Why Oxygen Forensics US tech CEO selling software to Europe agencies was arrested
US authorities arrested men who sold a forensic software to government bodies across Europe, hid the tool’s true owners and concealed its Russian development.
Tech
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Listen: How does the EU plan to ban social media for under-15s?
The EU Kids Act promises to wean children off endless scrolling and late‑night gaming, but privacy advocates and parts of the tech industry warn the EU’s own age‑verification system could open the door to new risks.
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THIS WEEK: Canada’s Carney attends von der Leyen’s State of the Union, as new talks on Russian frozen assets for Ukraine return to EU agendaEuropean Commission president Ursula von der Leyen will outline her vision for the EU in her annual State of the European Union speech, as Canada’s Mark Carney edges closer to Brussels and away from Washington. Curbs on teenagers’ use of social media and measures to counter hybrid threats are also on this week’s agenda.
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EU resists calls to ban Meta ‘pervert glasses’ despite voyeur privacy fears
The EU’s digital privacy framework claims to have enough legal firepower to keep Meta’s smart glasses under control, or so they say. The glasses have been banned by many pubs and cinemas in UK and even ICE agents in the US but Brussels says ‘existing rules are applicable, regardless of technology used’.
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Listen: Could the EU get the same teen-protection commitments from Meta as the US?
Meta has agreed to major changes to Facebook and Instagram following a multimillion-dollar US settlement, including two-hour daily limits and nighttime restrictions for under-18s. The EU is pursuing a similar case under the Digital Services Act, but could go further by tackling addictive design and algorithms promoting harmful content.
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Listen: Can local opposition derail Europe’s data centre boom?
Europe wants to mobilise €30bn for data centres to compete in the global AI race. But across the continent, local communities are pushing back over environmental concerns. Can Europe build technological sovereignty while keeping Big Tech’s power in check?
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As Trump weaponises US law abroad, Brussels faces sovereignty test
By using forced-labour claims to justify tariffs and threaten Europe’s digital and climate rules, Washington is testing whether the EU dares to turn its own powerful regulatory arsenal against American companies.
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EU to co-fund seven AI Gigafactories in race for tech autonomy
The EU is seeking to build seven AI Gigafactories to reduce dependence on foreign tech, in a multi-billion euro public-private scheme.
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Chip shortages forced China to find way to make cheaper AI models than US
China became a hub of industrial manufacturing because it was able to produce essentially the same goods as Western countries, but much more cheaply. Something similar is now happening in artificial intelligence.
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Commission slams Meta’s ‘addictive’ design of Facebook and Instagram for breaching EU law
Meta is being investigated for its deliberately addictive design features. “If features such as infinite scroll or surveillance advertising aren’t safe, they shouldn’t be on social media in the first place,” said one tech expert.
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EU watchdog questions commission’s secretive ‘Reality Checks’ with corporate lobbyists
Exempt from transparency rules, the EU Commission’s new so-called “Reality Checks” consultations are often attended only by lobbyists yet have shaped major deregulation proposals. Now the EU Ombudsman wants answers.
