Internet Policy in the EU

Latest news on the Internet policies of the European Union.

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Digital Agenda Scoreboard — 13 June 2013, 12:52 CET

The Digital agenda Scoreboard assesses progress with respect to the targets set out in the Digital Agenda (2013 update).

EU says likely to ask Google to boost anti-trust offer — 29 May 2013, 18:58 CET

The European Commission says it is likely to ask US Internet giant Google to improve the way it intends to satisfy EU concerns over its dominant position in the online search and advertising market.

EU welcomes pledge by Egypt for 'open' Internet — 27 May 2013, 14:27 CET

Europe's Digital Agenda commissioner Neelie Kroes on Monday welcomed a pledge by Egypt to maintain an 'open' Internet that would not be subject to government shut downs, as was the case during the 2011 uprising.

EU backs Apple in Google's Motorola patent move — 07 May 2013, 10:57 CET

EU anti-trust officials say Google-owned Motorola is abusing its leading position in Germany's mobile phone market by filing a patent injunction against Apple over some core smartphone functions.

EU warns against Internet clampdown in Azerbaijan — 03 May 2013, 21:35 CET

The European Union is worried about a possible Internet clampdown in Azerbaijan as strongman President Ilham Aliyev cracks down on opposition following a spate of protests earlier this year, a senior EU official said Friday.

Feedback sought on commitments offered by Google to address competition concerns — 25 April 2013, 12:47 CET

The European Commission is inviting comments from interested parties on commitments offered by Google in relation to online search and search advertising.

EU tests Google's vows to provide fairer search results — 25 April 2013, 23:50 CET

EU anti-trust authorities are to test for a month changes to Google's search results meant to respond to competitors' complaints that the US online giant was giving unfair prominence to its own links and ads.

Consultation on the rapidly converging audiovisual world — 25 April 2013, 00:06 CET

Millions of Europeans catch up with their favourite TV series on a smartphone on the way to work, watch online content on their living room TV, or put their own user-generated content online. There are more than 40.4 million "connected TVs" in Europe, and they could be in the majority of EU households by 2016. These changes are sweeping away traditional boundaries between consumers, broadcast media and the internet. The Commission wants to explore what this convergence of technology and content could mean for Europe's economic growth and innovation, cultural diversity, and consumers (especially those that may need protection, such as children}.

Google, EU near deal on search probe: report — 13 April 2013, 13:33 CET

US Internet giant Google is preparing changes to its dominant search system to satisfy EU anti-trust authorities, the Financial Times said on Saturday.

Microsoft, Oracle take Google to task at EU over Android phones — 10 April 2013, 12:04 CET

Google is in the firing line again as a group of major companies, including Microsoft and Oracle, complain to the European Commission over Google's offerings for Android-powered mobile phones.

Six European countries move against Google over privacy — 03 April 2013, 11:36 CET

Six European countries, including France and Britain, have launched joint action against Google to get the US Internet giant to scale back on new monitoring powers that watchdogs believe violate EU privacy protection rules.

Microsoft: Commission fine for non-compliance with browser choice commitments — 06 March 2013, 18:37 CET

The European Commission has imposed a EUR 561 million fine on Microsoft for failing to comply with its commitments to offer users a browser choice screen enabling them to easily choose their preferred web browser. In 2009, the Commission had made these commitments legally binding on Microsoft until 2014. In today's decision, the Commission finds that Microsoft failed to roll out the browser choice screen with its Windows 7 Service Pack 1 from May 2011 until July 2012. 15 million Windows users in the EU therefore did not see the choice screen during this period. Microsoft has acknowledged that the choice screen was not displayed during that time.

EU fines Microsoft EUR 561 m for web browser choice — 06 March 2013, 16:30 CET

The EU has fined Microsoft 561 million euros for failing to provide customers with a choice of Internet browser, as promised, but ran into criticism it has allowed the US giant to monitor its own commitments.

Grand Coalition for Digital Jobs — 04 March 2013, 18:29 CET

Commission President José Manuel Barroso has called on Europe's digital businesses, governments, training and education sectors to join a Grand Coalition for Digital Jobs to address up to 900 000 job vacancies expected to exist in Europe in Information and Communication technologies (ICT) by 2015. Despite the current levels of unemployment, the number of digital jobs is growing by more than 100,000 per year. Yet the number of fresh ICT graduates and skilled ICT workers is not keeping up.

