News
Daily digest of all European digital development news

Matrix is quietly becoming the chat layer for governments chasing digital sovereignty
Matrix is emerging as a key chat platform for European governments prioritizing digital sovereignty. The open-source, end-to-end encrypted protocol offers an alternative to Big Tech messaging services.

Irish co-founded 9fin approaches unicorn status with current raise – reports
Irish-founded 9fin nears $1bn valuation in reported funding talks. The London-based credit research startup's potential unicorn status highlights European fintech growth.

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.

European tech weekly recap: €1.4B in deals and January's highlights
European startups secured over €1. 4 billion in funding last week....

Dcycle acquires ESG-X to scale sustainability data management in Europe
Dcycle acquires ESG-X, boosting sustainability data management across Europe. The deal accelerates AI-driven reporting and data residency capabilities amid rising EU disclosure obligations.

UK- and Spain-based sustainability data platform Dcycle acquires Germany’s ESG-X to accelerate DACH expansion
UK- and Spain-based Dcycle acquires Germany's ESG-X, merging AI sustainability reporting with data management. This consolidation accelerates their DACH expansion to meet growing European ESG data regulation demands.

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.

ElevenLabs raises $500M, Soundtrack acquires Tunify and Ambie, and Germany tops January figures
ElevenLabs raises $500M, positioning for IPO, as Soundtrack acquires Tunify and Ambie. Germany led January's tech funding, with over €1....

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.

From Milan to Liguria: 10 of the most promising Italian startups shaping the next tech cycle
Italian startups are accelerating tech innovation in fintech, AI, and B2B software. Brum, a digital driving license platform, exemplifies this shift, leveraging a mobile app to streamline the process for 2024 graduates.
