france
Latest
Touring France’s EV charging network in the Renault Zoe
The Renault Zoe doesn't grab EV headlines like the Nissan Leaf, Chevy Bolt and Tesla's Model 3, because it's not sold in the US. But with a 41kWh battery that can propel it 300 km, a €23,700 ($29,000) starting price and zippy performance, it's worth learning about the French-made car. I took it on a tour in and around Paris to check out not only the EV itself but France's entire charging network. Cars like the Zoe and the infrastructure are going to be crucial, because the city of Paris plans to ban gas-burning cars by 2030, with the rest of the country following suit by 2040.
Google is building an AI research team in France
Google announced today that it's expanding its AI research efforts, setting up a new research team in France that will work with the country's AI research community on issues ranging from health to the environment. Google says the team's work will be published and any code it produces will be open source.
French officials investigate Apple for iPhone slowdowns
Last month, French organization HOP (which stands for Stop Planned Obsolescence in French) filed legal complaints against Apple after the company admitted to slowing older models of iPhones. Now, Bloomberg reports that French authorities have begun a preliminary investigation into the company in regards to accusations of "programmed obsolescence" and "deceit."
France considers new laws to fight fake news
During a media briefing yesterday, French President Emmanuel Macron said that he would soon introduce new legislation aimed at combating fake news during elections. Under the new law, websites publishing sponsored content would have to disclose who paid for it and fees for that content would have a cap. Additionally, authorities would have the power to remove fake content and block websites if they're found to be publishing fake news. "If we want to protect liberal democracies, we must be strong and have clear rules," Macron said.
Apple may face criminal charges in France over iPhone slowdowns
Earlier this month, Apple admitted to slowing older iPhone models in order to prevent phones with older batteries from suddenly shutting down. Now, Reuters reports that the company may face a legal battle in France over the practice. A French organization called HOP, which in French stands for Stop Planned Obsolescence, filed legal complaints against Apple in Paris this week. It also filed complaints against Epson for similar reasons.
France gives WhatsApp a month to stop sharing data with Facebook
After the EU slapped it with a €110 million fine over unlawful WhatsApp data sharing, you'd think Facebook would be eager to comply with local privacy laws. But France says it has not cooperated with data protection authority CNIL, and could face another sanction if it doesn't get its act together within 30 days. The social network is still transferring Whatsapp data for "business intelligence," it claims, and the only way that users can opt out is by uninstalling the app.
Amazon faces record fine from French fraud watchdog
French President Emmanuel Macron recently helped open a new Amazon distribution center in the north of France, but now the retail giant is in the government's doghouse. Economic Minister Bruno Le Maire has filed a complaint against Amazon for abusing its suppliers with one-sided contract clauses, reports Le Parisien. It's seeking a record €10 million fine, "a strong and unprecedented action," the ministry said in a statement.
France gives 'Make our Planet Great Again' grants to US scientists
France has backed up statements that it's willing to reward America's climate researchers now that the US has backed out of the Paris global warming accord. President Emmanuel Macron handed out 13 of 18 "Make our Planet Great Again" grants worth millions of euros to US-based scientists. "You will now settle in, develop projects, enrich French, European research, because we've decided to give even bigger resources and to fully recognize what you are doing," Macron said in a speech at Paris startup hub Station F.
Trump announces program to test drones beyond FAA regulations
President Trump and Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao announced the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program today -- an initiative aimed at exploring expanded use of drones. While the Obama administration began allowing some drone activity to take place in US airspace, a fair amount of restrictions were still applicable. This new program, however, will allow companies and local governments to use drones in ways that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) currently doesn't allow. That includes "beyond-visual-line-of-sight flights, nighttime operations, and flights over people," as White House advisor Michael Kratsios said today.
UK officials want to know if Russia meddled in the Brexit vote
UK officials are wondering if Russia tampered with its Brexit referendum and they've now officially asked Mark Zuckerberg to look into whether Facebook possibly played a role, The Guardian reports. Damian Collins, the UK's chair of digital, culture, media and sport committee sent Zuckerberg a letter saying that the committee was investigating fake news and wanted Facebook to provide them with any information it had on politically-divisive advertisements purchased by Russian actors.
