents cite administrative digitization as a key benefit.
Are you also participating in the Week of Grip on Information?
Dutch municipalities launch their 13th "Week of Information Control" April 9-16, 2026. The event focuses on information management, open data, and digital sustainability, including AI applications.

The eID Wallet still doesn’t deserve your full trust
Privacy advocates warn the EU's eID Wallet launch risks user tracking and forced data sharing. Civil society groups urge the Commission to amend draft rules before deployment to protect fundamental rights.
AP warns political parties about targeted advertising municipal elections
Dutch watchdog warns political parties over illegal microtargeting in local elections. Forty parties likely breached rules, risking sanctions for undisclosed data use.
EDRi files DSA complaint against YouTube for undermining user autonomy
EDRi sues YouTube in Belgium, alleging its recommender system violates the Digital Services Act. The complaint targets the platform's user autonomy safeguards under new EU digital rules.

Berlin: Resistance against the erosion of freedom of information and data protection rollback
Berlin's data protection officer blasts proposed changes to transparency and data protection laws. The watchdog argues the planned amendments ignore European regulations and reduce, rather than increase, public access to information.

3 data sharing standards mandatory for the government
Dutch government mandates 3 data-sharing standards to enhance digital services and enable a federated data system. These standards—NL-SBB, CloudEvents, and FSC—will improve how public sector organizations exchange data securely and transparently.

Intelligence service control: "Control must not depend on whether the intelligence service cooperates voluntarily"
German data protection chief's BND oversight lawsuit rejected, creating a "control-free zone" for intelligence agency operations. Experts urge government action to ensure effective oversight of digital surveillance.

Your Choice by Default thanks to the EU’s Digital Markets Act
EU's Digital Markets Act grants consumers more choice and control since March 2024. The DMA compels tech giants to end unfair practices, fostering fairer prices and innovation across online services.

BIO2 version 1.3 for all government levels
Dutch government security framework BIO2 updates to v1. 3, aligning with the Cybersecurity Act....

Judge rules in preliminary injunction case Reddit v. AP
Reddit loses court battle with Dutch Data Protection Authority. The court rejected all of Reddit's requests against the AP, signaling a setback for the social media giant.

Apply AI webinars sectoral deep dive - Agrifood, climate & environment
EU accelerates AI adoption in agrifood and climate sectors. Commission-led webinars will showcase AI's potential to shape European ecosystems.
