Internet governance

Austria’s online hate speech law prompts question marks about ‘overblocking’

In the fight against illegal online content, the Austrian government wants to make platforms more accountable. Many details are still missing, but the German NetzDG seems to be a model. Critics fear over-blocking and collateral damage but also see opportunities. EURACTIV Germany reports.

‘Utmost importance’ for transparency rules on political ads, EU report says

It is of the 'utmost importance' for the EU to do more to reign in the unregulated environment of online political advertising by establishing more stringent transparency obligations, said a  European Commission-backed report on media plurality, published on Thursday (23 July).

Facebook, YouTube, Twitter to face same EU rules on hateful content as broadcasters

Facebook, Alphabet-owned YouTube, Twitter and other social media will for the first time be subject to EU broadcasting rules on hate speech and harmful content under European Commission guidelines announced on Thursday (2 July).

UK body wants tougher checks for Google, Facebook ad reign

The UK government must introduce new measures to check the dominance of tech giants Google and Facebook in digital advertising and help make space for other players, Britain's competition watchdog said on Wednesday (7 July).

Digitalisation could preserve minority languages, MEP says

An increased reliance on digitalization could help to preserve minority languages despite the English language dominating online, a leading MEP has said.  

Platforms clamp down on hate speech in run up to Digital Services Act 

The European Commission has applauded efforts by some of the world's largest tech platforms in stifling the spread of illegal content, in the last evaluation of the EU's code on countering illegal hate speech online before the Digital Services Act is presented later this year.

German online hate speech reform criticised for allowing ‘backdoor’ data collection

Germany's Network Implementation Act, NetzDG for short, is now even stricter. Social networks must not only delete potentially criminal content but also report it to the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA). However, some data of online posters will have to be forwarded to the authorities. EURACTIV Germany reports.

France’s top court rejects core of law targeting online hate speech

France’s top court rejected most of a draft law that would have compelled social media giants such as Facebook and Twitter to remove any hateful content within 24 hours, it said on Thursday (18 June).

Time to aim high: tackling disinformation during the pandemic

The EU needs a course correction in its approach to disinformation and fake news in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, writes Juliane von Reppert-Bismarck.

Online platform regulation: French economy ministry gets up and running

While the European Commission presented its digital strategy last week, France's economy and finance ministry brought together around a hundred experts on Monday (24 February) in an attempt to sketch out ways of regulating online platforms. EURACTIV's partner La Tribune reports.

Austrian justice minister with migrant background leads fight against online hate

When it became known that for the first time someone with a migrant background would be in the Austrian government, Green Justice Minister Alma Zadić started to receive death threats and the recommendation to fly home to Bosnia. Now, she wants to use her experience with discrimination to protect others. EURACTIV Germany reports. 

Soros accuses Facebook of conspiring to re-elect Trump

Speaking in Davos, billionaire and philanthropist George Soros accused Facebook of working for the re-election of US President Donald Trump, in a speech where he  also targeted “would-be dictator” Matteo Salvini as one of the biggest threats to European democracies.

Airbnb wins fight to remain exempt from European property rules

US homesharing site Airbnb on Thursday won its battle to remain exempt from onerous European property regulations, as the EU’s top court ruled it was an online platform and not a property agent.

Cybersecurity: What does it mean to EU citizens?

Cybersecurity represents one of the greatest challenges that companies, individuals, national governments and supranational organisations currently face. The technological devices that citizens use daily could be at risk of potential cyber-threats due to insufficient built-in security safeguards.

MEP: Commission ‘irresponsible’ on 5G health risks

The European Commission is “irresponsible” in not addressing the health risks associated with the future rollout of next-generation mobile network, Bulgarian MEP Ivo Hristov has said.

Should the EU embrace artificial intelligence, or fear it?

Advances in machine learning are progressing rapidly, and governments are struggling to keep up. The EU has emerged as the world’s regulator in this space, but some fear it's stifling European innovation.

Copyright directive ‘not in danger’ EU says, following Google backlash

The European Commission has assured those involved that the EU's controversial copyright directive is "not in danger," following Google's announcement that it will avoid renumerating content creators by implementing technical changes to the way it displays news online.

Google wins landmark ‘right to be forgotten’ case in blow for privacy advocates

Google has fended off a landmark legal challenge from the French data protection authority after the EU's top court ruled that the search engine giant does not have to apply 'right to be forgotten' rules globally.

Google agrees on $1 billion tax settlement with France

US internet giant Google has agreed a settlement totalling $1 billion to end a tax dispute in France under an agreement announced in court on Thursday (12 September).

UK government accused of ‘harvesting citizen data’ ahead of Brexit

UK opposition parties have hit out at the government for an alleged harvesting of user data, surreptitiously obtained from individuals accessing the official Gov.uk website, ahead of the UK's scheduled withdrawal from the EU at the end of October.

Tech giants under pressure in the US

About twenty US states are worried about the monopolistic tendencies of tech giants, and are close to launching a joint antitrust investigation next month, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday (19 August). EURACTIV's partner La Tribune reports.

Big Tech faces broad U.S. Justice Department antitrust probe

The U.S. Justice Department said on Tuesday (23 July) it was opening a broad investigation of major digital technology firms into whether they engage in anticompetitive practices, the strongest sign the Trump administration is stepping up its scrutiny of Big Tech.

Germany wants to fine Facebook over hate speech reporting

Social media platforms in Germany are obliged to report hate speech and other illegal content. Germany's Federal Office of Justice is expected to slap a €2 million fine on Facebook for reporting only a fraction of such activity on its platform. EURACTIV Germany reports.

New developments in store for online multilingualism, EU’s Navracsics says

The diversity of European languages in use online could be improved in the near future, the EU's Commissioner for Education and Culture, Tibor Navracsics, told EURACTIV amid criticism that progress with online multilingualism in Europe has been "frustratingly slow".