Digital standards Archives | Page 8 of 390

Ireland and the EU intensify DSA pressure on Meta

Coimisiún na Meán, the media regulator of Ireland, has launched two formal investigations into Meta over the design of recommender systems on Facebook and Instagram under the Digital Services Act. The investigations focus on whether users are prevented from choosing recommendation feeds that are not based on the profiling of their personal data.

Coimisiún na Meán said concerns emerged following platform supervision reviews and complaints linked to potential ‘dark patterns’ and deceptive interface designs. Regulators are examining whether users can easily access and modify non-profiled recommendation feeds as required under Article 27 of the DSA, alongside whether interface designs may improperly influence user choices under Article 25.

John Evans, Digital Services Commissioner at Coimisiún na Meán, said recommender systems can repeatedly push harmful material into user feeds, particularly affecting children and younger users. The regulator also warned that Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) must ensure users can exercise their rights under the DSA without manipulation or unnecessary barriers.

EU investigates Meta over under-13 access on Instagram and Facebook

At the same time, the European Commission has preliminarily found Meta in potential breach of the DSA over failures to adequately prevent children under 13 from accessing Instagram and Facebook. Regulators said Meta’s age verification and reporting systems may be ineffective, while the company’s risk assessments allegedly failed to properly address harms faced by underage users.

Why does it matter?

These investigations are critical because they could shape how the DSA is enforced across Europe, particularly in cases involving children and algorithmic recommendation systems. If regulators conclude that Meta failed to properly protect minors or used manipulative interface designs that discouraged users from choosing non-profiled feeds, the case may set a wider precedent for how large online platforms handle age assurance, user consent, privacy protections, and recommender system transparency under EU law.

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White paper sets priorities for Europe’s digital sovereignty and tech competitiveness

A new whitepaper by GITEX AI Europe, in partnership with research firm LUE, outlines key priorities for strengthening Europe’s digital sovereignty and long-term technological competitiveness.

The study suggests scaling AI computing power, expanding cloud infrastructure, adopting open-source standards and increasing startup investment as central pillars. These measures aim to align innovation capacity with broader economic and industrial growth.

It highlights rising demand for AI infrastructure, with data centre expansion and energy integration seen as essential. The report also stresses the need for sovereign cloud systems to ensure greater control over data, alongside the role of open-source technologies in enabling flexibility and transparency.

The whitepaper concludes that stronger investment and coordinated policy are required to support deep-tech growth and prevent talent loss, with initiatives and partnerships shaping Europe’s digital future across the continent.

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EU and Armenia deepen digital and security partnership in Yerevan

The EU and Armenia have signed a new connectivity partnership during their first bilateral summit in Yerevan, expanding cooperation across digital infrastructure, transport, energy, defence, and border management. The agreement forms part of the EU’s broader effort to strengthen political and economic ties in the South Caucasus while supporting regional stability.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the summit had taken EU-Armenia relations to a new level, with future cooperation focused on economic integration, political dialogue, and security. The partnership aligns the EU’s Cross-Regional Connectivity Agenda with Armenia’s ‘Crossroad of Peace’ initiative and introduces high-level dialogues on connectivity and transport.

The summit also launched new initiatives in digital infrastructure, semiconductor skills, innovation ecosystems, and private investment mobilisation. Brussels advanced Armenia’s visa liberalisation process, strengthened border cooperation through Frontex, and backed security cooperation through an EU Partnership Mission and €30 million in European Peace Facility assistance.

At the same time, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez used the European Political Community meeting in Yerevan to call for stronger digital governance across Europe. Speaking at a roundtable on democratic resilience and hybrid threats, he warned that digital infrastructure and social media platforms are being used to exploit democratic vulnerabilities.

Sánchez called for action in three areas: implementing the European Democracy Shield, strengthening the European Centre for Democratic Resilience, and establishing a European-level digital age of majority. He also urged a review of platform obligations under the Digital Services framework and promoted coordinated action among countries committed to defending democracy.

Alongside the summit, Sánchez met Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to discuss peace efforts, EU-Armenia relations, multilateralism, energy cooperation, and digital sovereignty.

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EU partnership with global telecom coalition targets 6G and next-generation networks

The European Commission has joined the Global Coalition on Telecommunications as its first strategic partner, marking a further step in international cooperation on next-generation telecommunications infrastructure.

