Fewer than 60% of Europeans have basic digital skills and fewer than 30% have above-basic skills, per the EU’s DESI. Future actions should anticipate needs, deliver strong user experience, prioritise adult training, and operate at scale.
Europeans often get access to major tech products months after the U.S., and sometimes with missing features. Privacy rules, the Digital Markets Act, and cautious rollouts all play a role, leaving consumers and businesses a step behind on productivity and new use cases.
The EU’s Digital Omnibus consultation is open until Oct 14, 2025, aiming to simplify data, AI, and cybersecurity compliance. But without tackling the GDPR reform, the elephant in the room remains.
At today’s conference on Draghi’s competitiveness report, key takeaways included: telecoms reform (DNA), calls for deeper GDPR reform, a pause on AI Act high-risk rules, "Buy European" procurement, and faster merger reform.
The EU’s new political ad rules, taking effect in Oct 2025, pushed Meta and Google to discontinue political ads in Europe. While meant to boost transparency, the situation risks aiding regimes like Orbán’s Fidesz, which dominate media and can drown out opposition voices.
With just a few days left before the Council is due to take a vote on the controversial proposal, both the public pressure and cross-party outcry may pose a unique challenge to Brussels' usual choreographed votes on long-debated legislation.
As U.S. voices challenge EU digital rules, Brussels faces pressure. While some urge a tougher stance, Henna Virkkunen’s quiet diplomacy has helped defend EU interests—balancing trade, defense ties, and slow-moving deals with India and China.
Russia’s new Law No. 72-FZ bans all advertising on “undesirable” or extremist platforms, tightening control over Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X, with fines looming and influencers turning to VK, RuTube, or crypto to keep earning.
A week after the US–EU digital trade deal was unveiled, it is already under fire. Trump has threatened new tariffs, Brussels is pressing ahead with new rules, and both sides are sharpening arguments, underscoring how fragile yet vital the pact is for transatlantic tech.
Just in: The US and EU have agreed on a new Framework for Reciprocal, Fair, and Balanced Trade after weeks of talks. On digital policy, the EU confirmed it will not adopt or maintain network usage fees, reaffirming the White House’s earlier position.
As the EU reviews cybersecurity and privacy laws, VPNs may face new child-protection and age-verification rules. While uncertain, the UK’s messy experience could push the EU toward measures that risk undermining privacy.
The IEA's data center map shows that Central and Eastern Europe remains underserved by data centers, despite favorable conditions. As the EU prepares €20B AI Gigafactories, Poland and the Baltics push to secure investment and strengthen the region’s digital sovereignty.”