EU looks to hi-tech sector for jobs — 05 March 2013, 12:54 CET

Even with unemployment at record highs, there are hundreds of thousands of jobs available in information technology that governments and companies must fill, says the European Commission.

Data protection rules: backing from European Parliament Industry committee — 20 February 2013, 22:31 CET

The European Parliament’s Industry, Research and Energy Committee (ITRE) has given its backing to Commission proposals to reform the EU’s data protection rules which date back to 1995. The vote on the Committee’s opinion, drafted by Member of the European Parliament Seán Kelly, is the latest step towards a swift adoption of the proposed legislation. The Committee’s opinion – which covers the draft general Data Protection Regulation – will now be submitted to the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee (LIBE), which will consolidate all the amendments submitted so far and vote on its own report at the end of April.

Europe to move against Google over privacy rules — 18 February 2013, 18:47 CET

European data protection agencies intend to take action against the US Internet giant Google after it failed to follow their orders to comply with EU privacy laws.

Europol, Spanish police bust global cybercrime ring — 13 February 2013, 17:04 CET

Spanish police and Europol, the European Union's police coordination agency, have busted a global cybercrime operation that infected millions of computers, a source in the investigation told AFP.

EU maps out new cyber-security plan — 07 February 2013, 17:26 CET

The European Commission on Thursday launched a new cyber-security plan, aimed at safeguarding vital information systems and bolstering the bloc's defences against a growing criminal threat.

Proposed Directive on Network and Information Security — 07 February 2013, 13:49 CET

The European Commission, together with the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, has published a cybersecurity strategy alongside a Commission proposed directive on network and information security (NIS). The cybersecurity strategy – "An Open, Safe and Secure Cyberspace" - represents the EU's comprehensive vision on how best to prevent and respond to cyber disruptions and attacks. The strategy articulates the EU's vision of cyber-security in terms of five priorities: Achieving cyber resilience Drastically reducing cybercrime Developing cyber defence policy and capabilities related to the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) Developing the industrial and technological resources for cyber-security Establishing a coherent international cyberspace policy for the European Union and promoting core EU values. The proposed NIS Directive is a key component of the overall strategy and would require all Member States, key internet enablers and critical infrastructure operators such as e-commerce platforms and social networks and operators in energy, transport, banking and healthcare services to ensure a secure and trustworthy digital environment throughout the EU. The proposed Directive lays down measures including: (a) Member State must adopt a NIS strategy and designate a national NIS competent authority with adequate financial and human resources to prevent, handle and respond to NIS risks and incidents; (b) Creating a cooperation mechanism among Member States and the Commission to share early warnings on risks and incidents through a secure infrastructure, cooperate and organise regular peer reviews; (c) Operators of critical infrastructures in some sectors (financial services, transport, energy, health), enablers of information society services (notably: app stores e-commerce platforms, Internet payment, cloud computing, search engines, social networks) and public administrations must adopt risk management practices and report major security incidents on their core services.

EU studies Google's bid to avoid anti-trust fine — 02 February 2013, 11:51 CET

EU anti-trust authorities said Friday they had received proposals from Internet giant Google aimed at ending a probe into its dominance of online search advertising platforms.

Calls to modernise EU anti-drugs strategy — 31 January 2013, 18:07 CET

Governments need to update their approach to choking mainstream supply routes for the distribution of hard drugs, but not leap into any formal de-criminalisation of cannabis sale, EU and law enforcement agencies said Thursday.

Kaspersky finds 'Red October' virus targeting Eastern Europe — 14 January 2013, 23:16 CET

Kaspersky Lab says it has identified a new computer virus it dubbed "Red October" targeting eastern European countries that appeared to be collecting classified files using NATO and EU encryption.

EU, US agree to share cybercrime data as new unit opens — 13 January 2013, 23:28 CET

The European Union and the US agreed Friday to share more data on cross-border cybercriminals at the opening of a new hi-tech unit aimed at helping police catch up with increasingly imaginative criminals.

EU to force Google to change listing of search results: report — 10 January 2013, 22:06 CET

Google will have to change the way it presents search results or face anti-trust charges for favouring its own services, the EU's competition chief told the Financial Times.