GCOT operates as an informal multilateral group focused on promoting telecommunications systems built around security, resilience, and international cooperation. With participation from countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Canada, Australia, Finland, and Sweden, the coalition aims to strengthen global dialogue and align technological development across borders.

In its new role, the EU is expected to contribute expertise, participate in policy discussions, and support joint initiatives across key telecom workstreams. Strategic partnership status is designed to allow more flexible cooperation, while governance remains with the coalition’s core members.

Telecommunications remain central to European competitiveness, particularly as AI, cloud systems, sensing capabilities, and satellite networks begin to reshape the sector. The partnership is therefore likely to support the EU priorities such as supply chain diversification, infrastructure resilience, and the development of future technologies, including 6G.

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Brazil restricts use of cryptoassets for cross-border payment settlement

Brazil’s central bank has introduced new restrictions preventing regulated cross-border payment providers from using cryptoassets to settle international transactions. The measure forms part of updated rules for electronic foreign exchange services, known as eFX.

Under Resolution BCB No. 561, settlement between eFX providers and foreign counterparties must take place through authorised foreign exchange transactions or non-resident Brazilian real accounts. Use of virtual assets such as stablecoins or cryptocurrencies for settlement is explicitly prohibited.

The rule does not ban crypto trading or peer-to-peer transfers, but focuses on the infrastructure used by regulated payment firms. Stablecoin-based settlement models are expected to be most affected, as they have been widely used to facilitate faster and lower-cost cross-border payments.

The decision aligns with Brazil’s broader regulatory strategy to tighten oversight of digital assets, including AML compliance, taxation frameworks, and classification of certain crypto flows as foreign exchange operations.

Regulators aim to maintain control over cross-border capital movement while allowing crypto activity to continue outside regulated payment rails.

Why does it matter?

Brazil’s decision reflects a broader global effort to reassert control over cross-border financial infrastructure as crypto-based settlement systems grow in scale and speed.

By keeping regulated payment flows within traditional foreign exchange channels, authorities aim to preserve monetary oversight, tax visibility, and compliance enforcement in a system where stablecoins are increasingly bypassing conventional banking rails.

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Data access emerges as cornerstone of EU AI plan

The European Commission has unveiled its AI Continent Action Plan, setting out a strategy to strengthen Europe’s position in the global AI landscape. The plan responds to rapid international advances and seeks to accelerate AI adoption across European industry and public services, where progress remains uneven.

Rather than introducing a new regulatory framework, the plan brings together targeted investments and policy measures around five priorities: expanding AI infrastructure, improving access to data, accelerating adoption in strategic sectors, strengthening skills, and supporting the implementation of existing rules.

Access to high-quality and interoperable data is presented as one of the key conditions for scaling AI in Europe. The plan links this objective to the EU’s wider data strategy and to efforts to make cross-border data use more practical, enabling organisations to train and deploy AI systems more effectively while operating within Europe’s transparency and accountability standards.

The broader ambition is to move Europe from fragmented experimentation towards more scalable and trustworthy AI deployment. In that sense, the Action Plan treats data, infrastructure, skills, and implementation capacity as parts of the same competitiveness agenda rather than separate policy tracks.

Why does it matter?

Europe’s AI challenge is no longer only about regulation, but about whether companies and public institutions can actually build and use AI at scale. If access to data remains fragmented across borders, sectors, and technical systems, the EU risks falling further behind competitors that already combine compute, capital, and data more effectively. By putting data access alongside infrastructure and skills, the Commission is signalling that AI competitiveness will depend as much on operational capacity as on rules or research strength.

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Cross-border crypto transfers in South Korea face stricter compliance requirements

South Korea has advanced a major regulatory shift by passing a bill that extends the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act to cover virtual asset service providers. The decision introduces mandatory registration for firms facilitating cross-border crypto transactions, including exchanges and wallet operators.

The new framework establishes formal oversight of virtual asset transfers between South Korea and other jurisdictions. Authorities will gain enhanced monitoring powers over transaction flows, with a focus on improving transparency and reducing risks linked to illicit financial activity and capital movement.

Major exchanges and service providers are expected to face increased compliance requirements, including detailed reporting obligations and system upgrades. Failure to comply could result in penalties or revocation of registration, signalling a stronger enforcement environment.

