405 scientists from 30 countries warn teen social-media bans and age checks can backfire. In a Monday statement, they urge a moratorium until evidence is clearer, citing easy circumvention, migration to risky fringe sites, and years-long infrastructure hurdles.
Europeans and Americans talk past each other while rivals watch. The EU can set its own standards, but in an interconnected economy, decoupling fantasies and grandstanding won’t help.
The Commission’s revised Cybersecurity Act may face resistance from China-friendly Member States and telecom operators, who warn of high compliance and vendor-switch costs and seek public reimbursement.
Last week the European Commission preliminarily found TikTok may breach the DSA over “addictive design” (infinite scroll, autoplay, push alerts, personalised feeds). If upheld, it could mean a fine up to 6% of global turnover.
Ukraine and SpaceX announced they have found a way to prevent Russian armed forces from using Starlink, while Russian propagandists reacted harshly - not only toward SpaceX, but toward Palantir too. Meanwhile, communications from two European satellites were intercepted by Russian spacecraft.
On February 4, the Commission closed its Better Regulation consultation: most of the 286 respondents urged keeping impact assessments and consultation tools strong.
At ITRE, EVP Henna Virkkunen pitched the Digital Networks Act. The DNA's Articles 191–193 revive fears of de facto network fees, and S&D’s Mattias Ecke pressed for safeguards. The Commission offered little clarity and hinted it could later “revise” the mechanism.
Estonia just launched eesti.AI project, targeting +25% GDP by 2030 and +50% by 2035, by pairing AI with its digital-state know-how and public-private partnerships to deliver scalable AI applications .
Merz and Meloni’s updated Italo-German Plan of Action doubles down on legislative self-restraint, simplification, and better regulation. The real test now is the Omnibus push and a Better Regulation reform.
The Commission’s draft Digital Networks Act would replace the 2018 EECC and reopen old fights: less national control over spectrum, a costly copper switch-off by 2035, and a “voluntary” conciliation backdoor that could revive de facto network fees.
The EU is funding AI adoption, drafting preparedness plans, and issuing ethics guidance, but AI tool use remains uneven and sometimes taboo. With 64% of Europeans saying AI literacy will be essential by 2030, the real test is turning ambition into measurable, high-scale outcomes.
As digital sovereignty rises on the agenda, Denmark’s Minister for Digital Affairs, Caroline Stage, and Danish Entrepreneurs’ Peter Kofler argue Europe won’t secure its future by turning inward, but by boosting competitiveness, innovation, and scaling in an open global economy.
