BIG TECH EU
EU threatens significant fines for unfair online trade practices
The European Commission is proposing a new Digital Fairness Act aimed at enhancing consumer rights. This legislation will impose fines on companies engaging in unfair practices such as deceptive advertising targeted at children. It seeks to ban dark patterns and other misleading digital strategies that cost consumers significantly. Companies will need to comply with these new rules to avoid substantial penalties.
Gas prices in the US are nearly half of Europe's: Why are American drivers paying so much less?
American motorists are currently paying much less for fuel compared to drivers in the European Union. The average petrol price in the EU is almost double that of the US, highlighting significant market differences. Higher taxation in Europe contributes to this price discrepancy, making it important for consumers to understand. Diesel costs also reflect a noticeable difference, though the gap is smaller than for petrol.
Activists breach Microsoft data centre construction site as protests spread in Europe
Activist groups have announced actions in 16 countries on Friday and Saturday, according to the "Stop Dirty Data Centres" coalition, which is rallying environmental groups and digital rights campaigns behind calls to pause large-scale construction.
EU charges TikTok over harmful algorithmic 'rabbit hole' effects
EU tech regulators charged social media platform TikTok on Friday with breaching the bloc's online content rules due to the so-called "rabbit hole" effect of its recommender system, which attracts users' attention to a constant stream of
- Go To Page 1
German businesses now see India as manufacturing, R&D and innovation hub: Piyush Goyal
German companies are increasingly viewing India as a strategic manufacturing and innovation hub for the future. During a recent visit, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal engaged with major firms about expanding cooperation. The India-EU free trade agreement is set to strengthen trade ties significantly later this year. Indian capabilities in research and development are attracting substantial German investment and workforce expansion.
India to remain strict on quality: Industry minister Piyush Goyal
India's Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal emphasised a strict stance on quality and environmental regulations. He noted that many companies are eager to invest in India across various sectors. Goyal mentioned India's advantages in decarbonisation amidst competition from Europe’s carbon border adjustment mechanism. Discussions on free trade agreements indicate significant potential for job creation in India.
Booking.com targeted in EU investigation into phishing scams, fraudulent listings
The Commission, which is the EU tech and competition enforcer, said it opened an investigation following a preliminary probe and after analysing risk assessment reports submitted by Booking.com this year and the previous three years.
EU watchdog says smart glasses must give 'clear warnings' when recording
The European Union's central data regulator on Tuesday said smart glasses should give "clear warnings" when they are recording, after a public outcry in recent months over secretly filmed footage of girls and women. The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) warned in its non-binding guidance to users and manufacturers that smart glasses raised "serious privacy concerns" as it seeks to increase awareness about the risks.
ETSA champions show the great Indian dream is all home-brewed and visa-free: Union Minister Piyush Goyal
In a candid conversation with ET’s Deepshikha Sikarwar, he spoke about India’s trade deals, India-US relations, foreign investment, and how Indian businesses will benefit from the restrictions on the green card programme.
EU tech chief says bloc 'well equipped' to fend off rogue AI risk
European Union rules setting guardrails on AI use adopted by the bloc two years ago are more than capable of tackling rogue agents, EU tech chief Henna Virkkunen told Reuters on Friday.
Brussels looks to capture Big Tech through tax on large corporations
Brussels is considering taxing big US tech companies through a broad levy on large corporations in an effort to raise revenues for the EU while avoiding a backlash from the Trump administration, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.
US, China, EU: three paths to regulating AI
The United States, China and the European Union are taking different paths to govern artificial intelligence, as calls grow worldwide to rein in its most powerful systems. The same day, Trump ordered federal agencies to replace the term "artificial intelligence" with "super intelligence" in official communications.
Apple's Tim Cook praises EU over efforts to protect children online
Apple executive chairman Tim Cook on Tuesday pledged the US giant would protect children online and praised the EU's efforts to ensure minors' safety after a visit to the European Parliament in Strasbourg. The Apple chairman met European Parliament President Roberta Metsola earlier on Tuesday as well as EU lawmakers focused on children's safety.
