Consumer protection Archives | Page 14 of 223

Epic Games dispute leads to changes in Google Play policies

Google has agreed to major changes to its Play Store policies after settling a long-running legal dispute with Epic Games, the developer behind the popular game Fortnite.

The agreement will reduce the commission Google charges on in-app purchases and introduce new options that make it easier for users to install alternative app stores on Android devices.

Under the new structure, Google will lower its standard commission to 20% on in-app purchases. Developers who choose to use Google’s billing system will pay an additional 5% fee. The company also announced that recurring subscription fees will drop to 10%.

The revised fee structure will begin rolling out in the United States, the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom by June 2026, with expansion to other regions over the following years.

The settlement also introduces a new initiative called the Registered App Stores programme. The programme aims to simplify the installation of alternative app stores on Android while maintaining certain security and quality standards.

Approved third-party stores will be able to offer apps through a more streamlined installation process, addressing long-standing developer complaints that warnings about sideloading discouraged users from installing legitimate alternative marketplaces.

As part of the agreement, Epic Games plans to bring Fortnite back to the Google Play Store globally while continuing to develop its own Epic Games Store for Android. Both companies described the settlement as a step toward a more competitive Android ecosystem.

The dispute between Epic Games and Apple over App Store policies continues separately, reflecting broader industry debates over platform control, developer fees and competition in digital marketplaces.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

EU watchdog urges limits on US data access

The European Union’s data protection watchdog has urged stronger safeguards as negotiations continue with the US over access to biometric databases. European Data Protection Supervisor Wojciech Wiewiórowski said limits must ensure Europeans’ data is used only for agreed purposes.

Talks between the EU and the US involve potential arrangements that would allow US authorities to query national biometric systems. Databases across the EU contain sensitive information, including fingerprints and facial recognition data.

Past transatlantic data-sharing agreements between the two have faced legal challenges due to insufficient safeguards. European regulators are closely monitoring the Data Privacy Framework amid ongoing concerns about oversight.

Officials also warned that emerging AI technologies could create new surveillance risks linked to US data access. European authorities said they must negotiate as a unified bloc when dealing with the US.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Major crypto exchanges in South Korea face new ownership limits

South Korea’s ruling Democratic Party and the Financial Services Commission have agreed to cap major shareholder stakes in domestic crypto exchanges at 20%. Exceptions of up to 34% would apply to new businesses to support early-stage operators.

Large exchanges like Upbit and Bithumb will have 3 years to comply, while smaller platforms will receive an additional 3-year grace period.

Current ownership exceeds the proposed cap, with Upbit at 25.5%, Bithumb at 73.6%, and Coinone at 53.4%. Korbit’s pending acquisition would give Mirae Asset Consulting 92% ownership, highlighting the extent of concentrated holdings in the market.

The cap seeks to curb governance risks from concentrated shareholding, following the FSC’s January 2026 proposal. The move gained urgency after Bithumb’s accidental $43 billion Bitcoin transfer, which raised concerns about internal controls.

The ownership limit will likely be included in South Korea’s upcoming Digital Asset Basic Act, alongside rules on stablecoins and crypto ETFs.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

TikTok rejects end-to-end encryption citing safety concerns

TikTok will not adopt end-to-end encryption for direct messages. The company explained that using this technology could hinder safety teams’ and law enforcement’s efforts to detect harmful content in private messages, which the company believes could make users less safe online.

Encrypted messaging ensures that only the sender and recipient can read a conversation and is widely used across the social media industry. Rivals including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and X have adopted the technology, saying protecting private communication is central to user privacy.

The issue has become more sensitive because the platform has long faced scrutiny over possible links between its parent company, ByteDance, and the government of the People’s Republic of China, something the company has repeatedly denied. Reflecting these concerns, earlier this year, US lawmakers ordered the separation of TikTok’s US operations from its global business.

The company told the BBC that encrypted messaging would make it impossible for police and platform safety teams to read direct messages when needed. TikTok emphasised that this decision was made to enhance user protection, with a particular focus on the safety of younger users, and that it sees monitoring capabilities as crucial for addressing harmful behaviour.

Industry analyst Matt Navarra said the platform’s decision to ‘swim against the tide’ is ‘notable’ but presents ‘challenging optics’. He noted, ‘Grooming and harassment risks are present in DMs [direct messages], so TikTok can state it is prioritising proactive safety over privacy absolutism,’ though he added that the decision ‘places TikTok out of alignment with global privacy expectations’.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Online privacy faces new pressures in the age of social media

Online privacy is eroding as digital services collect ever-growing personal data and surveillance becomes part of daily technology use. The debate has intensified as social media platforms, advertisers, and connected devices expand their ability to track behaviour, preferences, and habits.

Analysts say younger generations have adapted to this reality rather than resisting it. ‘In 2026, online privacy is a luxury, not a right,’ says Thomas Bunting, an analyst at the UK innovation think tank Nesta. He argues many people have grown up accepting data collection as a trade-off for access to online services, noting: ‘We’ve been taught how to deal with it.’

Advocates warn that the erosion of online privacy could have wider social consequences. Cybersecurity expert Prof Alan Woodward from the University of Surrey says the issue goes beyond personal privacy. ‘People should care about online privacy because it shapes who has power over their lives,’ he says, arguing that privacy is ‘about having something to protect: freedom of thought, experimentation, dissent and personal development without permanent surveillance.’