The measure aligns South Korea with global regulatory developments such as the EU’s MiCA framework and FATF recommendations. By integrating crypto oversight into existing forex law, regulators aim to accelerate implementation while reinforcing market trust and institutional oversight.

Why does it matter?

South Korea’s move reflects a broader global shift toward integrating crypto into traditional financial regulatory systems, reducing the space for unmonitored cross-border capital flows.

By embedding virtual assets within existing forex law, the country strengthens financial oversight while signalling how digital assets are increasingly being treated as part of mainstream monetary infrastructure rather than a parallel system.

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EU pushes Android changes to open AI competition

The European Commission has outlined draft measures requiring Google to improve interoperability on Android as part of ongoing proceedings under the Digital Markets Act. Regulators are focusing on how third-party AI services can interact with hardware and software features controlled by the Android operating system.

The proposed measures are intended to give competing AI services access to key Android features already used by Google’s own AI services, including Gemini. In practice, that could allow rival services to support actions such as sending messages, sharing content, or completing tasks through user-preferred applications rather than being limited by Google’s default ecosystem.

The Commission’s approach could also make it easier for users to activate alternative AI assistants through customised interactions and device-level features, reducing dependence on default system tools. The broader aim is to give third-party providers a more equal opportunity to innovate and compete in the fast-moving market for AI services on mobile devices.

Feedback on the proposed measures is being gathered as part of the Commission’s specification proceedings under the DMA. The consultation forms part of a wider regulatory effort to enforce fair access to core platform features and strengthen digital competition across European markets, including in the AI sector.

Why does it matter?

The move targets one of the most important control points in the digital economy: the operating system layer. Opening Android features to competing AI services could reduce the structural advantage held by Google and shift power towards a more competitive, multi-provider mobile ecosystem. This is an inference based on the Commission’s stated objective of giving third-party AI services access equivalent to that available to Google’s own AI tools.

Greater interoperability under the Digital Markets Act could reshape how AI reaches users, turning smartphones into more open platforms rather than tightly controlled default environments. At the same time, the case also shows how strongly the EU is trying to apply competition law to the next phase of AI distribution, not only to search, app stores, and browsers.

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Greece accelerates digital governance with AI enforcement and social media age restrictions

Greece is moving to tighten online child protection and expand AI-based public enforcement as part of a broader digital governance agenda, Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence Minister Dimitris Papastergiou has said.

Under the plan, social media platforms would, from 2027, be required to block access for users under 15 using age verification systems rather than self-declared age data. However, AI is already being used in road safety enforcement, with smart cameras issuing digital fines through government platforms.

The policy includes tools such as Kids Wallet, built on privacy-preserving verification methods that share only age eligibility. Authorities say the aim is to address risks linked to digital addiction while strengthening protections for minors across online environments.

Alongside these measures, AI is already being deployed in road safety enforcement. Smart cameras are being used to issue digital fines through government platforms, with a nationwide rollout planned to expand monitoring and improve compliance.

These measures form part of a wider effort to digitise public administration, reduce inefficiencies, and strengthen accountability. By embedding technology more deeply into everyday governance, Greece is trying to reshape how citizens interact with the state while also addressing long-standing systemic problems.

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UNIDIR highlights the security implications of the shift from classical to quantum technologies

The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) has outlined the evolution of digital technologies from early internet systems to emerging quantum capabilities, highlighting their growing impact on global systems and security.

In its analysis, UNIDIR traces the progression from dial-up connectivity and classical computing to advanced technologies such as AI and quantum computing, noting that innovation cycles are accelerating and becoming increasingly interconnected. The organisation states that the transition to quantum technologies represents a significant shift in how data is processed, stored and secured.

Unlike classical systems, quantum computing introduces new capabilities that could transform fields ranging from scientific research to communications.

However, UNIDIR warns that these advances also present risks, particularly in cybersecurity. Quantum technologies could challenge existing encryption methods and expose vulnerabilities in digital infrastructure, with implications for governments, businesses and critical systems.

The analysis also links emerging technologies to broader geopolitical dynamics, noting that competition over technological leadership is becoming a key factor in international security. As digital and physical systems converge, technological developments are increasingly shaping strategic stability.

Why does it matter?

UNIDIR emphasises the need for forward-looking governance, international cooperation and policy coordination to manage these challenges. It calls for stronger dialogue among states and stakeholders to ensure that technological progress supports global security rather than undermines it.

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