Fast-track permits turn Spain's Aragon into a $70 billion data centre magnet, but at what cost?
Aragon, a sparsely populated region of northeast Spain, has become one of Europe's fastest-growing digital infrastructure hubs due to what tech companies hail as its agile local permitting laws and swift decision
Polish regulator suspects Google abused dominant position in publisher payment talks
The Office of Competition and Consumer Protection, known by its Polish abbreviation UOKiK, said the charges relate to how Google negotiates remuneration for displaying articles and snippets in its search results, Google News and Discover services.
Google asks EU court to suspend order to open up to AI chatbots, search engine rivals
The company, which on Tuesday took the European Commission to court over the order, said it also applied for an interim measure at the Luxembourg General Court, Europe's second-highest court.
EU should use Google fines to cut member state contributions to budget, France says
The European Union should use the proceeds of the billions of euros in fines imposed on Google to reduce the contribution of member states to the EU budget, France's Europe
US government seeks to join Elon Musk in challenge against EU's fine on X
The US government has formally requested to join Elon Musk's effort to annul a significant EU fine. The fine of €120 million was imposed by European tech regulators for breaching online content regulations. This action followed a two-year investigation under the Digital Services Act initiated by the EU. The US Department of Justice criticized the EU's regulatory authority, claiming it oversteps its jurisdictional boundaries.
EU to require data centres to disclose energy and water efficiency
To attempt to incentivise companies to build more energy- and water-efficient data centres, the European Commission has proposed a rating scheme for facilities, to make this information more transparent.
Europe's AI firms, playing catch-up, challenge US calls for slowdown
Anthropic's CEO Dario Amodei in an online essay urged firms to slow the pace at which they improve AI model capabilities and called for an antitrust waiver allowing leading developers to jointly develop safety measures after researchers warned about the dangers of AI, including that it could wipe out humanity.
EU chief to unveil social media, gaming curbs for under-15s
EU chief Ursula von der Leyen will on Wednesday unveil long-awaited plans to protect children from online harm by curbing access to social media, video-sharing platforms, games and AI chatbots for under-15s. Von der Leyen will use her annual keynote speech to the European Parliament to outline new EU legislation, which according to a draft document will set strict limits on access to social media, AI chatbots and online gaming for under-15s.
A weekend in New Delhi: At BRICS, Modi and India provided an adroit demonstration of tactically gathering a motley crew
The recent BRICS summit hosted twenty nations, fostering debate and wide interpretation of its joint statement. This gathering served as a protest forum against global economic instability and institutional failures. India's diplomacy showcased its appeal as a stable pillar amidst geopolitical challenges. The summit highlighted crucial supply chains and commodity linkages within BRICS family countries. India's engagement demonstrates the need for intricate networks and tactical arrangements in global affairs.
Europe eyes battle over 'pervert' AI glasses
Anyone wearing smart glasses can take photos, film videos, listen to music, make phone calls, translate text or interact with an AI assistant, with sales now hitting the millions.
EU faces revolt over social media ban for children
The European Union is poised for a big reveal of its plans to keep minors safe online -- but proposals to restrict their social media access and force age checks have drawn fire from children's rights groups and privacy defenders alike. children's rights groups fear that social media limits will infringe on minors' freedoms, while digital rights groups raise concerns over age verification.
Opera loses court challenge against EU exemption of Microsoft's Edge from DMA rules
The European Commission in its 2024 decision said Edge was not an important gateway for businesses to reach users even though it met the quantitative criteria set out under the Digital Markets Act which sets out a list of dos and don'ts for Big Tech.
Big Tech app stores focus of EU digital crackdown: Margrethe Vestager
In an interview, EU's competition chief Margrethe Vestager said she’s most concerned about smaller app stores being given fair access to operating systems run by companies that dominate the market like the likes of Apple Inc., Alphabet Inc.’s Google, and Microsoft Corp.
Load More
