EU TIKTOK CHARGES
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
Portuguese group D3 sues Meta, TikTok and YouTube over addictive design
A spokesperson for Alphabet's Google, owner of YouTube, said providing people with "a safer, healthier experience has always been core to our work" and pointed to tools such as "take a break" and bedtime reminders designed to help users manage viewing habits.
TikTok charged with breaching EU tech rules on online safety for kids, EU says
TikTok faces EU charges for allegedly failing to protect minors from cyberbullying and predators through its account and privacy settings. The company could face a fine of up to 6% of its global annual turnover.
The Architecture of Addiction: What makes Meta’s apps so hard to put down
The regulator wants Meta to disable some features, add screen-time breaks, and make its recommendation system less engagement-obsessed. The tech giant faces fines of up to 6% of its global annual revenue if it fails to comply.
EU urges fast rollout of age-verification app to protect minors online
The call followed the EU's announcement earlier this month that the app was ready, amid a broader push by member states to limit children's access to social media.
EU accuses TikTok of 'addictive design,' seeks changes to protect users
The European Union has accused TikTok of breaching digital rules over “addictive design” features such as autoplay and infinite scroll. EU regulators said the app failed to properly assess risks to mental and physical health, including children. The European Commission said TikTok should change the basic design of its service, which the company denied.
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European regulators crack down on Big Tech
European regulators are taking strong action against major tech firms. Investigations are underway into Google, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, TikTok, and X. These probes focus on competition rules and online content. Fines have been issued, and new rules are being enforced. This signals a significant shift in how Big Tech operates in Europe.
EU fines X $140 million for breaching online content rules, TikTok settles with concessions
EU tech regulators have fined Elon Musk's social media company X 120 million euros for breaching online content rules under the Digital Services Act. This marks the first sanction under the landmark legislation, with rival TikTok avoiding a penalty through concessions. The EU emphasized that the law defends digital standards and is not censorship.
Meta set to face EU finding it failed to police illegal posts
The European Commission is preparing to issue preliminary findings saying that Meta’s Facebook and Instagram lack an adequate “notice and action mechanism” that would let users flag illegal posts for removal, according to two people familiar with the plans, who asked not to be identified because the decision isn’t yet public.
EU says it will enforce digital rules irrespective of CEO and location
The EU is committed to enforcing its Digital Markets Act and other tech regulations regardless of company origin, targeting firms like Apple, Meta, X, and TikTok. EU leaders stress fair enforcement to protect consumers, despite US criticism under Trump. Decisions on Apple and Meta’s potential violations are expected soon.
EU's legal weapon facing the heat from US big tech
The rules, known as the Digital Services Act (DSA), will be debated in the European Parliament Tuesday, as dozens of lawmakers pile pressure on Brussels to enforce measures aimed at taming the worst excesses of social media. The DSA does not force platforms to use fact-checking to moderate online content.
Facebook, YouTube and TikTok users in Europe get forum to challenge social media content decisions
The center is similar to Meta's Oversight Board, a quasi-independent body set up in 2020 that acts like a supreme court for thorny decisions about content moderation issues on Facebook, Instagram and Threads submitted by users around the world.
Telegram could face greater EU scrutiny
Telegram could face stricter EU digital rules as Brussels probes whether the popular messaging app -- whose founder faces criminal charges in France -- has more users in the bloc than claimed. But now independently of the French probe, the European Commission is investigating whether Telegram has the minimum number of users that would require it to comply with more stringent rules.
One year in, EU turning up heat in big tech fight
Since August 2023, the world's biggest digital platforms have faced the toughest ever tech regulations in the European Union -- which shows no sign of slowing down in enforcing them. Brussels scored its first major victory after forcing TikTok to permanently remove an "addictive" feature from a spinoff app in Europe in August, a year after content moderation rules under the bloc's Digital Services Act (DSA) started to apply.
Apple makes changes to App Store after EU warning
Apple on Thursday announced changes to its App Store after the European Union accused the iPhone maker of breaking the bloc's landmark new digital rules. The EU said the App Store terms prevented app developers from freely steering consumers to alternative ways to pay, making Apple the first ever tech firm to face accusations of breaching a new law known as the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
Musk's X breached DSA online content rules, EU says
Elon Musk's owned social media platform X (previously known as Twitter) has breached EU online content rules. This move by the European Commission came after a seven-month-long investigation. X was also charged with blocking researchers from accessing its public data.
