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

A practical guide to joint investigations: lessons learned from one year of the Civic Journalism Coalition
EDRi and partners launch a practical guide for investigative journalists and digital rights groups. The Civic Journalism Coalition aims to foster collaboration on digital rights issues through workshops and investigations.

Annual Report AP 2025: faster, visible, and guiding action in the digital world
Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (AP) completed cases faster in 2025 with clear violations, issuing warnings and securing procedural adjustments. The Dutch data protection authority made its expectations clear without lengthy legal battles.

Supervisors, Police, and Public Prosecution Office want European ban against 'AI-disrobing apps and websites'
Dutch regulators and law enforcement agencies push for a Europe-wide ban on "nudify tools." They advocate for closing loopholes that allow consent-based creation of nudes, deeming it crucial for effective enforcement.

EDRi-gram, 1 April 2026
EDRi criticizes the EU's deregulation and securitisation agenda for undermining fundamental rights. The network highlights digital rights news impacting Europeans in its latest bi-weekly newsletter.

Predatorgate: Breaking the chain of impunity of the spyware underworld
Greek courts convict four individuals in Predatorgate scandal for unlawful surveillance, sentencing them to 126 years collectively. The verdict challenges spyware vendor impunity and intensifies calls for a ban across the EU.

Have your say on the Digital Fairness Act
The EU is launching a public consultation for its Digital Fairness Act, targeting children aged 12-17. The new law aims to ensure safe and positive online experiences for young users across apps, websites, and social media platforms.

EDIC Digital Commons start projects
European Digital Infrastructure Consortium launches projects for open digital infrastructure. An "100-day challenge" and a pilot for a European Sovereign Tech Fund are among the initiatives.

Hearing in Saxony: Still many construction sites in police law amendment
Experts warn a new German police law amendment may clash with the EU's AI Act. Jurists noted potential conflicts with the AI Regulation, and a police union representative raised concerns about discriminatory software use.

Concern about loophole: Will some products be exempted from AI rules?
The EU Parliament finalized its position on the AI Act, including a ban on deepfake exploitation. However, criticism mounts over proposed exemptions for AI in medical devices, smartwatches, and toys from key regulations....

Narrowed AI Act scope risks fragmentation and leaves major consumer risks unaddressed
BEUC warns the EU's AI Act risks fragmentation, leaving major consumer risks unaddressed by narrowing its scope. MEPs' proposal to exclude many AI-embedded products from high-risk classification weakens protections.

Commission investigates Snapchat's compliance with child protection rules under the Digital Services Act
The European Commission is investigating Snapchat under the Digital Services Act over child protection concerns. The probe focuses on potential exposure of minors to grooming, illegal goods, and age-restricted products.

Commission preliminarily finds Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX and XVideos in breach of the Digital Services Act for allowing minors to access their services
The European Commission preliminarily found Pornhub, Stripchat, XNXX and XVideos in breach of the Digital Services Act for failing to protect minors. The platforms must now respond to the Commission's findings regarding child exposure to pornography.

NDS Cloud: Open Dialogue Report
Dutch government held open dialogues with 69 tech firms on sovereign cloud services. The goal was to gather market input on defining and achieving sovereign cloud for public sector use.

Chips designed to help identify deepfakes
Researchers at ETH Zurich unveil chip technology to verify sensor data authenticity, combating AI-generated deepfakes. This innovation aims to safeguard democratic processes and public trust against manipulated media.

AP publishes practical guide 'Health data in the cloud'
Dutch data watchdog publishes cloud guide for health data processors. The practical guide aims to ensure careful consideration of risks when organizations utilize cloud solutions for sensitive health information.

Political Online Advertising: Bundestag to Ensure Protection of Press Freedom
Germany implements EU rules on political online ads, sparking debate over press freedom. Experts warn broad definitions risk silencing media, with some pushing to scrap the regulations entirely.

Practical experiences with the ethical instrument DEDA
Drones inspect Dutch dikes using ethical data tool DEDA, raising privacy and transparency concerns. Wetterskip Fryslân pilots AI to manage drone data ethically.

Updated ITGC framework for practical insight into IT management
Dutch Audit Service Rijk launches updated IT General Controls framework for IT management insights. The new framework prioritizes risk management, aligning with the BIO2 standard and strengthening security measures.

EDRi-gram, 18 March 2026
EU lawmakers question mandatory scanning of private messages for illicit content. Digital rights groups warn this proposal threatens end-to-end encryption and online privacy for millions.

CEF-Digital Info Session: 2026 Calls
EU launches 2026 calls for smart cable systems and digital gateways under its Connecting Europe Facility. These initiatives accelerate digital infrastructure deployment across the continent.
