Legislation, enforcement and the politics behind Europe's digital rulebook, from the AI Act to platform regulation.
The European Parliament voted through a temporary ePrivacy derogation for mass message scanning, but secured critical protections for encrypted communications and signalled strong opposition to permanent surveillance measures.
Google's brief integration of generative image tools into Google Earth—and its rapid rollback after backlash—reveals a systemic failure: tech companies are deploying capabilities that reshape global verification infrastructure without consulting the civil society experts who understand the risks.
Starting August 2, the European Commission will enforce new requirements forcing AI systems to disclose their nature to users and label artificially generated or manipulated content.
The latest from Europe's digital rights community reveals mounting pressure on major platforms and data centre operators, alongside growing calls for user control over algorithmic feeds and AI governance.
European Digital Rights argues that the EU's rights-based digital rulebook is working as intended, and the focus should be on better implementation rather than simplification that could undermine fundamental protections.
France's highest administrative court has ruled that Hadopi's decades-old file-sharing surveillance apparatus violates fundamental European protections, ordering the government to scrap its core mechanisms.
A leading AI firm's refusal to build weapons triggered federal retaliation disguised as routine procurement. Legal experts warn this pattern of 'expressive governance' threatens free speech across entire industries.
As the UN convenes its Global Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence Governance this July, governments have a chance to anchor AI rules in freedom of expression—or risk letting authoritarian approaches spread globally.