Meta's fraud problem: The social media giant projected 10% of its 2024 revenue would come from ads for scams and banned goods, documents seen by @Reuters show reut.rs/4qJTpdH

Google rolled out AI Overviews earlier this year. Many users now see AI-generated summaries above traditional search results. This doesn’t just risk spreading unreliable answers, it could also divert traffic away from independent media and threaten media pluralism: algorithmwatch.org/en/google-ai...

With all the caveats that the far right hasn't been weakened, only splintered in the Netherlands, it's still very good to see an election where liberal democracy is not on the line and a government with a pro-European outlook is back in sight

This week, the Commission issued several preliminary findings under the DSA. After requesting information and the opening of proceedings, this is the third step in the DSA's enforcement process. VLOPs now have the chance to react to the preliminary findings and defend themselves.

The National and Regional Partnership Programmes 2028-34 are under attack, as many fear they neglect cohesion goals. Better regional targeting could be one way to improve the Commission's proposal. In a new Policy Brief, I outline how this could be done. 👉 www.delorscentre.eu/en/publicati...

Preliminary findings: 🚫TikTok & Meta failed to grant researchers adequate access to public data. 🚫Meta failed to provide simple ways to notify illegal content and to allow users to challenge moderation decisions. This is a duty, not a choice. link.europa.eu/JYQrBX

OpenAI, xAI & Mistral may have just received their first EU AI Act warning shot. Dutch regulator AP found ChatGPT, Grok & le Chat gave biased voting advice ahead of elections — a potential breach of new GPAI rules. www.mlex.com/mlex/article...

While the European Council in Brussels took the spotlight, this week's events in Strasbourg should set off alarm bells. The European Parliament slamming the brakes on the first “Omnibus” package isn’t just a hiccup – it’s a symptom of strain in the EU’s democratic engine. A thread 🧵

Metsola seems to suggest that, because the European Council has said so, Parliament will have no choice but to push through the omnibus with votes from the far right after Wednesday’s failed vote. This is a worrying stance and a puzzling view of the EP’s relationship with EU leaders

The car crisis tops today’s EU summit but leaders keep staring at the wrong problem The issue isn’t the 2035 engine ban - it’s demand falling off a cliff today With @sandertordoir.bsky.social and @lucasguttenberg.bsky.social, we show why flipping regs won’t help - and what the EU can do instead.

BREAKING: ChatGPT could soon fall under the DSA rules after OpenAI revealed its search feature has over 120M monthly users in the EU, far above the “systemic risk” threshold. Formal designation and calculation of the supervisory fee could take a few weeks. www.mlex.com/mlex/technol...

Should other EU countries copy Germany's Industriestrompreis? Germany is set to introduce this controversial subsidy soon, which will lower electricity prices for industry. 🧵on whether it is a model to follow & what it means for other EU countries, based on data in new policy brief (1/23)

The EP's Internal Market Committee has just adopted a report on the draft directive on transparency of third country interest representation. The directive is intended to counter foreign interference by introducing mandatory national transparency registers for third-country lobbying. 🧵1/

✅ IMCO also backs Adina Valean’s report to boost transparency of foreign lobbying! Press release available shortly

This Thursday, the European Parliament’s @imco.europarl.europa.eu will vote on the ‘transparency of third-country lobbying’ directive. The directive is intended to counter foreign interference by introducing mandatory national transparency registers for third-country lobbying. 1/

On Thursday, the EP's Internal Market Committee votes to introduce national #transparency registers for third-country #lobbying. While there may be some benefits, none of the measures will address foreign meddling meaningfully, @luisequaritsch.bsky.social writes.👉 www.delorscentre.eu/en/publicati...

“Political candidates and others just will not be able to amplify their content through paid advertising but will have to rely on content being shared organically,” @luisequaritsch.bsky.social told @euronews.com about the new #EU rules on political ads 👉 www.euronews.com/next/2025/10...

Today, the EU’s Regulation on the Transparency and Targeting of Political Advertising enters into force. From now on, political ads – notably both online and offline – will have to carry a transparency label with key information about why people are seeing the ad, who paid for it and how much. 1/

Last week, a Dutch court ordered Meta to give Facebook & Instagram users the right to set a chronological feed by default - one of the first EU cases applying the DSA in civil proceedings. To unpack what this means, I spoke with @bitsoffreedom.bsky.social: www.techpolicy.press/what-a-dutch...

Brussels to curb the travel of Russian diplomats within the EU, in response to a surge in sabotage attempts that intelligence agencies say are led by spies operating under diplomatic cover. Czech-led initiative backed after Hungary drops its veto. With @andybounds.bsky.social on.ft.com/46Umr0T

Ratlosigkeit, zwei gewichtige Rücktritte (von Premier Lecornu und jetzt auch Kurzzeit-Armeeminister Le Maire), keine wirklich guten Optionen. Wie geht's weiter? Meine 2 cents dazu habe ich heute mit WDR (Aktuelle Stunde, heute 18.45 Uhr) und Table.Today (Veröffentlichung morgen früh) geteilt.

Schrumpfen statt wachsen? Eine neue französische Regierung steht, und zwei Parteien aus der bisherigen Minderheitsregierung drohen auszusteigen, LR und UDI. Die Opposition kocht. Was ist passiert? Kurzfassung und Erklärungen im 🧵

President Macron: “Europeans, let's wake up! We have been incredibly naive in entrusting our democratic space to social networks.” defenddemocracy.eu/macron-democ...

Tiktok deleted several bots following an “emergency meeting” with the @ec.europa.eu on the Czech elections, a spokesperson said today. Read my article at @euractiv.com: www.euractiv.com/news/commiss...