Despite a growing number of privacy tools and regulations, data exposure remains widespread. According to Statista, more than 1.35 billion people were affected by data breaches, hacks, or exposure in 2024 alone. At the same time, more than 160 countries now have privacy legislation, while users regularly encounter cookie consent prompts that govern how their data is collected online.

Experts say frustration with privacy controls reflects a broader ‘privacy paradox’, in which people express concern about data protection but rarely change their behaviour. Cisco’s Consumer Privacy Survey found that while 89% of respondents said they care about privacy, only 38% actively take steps to protect their data.

As philosopher Carissa Véliz notes, the challenge is not simply awareness but a sense of agency: ‘Mostly, people don’t feel like they have control.’ She argues that protecting privacy requires stronger regulation, responsible technology design, and cultural change, adding: ‘It’s about having [access to] the right tech, but also using it.’

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Growing risks from AI meeting transcription tools

Businesses across the US and Europe are confronting new privacy risks as AI transcription tools spread through workplaces. Tools that automatically record and transcribe meetings increasingly capture sensitive conversations without clear consent.

Privacy specialists warn that organisations in the US and Europe previously focused on rules controlling what employees upload into AI systems. Governance efforts now shift towards monitoring what AI tools record during daily work.

AI services such as Otter, Zoom transcription and Microsoft Copilot can record discussions involving performance reviews, health information and legal matters. Companies in the US and Europe face legal exposure when third-party platforms store recordings without strict controls.

Governance teams in the US and Europe are being urged to introduce clear rules on meeting recordings and retention of transcripts. Stronger policies may include consent requirements, limits on recording sensitive meetings and stricter data storage oversight.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Council of Europe issues new guidance on AI and gender equality

Ahead of International Women’s Day on 8 March, the Council of Europe adopted two new recommendations addressing gender equality and the prevention of violence against women in the context of emerging technologies.

One recommendation targets the design and use of AI to prevent discrimination, while the other focuses on accountability for technology-facilitated violence against women and girls.

The AI recommendation advises member states on preventing discrimination throughout the lifecycle of AI systems, from development to deployment and retirement. It highlights risks like gender bias while promoting transparency, explainability, and safeguards.

Special attention is given to discrimination based on gender, race, and sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression (SOGIESC).

The second recommendation sets the first international standard for addressing technology-facilitated violence against women. It outlines strategies to overcome impunity, including clearer legal frameworks, accessible reporting systems, and victim-centred approaches.

Emphasis is placed on multistakeholder engagement, trauma-informed policies, and safety-by-design in technology products to prevent digital harm.

Both recommendations reinforce the importance of combining regulation, institutional support, and public awareness to ensure technology advances equality rather than perpetuates harm.

The formal launch is scheduled for 10 June 2026 at the Palais de l’Europe in Strasbourg during an event titled ‘From standards to action: making accountability for technology-facilitated violence against women and girls a reality.’

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

China expands oversight of youth online safety

China has introduced new measures to regulate online information that could affect the physical and mental health of minors. Authorities in China said the rules will take effect on 1 March and aim to improve protection for young internet users.

The regulators identified four categories of online information that may harm minors. The authorities have also addressed emerging risks linked to algorithmic recommendations and generative AI technologies.

The framework in China requires internet platforms and content creators to prevent and respond to harmful material. Regulators said companies must strengthen the monitoring and governance of content affecting minors.

Authorities said the measures are designed to create a cleaner online environment for children. Officials also stressed greater responsibility for platforms that manage digital content used by minors.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

OpenAI upgrades ChatGPT conversations with GPT-5.3 Instant

The most widely used ChatGPT model has received an update from OpenAI, introducing GPT-5.3 Instant to make everyday conversations more coherent, useful, and natural.

An upgrade that focuses on improving tone, contextual understanding, and the flow of dialogue rather than only benchmark performance.

One of the main improvements concerns how the model handles refusals and safety responses. Earlier versions sometimes declined questions that could have been answered safely or delivered overly cautious explanations before responding.

GPT-5.3 Instant instead gives more direct answers while still maintaining safety constraints, reducing interruptions that previously slowed conversations.

The update also improves the way ChatGPT uses information from the web. Instead of simply summarising search results or presenting long lists of links, the model now integrates online information with its own reasoning.

Such an approach aims to produce more relevant answers that highlight key insights at the beginning of responses.

Reliability has also improved. Internal evaluations conducted by OpenAI show reductions in hallucination rates across multiple domains.

When using web sources, hallucinations dropped by roughly 26.8 percent in higher-risk fields such as medicine, law, and finance. Improvements were also recorded when the model relied only on its internal knowledge.

Beyond factual accuracy, the model is designed to feel more natural in conversation. OpenAI says the system now avoids overly preachy language, unnecessary disclaimers, and intrusive remarks that previously disrupted dialogue.

The goal is a more consistent conversational personality across updates, while maintaining the familiar user experience of ChatGPT.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!

Australia reviews children’s social media ban

Australia has begun reviewing its ban on social media accounts for children under 16, introduced in December 2025. Australia’s eSafety Commissioner is tracking more than 4,000 children and families to assess how the policy works in practice.

Researchers in Australia will analyse surveys, interviews and voluntary smartphone data to measure how young people interact with apps. Officials in Australia aim to understand how the ban affects children, parents and everyday online behaviour.

Early reactions in Australia have been mixed, with some teenagers telling media outlets they bypass age verification systems. Platforms reportedly remain accessible to some minors in Australia.

Meanwhile, the UK government has launched a public consultation on potential social media restrictions for children. Policymakers in the UK are seeking views on bans, stronger age verification and limits on addictive platform features.

Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!