EU DATA PROTECTION REGULATIONS
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.
Pharma industry steps up API investments to cut import dependence, move up value chain
India's pharmaceutical sector is shifting towards high-value medicines and reducing reliance on imports through local manufacturing. Investments in active pharmaceutical ingredients and advanced therapies are on the rise to meet new healthcare demands. Industry leaders highlight the significance of supply-chain resilience and advancements in manufacturing capabilities. Recent data indicates strong domestic market growth and increasing pharmaceutical exports.
Snapchat starts disabling friend-finder feature for UK children, regulator says
Ofcom said the change would make it harder for strangers to contact children on the image-sharing social media platform, one it considers among the largest and most popular online services used by children in Britain.
Eyewear regulation Bill may come up in Parliament's winter session; MP Gopchade seeks national vision-care board
Rajya Sabha member Ajeet Gopchade has proposed a private member's Bill for regulating eyewear products and vision-care services. He has urged the Prime Minister to direct the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to assess creating a National Optical/Vision Care Board. The proposal aims to ensure consumer protection and quality standards in vision-care. The existing Medical Devices Rules, 2017, may need strengthening for better oversight.
EU's 2030 ban on single-use ketchup sachets puts condiment packets in spotlight
Starting in 2030, the European Union will ban single-serve condiment sachets, including ketchup and mayonnaise, in restaurants as part of efforts to tackle waste. Takeaway services and specific healthcare facilities will be exempt to ensure hygiene. Alternative solutions such as refillable dispensers and small bowls will be encouraged, highlighting a shift towards more sustainable practices in response to environmental concerns about single-use plastics.
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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
US midterm results threaten data center boom as AI backlash grows
US midterm election results have raised fresh concerns over the future of America's data centre boom, with Democratic victories in Texas and Georgia strengthening opposition to new projects. Investors fear tighter regulations, construction moratoriums and reduced tax incentives could disrupt AI infrastructure spending, putting nearly 45% of planned US capacity at risk.
Oman tightens expat worker recruitment rules from January 2027; agencies must provide insurance, refunds
Effective January 1, 2027, Oman is set to enforce new, tougher rules for hiring expatriate workers, which will necessitate insurance coverage and adherence to recruitment timelines. Recruitment agencies will shoulder increased financial duties, including the possibility of refunds for employers.
With most drug candidates failing in humans, India’s draft rules bet on the wrong science in animal lab testing
Recent draft rules in India threaten advancements in non-animal testing for drug development and safety. The new regulations may prioritize animal testing over innovative human-based methods, despite their proven reliability. Efforts to incorporate non-animal methodologies into national standards have gained support from various government initiatives. Significant funding has been allocated to promote alternative testing methods throughout the country.
India leads on non-animal testing and its draft lab animal rules threaten to undo that
India's draft Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Rules 2026 proposes significant changes to animal research regulations and oversight. It allows for harsher experimental practices that could cause severe suffering to animals. Local committees would gain power to approve experiments without thorough central review, raising concerns about ethical standards. This shift contradicts the existing legal framework established by the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960.
Gold firms on softer oil prices, US midterm results awaited
Gold prices experienced a modest uptick in early Asian markets, spurred by a decline in oil prices that has helped ease inflationary concerns. This shift is shaping investor expectations around potential actions from the Federal Reserve. Attention is also focused on the US midterm election outcomes, which could influence market volatility, while India's gold demand faces a projected six-year low amidst high prices affecting sales.
Wockhardt seeks 14-year data shield for India-made drugs
Mumbai-based Wockhardt has struck success in its innovative research on a range of antibiotic drugs, bridging a global pipeline gap for difficult-to-treat infections. In May this year, the company secured approvals from Indian and US drug regulators for a breakthrough drug, Zaynich (cefepime + zidebactam), to treat complicated urinary tract infection, including acute pyelonephritis or severe kidney infections. Wockhardt has showcased six drugs to treat antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
COP31: EU FTA on horizon, but India won't budge on CBAM
India's environment minister Bhupender Yadav reaffirmed the country's opposition to trade-linked barriers at COP31. The upcoming negotiations will focus on the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism affecting various Indian sectors. Participation in carbon markets should remain voluntary, according to Yadav. Additionally, India emphasizes the importance of climate finance from developed nations.
From GST to e-invoicing: Closing the loop on Digital India
India has already built the rails. It is time to let the invoice travel on them.