El Pais reporting on increasing Russian interference efforts to sabotage and divide Europe.

🇲🇩🗳️ 🇪🇺 Astonishingly, it's Moldova that proves that a democratic rebound is sustainable, even in the face of massive interference from a malicious superpower. Maia Sandu's PAS needs to improve its delivery of promises, but voters haven't given up on Moldova's European dream. 1/

This week, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by @ftm.eu on malign foreign influencing strategies and EU’s response to it. You can find the full interview by @alistairkeepe.bsky.social (and featuring some very nice office pictures by @albacita.bsky.social) here www.ftm.eu/articles/int...

For @ftm.eu I interviewed the Jacques Delors Centre’s democracy expert @luisequaritsch.bsky.social on the issue of covert malign interference in the EU. Quaritsch warns that while the dangers are increasing (“it’s not just Russia or China anymore”), the EU remains “uniquely vulnerable” to threats.

"It’s all connected. I believe this multi-level governance system makes the EU uniquely vulnerable [...]. A vulnerability in one area becomes a vulnerability for all." @luisequaritsch.bsky.social talks to @ftm.eu about foreign meddling and protecting European democracy 👉 www.ftm.eu/articles/int...

If true, we might as well bury the concept of rule of law conditionality. The EU cannot keep letting itself be blackmailed by Orbán into unfreezing funds withheld over rule of law violations in exchange for lifting his veto, unless it truly wants to lose all credibility as a guardian of EU values

One pitfall of buying into the ‘polarization’ narrative is casting yourself as the polar opposite of someone who’s also just chasing attention -- but is simply better at it than you.

What took them so long?

Unsere neue EU to go-Folge ist da! Mit Markus Preiß, ARD-Hauptstadtstudioleiter und langjährigem Brüssel-Kenner: open.spotify.com/episode/2vGZ...

Wie erklärt man die EU einem Millionenpublikum? Wie unterscheidet sich die Berichterstattung aus Brüssel und Berlin? Und was erwarten unsere EU-Partner von DE? Darüber spreche ich mit Markus Preiß, Leiter des ARD-Hauptstadtstudios & langjähriger Brüssel-Journalist: open.spotify.com/episode/2vGZ...

Algorithms are not necessary for the creation of echo chambers. All that is required is people muting or leaving when they have a bad interaction. Then an echo chamber arises with minimal preferences. From @pettertornberg.com #psych arxiv.org/pdf/2508.10466

2025 #SOTEU highlights from a democracy perspective: In her State of the Union speech, von der Leyen announced that she would set up a new European Center for Democratic Resilience: "This will bring together all the expertise and capacity across Member States and neighbouring countries." 1/5

Wie steht es um die Demokratie in Europa und welche Rolle kann die deutsch-französische Zusammenarbeit bei ihrem Schutz spielen - diese und andere Fragen durfte ich gestern mit Richard Schneider und Peter Neumann in der Französischen Botschaft besprechen. Danke für die spannende Diskussion!

More Google news. EC making itself clear here. "The Commission has already signalled its preliminary view that only the divestment by Google of part of its services would address the situation of inherent conflicts of interest, but it first wishes to hear and assess Google's proposal." 1/2

In einem Brief an die Union verspricht Familienministerin Prien, dass Nichtregierungsorganisationen im Programm „Demokratie leben“ einer „breit angelegten Verfassungsschutzprüfung“ unterzogen würden. Details dazu will das Ministerium nicht verraten. netzpolitik.org/2025/zivilge...

Google bekommt eine der höchsten Kartellbußen, die Brüssel bisher verhängt hat. 2,95 Milliarden Strafe für notorische Verstöße gegen Europas Regeln für Online-Werbung. Die bisher höchste Strafe, rund 4 Mrd, ging auch an Google.

After a lil back-and-forth, COM decides to enforce legislation. Google has 60 days to set out plan to change activities COMP has deemed uncompetitive www.euractiv.com/section/tech...

BREAKING: despite trade tensions with the US: EU hits Google with €2.95bn fine over abusing online advertising tech. www.ft.com/content/8f8b...

🧵 Yesterday, the EU postponed a major antitrust fine against Google in its adtech case - reportedly after Šefčovič lobbied to avoid clashing with the fragile US trade deal and the promised cut in car tariffs.

The CJEU dismissed German fashion website Zalando's challenge to its designation as a "Very Large Online Platform" (requiring more than 45 million active users in the EU per month) under the DSA. www.euractiv.com/section/tech...

Im Monopolprozess wegen Googles Suchmschinengeschäft hat der Richter ein Urteil gefällt. Der Datenkonzern entgeht der Aufspaltung, muss aber offener werden. #Google

Belgium to probe Russia links of former EU commissioner

A decision apparently made at the same time Ribera, Virkkunen etc. have been going around saying they will absolutely not give in to US trade pressure on the DSA/DMA enforcement.

New Art 17(1) TEU: The VDL Commission "shall ensure the application of the Treaties, and of measures adopted by the institutions pursuant to them" only insofar as the Trump regime does not object, even in situations where violations have been established in judicial proceedings #AlacarteRuleofLaw

Handelszugeständnisse der EU mögen nötig gewesen sein, um ein Abkommen mit den USA abzuschließen. Diese Herangehensweise aber auf die Digitalregulierung zu erweitern, wäre etwas völlig anderes: Es würde eine Einschränkung des Souveränitätsrechts der EU bedeuten, ihre eigenen Regeln festzulegen.

News update - in today's midday briefing, the European Commission confirmed that von der Leyen's text messages are reviewed by her chief of staff, Björn Seibert, before deletion. No review by any one else, either within the Commission or independently.