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Facebook tries to block EU access to ‘highly sensitive’ employee data
Facebook has temporarily blocked the European Commission from accessing data that it believes would include “irrelevant documents” and “highly sensitive personal information” about its employees. The EU’s executive branch had requested the information to support a preliminary probe into whether the social media giant was engaging in anticompetitive practices. Tim Lamb, Facebook’s Director and Associate General Counsel for Competition, said the company was “cooperating” with the investigation and understood it would need to hand over hundreds of thousands of documents.
European police hacked encrypted phones used by thousands of criminals
In one of the largest law enforcement busts ever, European police and crime agencies hacked an encrypted communications platform used by thousands of criminals and drug traffickers.
Disney+ will launch in eight more European countries on September 15th
Disney+ will arrive in a further eight European countries in September.
EU sets framework for contact tracing apps that work across borders
The Commission has agreed on a set of technical specifications that will allow info to be exchanged between national contract tracing apps.
Apple Pay and the App Store are under EU antitrust investigation
The European Commission has launched two separate antitrust investigations into Apple, focused on the App Store and Apple Pay. The Commission said it had completed a “preliminary investigation” and found “concerns” that discouraged competition against Apple’s own services.
EU wants Facebook, Twitter to report monthly on fight against fake news
The EU wants Facebook, Google and Twitter to provide monthly reports on their fight against fake news.
EVs are a rare bright spot in a pandemic-struck European car market
Despite Europe being hit hardest by declining car sales, battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid cars increased their market share across the EU.
Tile files EU complaint against Apple's alleged anticompetitive behavior
In a letter to the EU, Tile claims Apple is making it more difficult for competitors to survive.
Supercomputers across Europe have fallen to cryptomining hacks
Supercomputers around Europe have fallen prey to cryptomining hacks in the past week, and there are signs there might be a common attacker.
EU says websites can't hide content behind 'cookie walls'
EU data officials have warned that sites can't force you to accept cookies to visit their pages.
OnePlus downsizes European teams to focus on key markets
Engadget reached out to OnePlus regarding the latest layoffs, and a spokesperson referred those as part of a “normal restructuring” in Europe in order to focus on key markets. Before this announcement, OnePlus had around 2,000 employees worldwide.
Microsoft opens Project xCloud beta signups in 11 new European countries
Microsoft’s game-streaming service, Project xCloud, is slated for launch in 11 new countries. Given the current situation with COVID-19 and the unprecedented demand internet bandwidth is facing as millions of people around the world stay at home, the company says Project xCloud will launch in these countries when it is confident “it is sensible to do so.” As such, Microsoft is opening up registration for Android customers in these countries today, and is asking players that want to participate in preview to sign up — when launch is approved, you’ll receive a notification email with further instructions.
European mobile carriers will share location data to track COVID-19 spread
More governments are relying on phone location tracking in a bid to track and contain the spread of COVID-19. Eight European carriers, including Deutsche Telekom (T-Mobile), Orange and Vodafone, have agreed to share phone location data with the European Commission to help measure the coronavirus' reach. That immediately raises privacy issues, but an official talking to Reuters stressed that the EC would protect users.
Disney+ will limit video quality for its wider European launch
Disney+ hasn't yet gone live for new customers across Europe, but already the streaming service is taking steps to reduce its impact on internet providers' infrastructure in light of the coronavirus pandemic. In a statement, Disney Chairman Kevin Mayer confirmed that it will join Netflix, YouTube and Amazon in reducing its "overall bandwidth utilization by at least 25 percent" in all of the EU markets where Disney+ will launch on March 24th.
Netflix will reduce streaming bitrates in Europe to ease congestion
Following reports this morning, Netflix confirmed it will reduce the bitrate of videos it streams in Europe for the next 30 days. The company says the move will reduce its footprint on European networks by approximately 25 percent.
EU asks Netflix and other services to stream in SD to ease internet burden
EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton has called on Europeans to limit their broadband usage during the coronavirus outbreak by tweaking their streaming habits. Using the hashtag #SwitchToStandard, Breton asked consumers to stream content in standard instead of high definition so that the continent could "secure Internet access for all."
EU plans to introduce sweeping 'right to repair' legislation for electronics
As part of its newly announced Circular Economy Action Plan, the European Commission, the body that drafts the EU's laws, says it will introduce right to repair legislation that will push electronics manufacturers to create products that last longer, include as many recycled materials as possible and are easier to reuse, repair and recycle.
Ford brings its Spin scooters to Germany this spring
Spin, the Ford-owned e-scooter company, is expanding its fleet into Europe. It will introduce dockless electric scooters in Cologne, Germany, this spring. The company plans to "explore opportunities" in Paris and the UK, too.
Huawei's smart speaker will be available outside of China, but not the US
Huawei is about to compete more aggressively in smart speakers... insofar as it can, anyway. The tech firm is planning to launch its Sound X speaker in Europe following a China-only release in the fall. It'll pack the same Devialet-powered 360-degree sound and 60W double subwoofer. However, it won't initially ship with a voice assistant -- the Xiaoyi helper is clearly China-focused, and the US blacklisting prevents Huawei from using Alexa or Google Assistant.
Disney+ discounts yearly subscriptions ahead of its European launch
When Disney dropped the surprise news that its popular streaming service would debut in Europe a week earlier than planned, the company was quickly pressed on whether it would offer any sign-up incentives like it did ahead of its US launch. After a brief period of silence, Disney has decided European users in a handful of countries (outside of The Netherlands, where it went live last year) will enjoy a small discount if they pre-order before the March 24th opening, promising £10/€10 off a full year on registrations before that date.