European regulators crack down on Big Tech
EU regulators probe Big Tech. Apple addresses DMA breaches, Spotify's complaint. Microsoft leaves OpenAI’s board. Meta's consent model, CrowdTangle features, Facebook, Instagram’s child safety scrutinized. Google fined 2.42 billion euros. Amazon's DSA compliance checked. NVIDIA faces French probe. TikTok, Meta gatekeeper disputes. Italy fines Facebook, Meta. Germany ends Google probe. UK investigates cloud market. Spain suspends Meta products.
EU vs Big Tech: the cases keep mounting
European regulators have launched a series of probes into Big Tech. In the latest move, the European Commission asked Amazon for more information on its compliance with the Digital Services Act (DSA), which requires Big Tech players to do more to tackle illegal and harmful content on their platforms.
Apple is first company charged under new EU competition law
Apple is facing intense regulatory scrutiny globally, with charges in the EU, legal battles in the US, and regulatory actions in Britain, signaling a turbulent period for the tech giant in various markets.
Explainer: Why is the EU probing Big Tech under the Digital Markets Act?
EU probes Big Tech for Digital Markets Act violations, focusing on anti-steering and self-preferencing practices. Companies face fines up to 10% of global turnover. Google, Amazon, Apple, and Meta under investigation for unfair competition and data privacy concerns.
Apple's new EU measures draw complaint from 34 digital organisations
Changes Apple is making to its services in the European Union "make a mockery" of new antitrust rules in the bloc, 34 digital organisations complained to the European Commission this week. In their letter, "Apple's new terms not only disregard both the spirit and letter of the law, but if left unchanged, make a mockery of the DMA and the considerable efforts by the European Commission and EU institutions to make digital markets competitive."
Germany wants Big Tech to pay towards compliance costs of new digital law
The landmark rules set out a list of requirements for the six companies, such as allowing rival services to inter-operate with their services, as well as letting business users promote their offer and conclude contracts with their customers outside their platforms.
TikTok challenges EU supervisory fee, following Meta's footsteps
Under the Digital Services Act (DSA), 20 very large online platforms, including TikTok, Meta, Google, Apple and two very large online search engines are required to pay the annual charge. The size of the fee accounts for the average monthly active users for each company and whether it posts a profit or loss in the preceding financial year.
Apple ready to open iPhone tap-to-pay to rivals—in the EU
Apple is prepared to open the iPhone's ability to tap-to-pay to rivals -- in the EU -- after coming under fire for keeping users in its own ecosystem, the European Commission and the company said on Friday. The European Commission has invited companies in the contactless payments business to comment within a month on Apple's proposal to see if it addresses their competition concerns on getting access to tap-to-pay tech on iPhones and Apple watches.
Election wave and AI disinformation raise stakes in 2024
With elections due in countries representing half the world's population and new technologies turbo-charging disinformation, 2024 will be a major stress test for politics in the age of AI. 2024 has been labelled a "make-or-break" year for democracy, with crucial votes due in more than 60 countries, including India, South Africa, Pakistan, Britain, Indonesia and the United States, as well as the European Union. The first major test of how to survive an onslaught of AI-powered disinformation has already taken place.
EU warns Twitter to beef up content moderation as new rules loom
"If the technology is not ready they need to have enough resources to match the gap. I spoke on this specific topic with Elon Musk," EU commissioner Thierry Breton told reporters following a meeting at Twitter headquarters.
EU 'enforcer' visits Twitter, Meta as new rules loom
The two-day visit by Thierry Breton comes just weeks before the European Union's Digital Service Act (DSA) comes into full force for the world's biggest platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, both owned by Meta, as well as TikTok and Twitter.
Is it real or made by AI? Europe wants a label for that as it fights disinformation
EU Commission Vice President Vera Jourova said the ability of a new generation of AI chatbots to create complex content and visuals in seconds raises "fresh challenges for the fight against disinformation."
Auto firms line up billions for EV capex; a look at regulatory penalties on Big Tech
Indian carmakers are lining up capex to the tune of billions as they shift gear to focus on electric vehicles. A capex outlay of Rs 80,000 crore — around $10 billion — is being laid out by various vehicle makers to expand the country’s installed EV infrastructure capacity by 2030. This and more in today’s ETtech Top 5
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