France says it will block Facebook’s Libra cryptocurrency in the EU
Facebook’s “Libra” cryptocurrency project faced another policy setback on Thursday, with France saying that it would block its implementation in the Europe, according to BBC News. The nation’s finance minister, Bruno Le Maire, voiced concerns over how the currency could allow Facebook to abuse its dominant position in the market, would threaten the monetary sovereignty of […]
EU competition chief Margrethe Vestager will serve another term, with expanded powers to regulate tech companies
European competition chief Margrethe Vestager, who had been facing the end of her term, will instead return for a another five years, with an expanded role on the new team of commissioners, according to Reuters. Vestager has been behind much of the European Commission’s scrutiny of tech giants, and will now serve as an Executive Vice […]
Despite billions in sales, Amazon Europe received €241m in tax credits last year
Amazon Europe was granted €241m in tax credits last year, despite reporting nearly €30bn in sales, and even as authorities move to collect more taxes from tech giants. The credits could be deducted from taxes owed on future earnings, according to The Guardian. In recent years, tech companies in Europe, many of which are based in the […]
US states launch antitrust probes targeting Facebook and Google
US states attorney generals announced two new antitrust probes on Friday, aimed at large tech companies such as Facebook and Google, according to Reuters. One probe, investigating Facebook, will be led by New York and includes seven other states as well as the District of Columbia. A second probe is expected to be aimed at Google, […]
Europe’s mental health websites are selling sensitive user data to advertisers
A new study has revealed that mental health websites in Europe are selling information collected from users, including psychological health data such as answers from quizzes, according to BBC News. The study, by Privacy International (PI), found that the way this information was collected is “neither transparent nor fair” and that many websites are “failing to meet […]
King’s Cross developers halt use of facial recognition technology
The developers behind London’s King’s Cross Central project have halted controversial plans to reimplement facial recognition technology at the site, they said in a statement on Monday. Last month, the developer revealed that its cameras “use a number of detection and tracking methods, including facial recognition.” It was among the first property-owners to admit using the […]
Sweden issues first GDPR fine, against a high school that used facial recognition to check attendance
A Swedish municipality has been fined for trialing facial recognition in a high school to track student attendance, in Sweden’s first fine under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) data privacy rules, according to BBC News. The Skelleftea municipality in northern Sweden was fined 200,000 Swedish Krona, or about £16,800, for violating privacy laws. The […]
Facebook has won an appeal against a German agency’s restrictions on data collection
A regional court in Germany has ruled in favor of Facebook’s appeal against a February order by the nation’s antitrust watchdog, preventing the social media giant from combining user data collected from its various platforms, which include Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. An order from the Federal Cartel Office (FCO) in February had accused Facebook of abusing […]
Three and EE dispute advert claim as 5G competition escalates
UK telecom operator EE has filed a complaint against rival company Three, over its 5G advertising campaign claiming “If it’s not Three, it’s not real 5G,” according to The Guardian. The dispute comes after Three switched on a portion of its 5G network in London, and as more UK telecom companies begin to compete over the next […]
US legislator joins international inquiry into disinformation on social media
An international effort to investigate disinformation through social media platforms and tech giants has gained its first US legislator as a member, adding weight to requests for US-based tech executives to appear as witnesses before the committee, according to Tech Crunch. The next meeting of the International Grand Committee on Disinformation and ‘Fake News’ is set to […]