Paris holds a city-wide 'car-free' day
Cities have dabbled with temporary bans on cars before, but rarely (if ever) on this scale. Paris just held a third "Day Without Cars" that forbade nearly all private transport across the complete core of the city -- about 40 square miles of it. If you visited between 11AM and 6PM local time on October 1st, you had to bike, walk or take public transit like buses and taxis to make your way around the City of Lights. And officials were strict about enforcing the car ban, too. You risked facing a fine between €90 and €135 ($105 to $159) if you drove without an emergency or another good reason (such as visiting an elderly relative), and you still had to honor a 30KM/H (about 19MPH) speed limit on top of that.
EU countries aim to raise tech firms' taxes by targeting revenue
It's no secret that European countries want major tech firms to pay more taxes, but how will they go about that beyond collecting back taxes? By taxing the companies where they'll feel it the most, that's how. The finance ministers of France, Germany, Italy and Spain have written a joint letter to the European Union's presidency and Commission calling for taxes on tech giants' revenues, not just their profits. The four nations want the Commission to produce an "equalization tax" that would make companies pay the equivalent of the corporate tax in the countries where they earn revenue.
France and Germany want Apple and Google to pay their taxes
France and Germany are looking to make major tech companies like Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon begin paying their fair share of taxes. The move comes as many European leaders have expressed frustration at how these companies focus their profits and costs in countries that tax them at the lowest rates. "Europe must learn to defend its economic interest much more firmly -- China does it, the U.S. does it," French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told Bloomberg. "You cannot take the benefit of doing business in France or in Europe without paying the taxes that other companies -- French or European companies -- are paying."
Facebook helped blunt Russian meddling in French elections
Facebook played a key role in identifying and stopping Russian interference in the recent French election, a US congressman has revealed. During the attack, Russian intelligence operatives attempted to spy on Emmanuel Macron's election campaign by posing as friends of Macron's and attempting to glean information. This was in conjunction with the previously reported Russian interference, where spies also used fake Facebook accounts to spread misinformation about the French election.
France plans to ban fossil-fuel-powered cars by 2040
France's ecology minister has laid out an ambitious plan that would see the nation effectively ban the sale of fossil-fuel-powered vehicles by 2040. Nicolas Hulot, as quoted by the Financial Times, claims that France is announcing the "end of the sale of gasoline and diesel cars" by the deadline. As Le Figaro adds, it's not clear how the country will enforce the transition, but Hulot says that the "conditions are there."
France wants autonomous high-speed trains by 2023
According to reports from FranceInfo, the SNCF, France's national state-owned railway company, announced on Friday that it is actively working to develop and deploy autonomous trains that will operate along its high-speed TGV lines by 2023. The so-called "drone trains" should begin initial trials some time in 2019.
France and the UK pressure internet companies to fight extremism
The British and French have already made separate efforts to limit extremists' online presences, but they now believe they can accomplish more by working together. The two nations have unveiled a joint campaign to prevent extremists from using the internet as a "safe space." They're vowing to pressure tech firms into doing more (such as better automatic removal tools), and are "exploring the possibility" of fines and other legal penalties if those companies don't pull offending material.
A Paris school is using AI to monitor distracted students
For those of us who zone out during university lectures, the temptation multiplies when you taking classes from home. Next fall, a business school in France will try to stop online students from getting distracted with an AI app called Nestor. To judge your level of attention, it can track your face and eyes and even detect when you pull out a phone. If you start to slack off, it can warn you via pop-up messages or emails, and tell you roughly when you may drift away again.
European regulators push Facebook to tighten user privacy rules
Authorities in France and the Netherlands are the latest to speak out against the way Facebook handles the massive amounts of user data it collects. In separate announcements today, privacy watchdog groups in both countries said that Facebook did not give users enough control of their data, and that the company had collected information through third-party websites without users' consent.
Manufactured controversy puts Netflix's future at Cannes in doubt
This year, Netflix original movies will be shown at Cannes Film Festival for the very first time. Yet, thanks to pressure from the French government, 2017 could also be the last time we see Netflix original films at the event. In France, the law dictates that movies which enjoy theatrical releases can't be shown on streaming services until three years later. Due to these strict regulations, Cannes exhibitors strongly opposed the inclusion of this year's Netflix entries Okja and The Meyerowitz Stories, demanding that they at least be shown nationwide across French theaters. While exhibitors calls for Netflix's entries to be removed from the competition were dismissed by the festival, the organizers have now caved under pressure.