Meta halts new business terms after backlash over data scraping and AI use
Meta has postponed the rollout of new terms affecting its business accounts due to significant backlash. Critics claimed these changes could lead to unauthorized data scraping and unfair competition against news publishers. A Norwegian court granted an injunction on the terms, highlighting concerns over Meta's market dominance. The U.K. competition authority has also initiated an investigation into these new business conditions.
Govt mulls giving Cert-In enforceable powers to mandate patching
Last month, two critical flaws in the PHP programming language, discovered with the help of AI, created worldwide panic as hackers targeted the vulnerabilities millions of times, and led to governments including the US, UK, France, Germany and Japan taking down public websites. PHP powers 69.3% of websites worldwide.
Homebuyers’ body FPCE urges PM Modi to restructure RERA as consumer protection law
The Forum for People’s Collective Efforts has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to overhaul the Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act. They emphasize the critical need to distinguish consumer protection from the promotion of the real estate sector, citing persistent enforcement challenges. The group reveals that many homebuyers are facing financial losses due to stalled projects.
Consent managers search for viable revenue model as registration nears
Consent managers are intended to help individuals manage, review and withdraw consent for the processing of their personal data, and they're required to be registered with the Data Protection Board of India (DPBI). A consent manager is data-blind, and processes metadata, consent artifacts, and cryptographic routing instructions.
Australian outback data centre pulls timeline after regulator stalls
Startup Energy North, which says it has finance lined up for a sprawling gas and solar-powered data centre on a cattle ranch in the country's remote north, 683 km (424 miles) from the nearest city, had given a "first power" date of June 28, 2028, in regulatory filings four months ago.
MeitY unveils DEPA handbook to enable trusted data sharing for AI training
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has launched a handbook on Data Empowerment and Protection Architecture. This handbook is designed to enhance collaboration on data for AI training while ensuring data control. IT Secretary S Krishnan emphasized the importance of responsible and secure data usage in India's AI ambitions. The handbook enables accountability and transparency by tracing data provenance throughout the training process.
Is India prepared to tackle 369 million cybersecurity incidents and AI challenges ahead?
India experienced a notable increase in cybersecurity incidents which has raised concerns over its infrastructure and talent shortages. The adoption of AI is rising, yet the country lags behind others in global rankings. Challenges related to AI, such as data protection and algorithmic liability, are becoming more complex. To address these issues, comprehensive regulatory frameworks and national legislation are urgently needed.
Out of Europe? India's steel MSMEs battle data gaps, rising cost and EU's carbon wall
Smaller Indian steel exporters say they are struggling to obtain emissions data from raw-material suppliers and bear the cost of carbon accounting and verification under the EU’s carbon border rules.
India-EU FTA likely to rollout in mid-2027, PM Modi to travel to Brussels for official signing in December: Top EU lawmaker
The European Parliament anticipates that the India-EU Free Trade Agreement will be signed by mid-December 2026. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the signing ceremony in Brussels. The agreement seeks to deepen investments and reduce supply-chain dependencies between India and the EU. Closer collaboration on defense and cybersecurity is also a priority for both parties.
PHP scare sparks calls for urgent corp DPDP audits to plug all gaps
The incidents underline the need to identify gaps in companies’ security practices and clarify what constitutes reasonable safeguards before the law takes effect, they said. The DPDP Act is being implemented in phases, with a May 2027 deadline for full compliance obligations.
Social media norms, AI, deepfakes, chips among others on review list of parliamentary panel in 2026-27
The development comes as several incidents of age-inappropriate content, circulation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and alleged censorship on social media have been reported widely.
Privacy group files complaints against Scale AI over alleged worker surveillance
The European digital privacy group, noyb, has launched several complaints against Scale AI across multiple nations, claiming the company improperly surveilled freelance workers engaged in AI data tasks. Investigative findings highlighted concerning tracking practices, including keystroke logging and persistent identity verification. Moreover, the use of game-like rewards has drawn prior regulatory attention. Freelancers reported challenges accessing their data, with requests often ignored by Outlier.
Clock’s ticking for data protection, but the boardroom remains empty
Under the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules, 2025, the framework for registering consent managers with the DPBI is scheduled to start on November 13. But a government response to a Right to Information (RTI) application shows that the board spent not a single rupee on salaries, office expenses, rent or information and communication technology equipment as of September 30 this year.
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