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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.
Google searches are showing rival business directories in Europe
Google seems to be taking extra steps to please EU regulators worried that it's abusing its search dominance. Search Engine Land has discovered that Google is highlighting rival directory services like Yelp when you search for businesses in European countries like France and Spain, placing prominent "find results on" cards above Google's own. Clearly, it's hoping this will fend off potential EU criticism that it's favoring its own results in local searches over those of competitors.
The EU outlines its plan to compete with big tech
The European Union has outlined the start of its vision to boost its opportunities in our rapidly digitizing future. As part of a push to make the Union ready for the digital age, it has published a white paper and begun consulting about how it can best control its own destiny. After all, the EU may be a bigger market than the US, but it has struggled to produce homegrown alternatives to Facebook, Google and Microsoft.
EU won't let Facebook tell it how to regulate tech giants
The European Union won't let Facebook tell it how to regulate Big Tech. Today, EU industry commissioner Thierry Breton said Facebook will have to adapt to the EU's standards, not the other way around, Reuters reports.
EU backs away from proposed five-year facial recognition ban
The European Union won't issue a ban on facial recognition tech, as it once proposed, the Financial Times reports. In a previous draft of a paper on artificial intelligence, the European Commission suggested a five-year moratorium on facial recognition, so that the technology's impact could be studied, noting that it can be inaccurate, used to breach privacy laws and facilitate identity fraud. In a new draft, seen by the Financial Times, that moratorium has been removed.
EU investigates Qualcomm for alleged anti-competitive tactics
Qualcomm is facing yet another European Union antitrust case. The wireless hardware giant has revealed in an SEC filing that the European Commission is investigating the company for possible anti-competitive tactics in the radio frequency chip space. Officials want to know if Qualcomm abused its influence in 5G baseband processors to push companies into using its radio frequency front end chips instead of third-party options like Broadcom or Skyworks.
EU votes in favor of choosing a common charging cable standard
European Union lawmakers have voted overwhelmingly to legislate manufacturers to adopt a shared charging cable standard. In a 582 to 40 vote, the European Parliament said it wants the European Commission, the body that drafts the EU's laws, to ensure consumers don't have to buy a new charger each time they upgrade their phone. The Commission has a relatively short deadline to put something together, with lawmakers saying they want the body to table legislation by July at the latest.
EU won't unilaterally ban Huawei gear from 5G networks
The UK isn't the only one pushing back against US attempts to demand blanket bans on Huawei 5G gear. The European Commission has set guidelines that let EU countries make their own judgments on whether to limit or exclude "high risk" wireless suppliers. The EU wanted countries to analyze the potential risks, rely on a mix of suppliers and keep questionable providers out of "critical and sensitive" parts of their networks, but stopped short of demanding outright bans on accused companies like Huawei.
UK won't implement EU's contentious digital copyright law
The UK may borrow some aspects of European Union law after Brexit, but the approach to digital copyright won't one of them. Universities and Science Minister Chris Skidmore has indicated that the UK won't implement the EU's Copyright Directive once it's out of the Union on January 31st. This will let British internet companies and users avoid contentious aspects like Article 13 (renamed Article 17), which requires that sites check all uploaded content for copyrighted material. The EU had softened the requirement to allow memes and other content that offers "quotation, criticism, review, caricature, parody and pastiche," but this would eliminate the requirement entirely in the UK.
Apple says EU push for universal phone charger would 'stifle innovation'
The European Parliament has renewed its push for a phone charger standard through an amended draft law, and it won't surprise you to hear that Apple has raised objections. The iPhone maker has issued a statement arguing that rules dictating a common connector in phones "stifles innovation" and would hurt the public more than it helped. To support its claims, the company commissioned a study from Copenhagen Economics claiming that a common charger move would cost €1.5 billion (about $1.7 billion), more than negating the €13 million ($14.4 million) in potential environmental benefits. It even suggested the EU might create an environmental problem by "disrupting" hundreds of millions of people who use Apple devices with Lightning ports.
German court bans Uber’s ride-hailing service
Uber has suffered another major setback in Europe. According to Reuters, a court in Germany ruled on Thursday that the company doesn't have the necessary license to operate a business that employs for-hire drivers.
Facebook is facing an EU investigation over data collection
Google isn't the only tech giant facing an investigation from European Union antitrust regulators over data collection and monetization. The European Commission has Facebook in its sights too.
EU investigates Google data collection practices
No, European antitrust regulators still aren't done looking into Google's practices. The European Commission told Reuters in a statement that it's conducting a "preliminary investigation" into Google's data collection. While it didn't go into detail, a leaked document indicated that the focuses were on local search, ads (including ad targeting), sign-in services and web browsers, among "others." It's covering the core of Google's businesses, to put it another way.
The EU just approved a vaccine to prevent Ebola
Today, the European Union granted an Ebola vaccine "conditional marketing authorization." The vaccine, developed by the pharmaceutical giant Merck, is known as Ervebo. It's the first human Ebola vaccine to be approved by the EU.
EU grills Facebook over Libra's financial and privacy risks
It's not just central banks interrogating Facebook over its Libra cryptocurrency as of late. The Financial Times has learned that the European Commission has asked Facebook to answer a range of questions about Libra, including the risks to financial stability and data privacy as well as the company's ability to comply with counter-terrorist financing and money laundering rules. Officials also want to know how Libra would handle its reserves.
French court rules Steam games must be able to be resold
In a court decision that could fundamentally change how Steam operates, European Union consumers have won the right to resell their Steam titles through Valve's digital marketplace. French website Next Inpact reports the Paris Court of First Instance ruled on Tuesday that European Union law allows Steam users to resell their digital games, just like they can any physical product.
Valve will reportedly fight EU geo-blocking charges
Valve will reportedly fight recent geo-blocking charges brought against it by the European Union. Citing "people familiar with the matter," Reuters reports that of the six companies that were charged by the European Commission in April, only Valve has decided to fight the commission in court. The other five companies that were charged alongside Valve -- Bandai Namco, Capcom, Focus Home, Koch Media and ZeniMax -- plan to settle with the EU. If the report is accurate and Valve was to lose the case, it could be fined up to 10 percent of its annual income. The EU could also force the company to change how it operates Steam.
Facebook’s Libra Association is being investigated by EU antitrust regulators
Facebook's Libra cryptocurrency project is being probed again, this time by European Union antitrust regulators. The European Commission said it is "currently investigating potential anti-competitive behavior," related to the Libra Association, Bloomberg reports. In a questionnaire sent out this month, the EU authority expressed concerns that Libra would unfairly shut out rivals.
US, UK regulators ask Facebook how Libra will protect personal data (updated)
Facebook knew its Libra cryptocurrency would face a regulatory gauntlet, but it might not have expected a united front. Regulators from the US, UK, EU and four other governments have asked Facebook to answer several questions about how it will protect user data. The social network has "not met [regulators'] expectations" of privacy in the past, officials said in a joint statement, and there should be assurances that Libra will do better.
EU says sites using Facebook's Like button are responsible for your data
The highest court in the EU has issued a ruling that affects websites using Facebook's Like button plugin. It determined sites should obtain the consent of visitors before the plugin captures and sends their data to Facebook, whether or not you click the Like button. Alternatively, sites will have to prove there's a legitimate reason for collecting data and transmitting it to Facebook.
