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What the EU's Artificial Intelligence Act means for the future of AI
The European Union's Artificial Intelligence Act is here, and it has a few key provisions that aim to legislate AI development in the bloc.
AI has been the talk of the town for over a year now, with tools like ChatGPT, Google Bard, and Microsoft Copilot threatening to upheave much of digital society as we know it. With those great risks and the potential for deepfakes, automatically generated content, and more, the European Union feels that AI legislation is necessary to safeguard its development without harming users. This legislation was first put forward three years ago, where it aimed to set a global standard for the technology.
Apple has been awfully quiet about allowing sideloading on iPhones in the EU
Apple has been really quiet about allowing sideloading, but it seems to be an inevitability.
Apple has always been cavalier when it comes to sideloading your own applications on your smartphone. It's something that the company does not support and, in fact, has gone to pretty far lengths to prevent in the past. In recent years it's dialed back its opposition, but it's likely that it did so as a result of growing regulatory pressure. However, in 2022, a landmark decision by the European Union meant that Apple with iOS 17 would very likely need to allow iPhone users to download apps from outside the official App Store.
Microsoft, Amazon, and Google may be forced to work with EU firms to handle sensitive European data on the cloud
AWS, Azure, GCP, and other cloud service providers may soon require an EU cybersecurity label to handle sensitive data.
Cloud service providers (CSPs) such as Google, Amazon, and Microsoft could be facing new regulatory challenges in the European Union (EU) as the region is reportedly working on a draft rule that will force non-European CSPs to join hands with European firms if they want to handle sensitive data on the cloud. An EU cybersecurity label will be issued to CSPs if they plan to handle sensitive data, and it will be contingent on the requirement that a joint venture is formed between a non-European cloud provider and an EU firm, with the latter having a majority stake in this partnership.
The European Parliament has voted in favor of making USB-C the standard charging port for devices across various categories, including smartphones, tablets, cameras, and more. While many OEMs have already transitioned to USB-C, Apple still offers its proprietary Lightning connector on iPhones, AirPods, and other accessories. With the new law in place, Apple will have to switch to USB-C by the end of 2024.
Google loses appeal in EU antitrust case, has to pay $4.12 billion
Google has lost its appeal in an EU antitrust case, and is expected to pay $4.12 billion in fines as a result. Read why here.
Way back in 2018, Google was found to have limited competition through anti-competitive means. Manufacturers who sell devices with Google Play Services installed have to adhere to a strict set of rules. OEMs who fail to abide by these rules will have their Android devices stripped of certification to access the Google Play Store. These rules include what applications must be preinstalled, and back then, Chrome and Google Search were two of these. Google appealed that finding, though the European Court upheld it with one concession -- the fine was decreased from 4.34 billion euros to 4.125 billion euros.
EU proposes regulation to improve software update and spare part availability for smartphones and tablets
The EU has proposed a new regulation to improve software update and spare part availability for smartphones and tablets. Read on to learn more.
As part of its efforts to make consumer electronics more sustainable, the EU has proposed new regulations that will require OEMs to offer at least five years of security updates and three years of OS updates to their devices. In addition, EU regulators have also suggested minimum spare part requirements for smartphones and tablets sold in the region for a minimum of five years.
Google relaxes Play Billing requirements for EEA, but there are several catches
Developers in the European Economic Area (EEA) can now avail of payment systems outside of Google Play, though it s subject to restrictions.
Both Apple and Google have dealt with multiple antitrust cases across the European Union and the United States in recent times, with both companies facing a flurry of fines. Now Google is taking a step towards compliance with the recently passed Digital Markets Act, as developers targeting users in the European Economic Area (EEA) will be able to avail of alternative payment systems outside of Google Play. There's a catch though, as those developers will be subject to a 12% fee on the first $1 million of their revenue for a year, down from 15%.
EU harmonizing fast charging with USB PD will be a big deal for Android
EU has agreed to USB-C everything with Power Delivery for fast charging. Here's why we think it may be a big deal for Android phones.
For those that don’t know, European lawmakers reached an agreement earlier this week to force manufacturers of electronic devices including smartphones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones, and more to use the same universal charging port -- USB-C. That's right, USB-C everything is being written into the law and it'll come into effect by Fall 2024 in the EU. Settling for a common USB-C charger will not only cut down on e-waste but it will also make our lives easier. The benefits of using a single charger with a USB-C to C cable for all the gadgets can't be understated.
EU agrees to USB-C everything with Power Delivery for fast charging
The 2024 iPhone is now guaranteed to make use of a USB-C charging port and USB Power Delivery for fast charging, thanks to the EU.
After years of deliberation, European Union lawmakers have reached an agreement that will force all future smartphones, tablets, e-readers, cameras, and more to be equipped with a USB-C port for charging. The aim of this agreement is to reduce fragmentation, e-waste, and to also introduce a standard for fast charging across multiple devices. The agreement is part of the EU's broader efforts in making products more sustainable and is expected to be in place from autumn of 2024, and will also force Apple to adopt USB-C on the iPhone too -- finally.
EU could force WhatsApp, Messenger, iMessage and others to offer interoperability
EU's proposed Digital Markets Act could force large messaging platforms like WhatsApp, iMessage, and Messenger to offer interoperability.
The EU has agreed upon new laws to limit the market power of big tech. Its new Digital Markets Act (DMA) aims to blacklist anti-competitive practices and force popular messaging services like WhatsApp, Messenger, iMessage, and others to open up and interoperate with smaller messaging platforms.
Google, Meta, Apple, others target Russia following Ukraine invasion
Many tech products and services in Russia are shutting off, and content providers like YouTube and Microsoft are blocking Russian propaganda.
The Russian Federation started an attack against the nation of Ukraine on Thursday, with the publicly-stated goal of demilitarizing Ukraine and preventing it from joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and other international defense and economic organizations. The attack has been harshly criticized by many governments, companies, and individuals around the world, and the technology industry is no exception.
European Commission wants a DNS built and offered by the EU
The EU is looking to build its own DNS infrastructure in the form of DNS4EU. It looks to be a potential Cloudflare competitor for the EU.
On the surface, browsing the web appears to be quite a simple process. Behind the scenes, after you type a URL in your device's address bar, your device sends a query to a Domain Name Server (DNS) to translate the URL to a machine-readable IP address. Once your device receives the corresponding IP address, it opens the website. There are lots of reasons a user may wish to set a custom DNS on their smartphone; be it to avoid content filtering, for privacy, or for any other reason, and services like Google and Cloudflare offer their own DNS. Now, though, the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) has proposed a DNS infrastructure built and offered by the EU, dubbed DNS4EU.
Virgin Mobile and O2 won't introduce roaming charges in the EU
Virgin Mobile and O2 won't introduce roaming charges in the EU, while other operators have already announced their own.
Following Brexit, some UK mobile operators started charging customers extra to use their mobile plans in Europe. EE was the first mobile operator in the UK to introduce normal roaming charges following Brexit, though it had previously said that it was not going to reintroduce roaming charges in Europe. Vodafone previously introduced European roaming for “heavy” users, referring to those users as customers who use their phone in an EU country for more than 60 days in a four-month period. Now, Virgin Media has reaffirmed its stance that they will not be re-introducing roaming charges in the EU, which includes O2 -- a company it recently merged with.
Google and Apple fined by Italian competition authority for "aggressive practices" in data usage
Google and Apple have both been fined by the Italian competition authority for "aggressive practices" when it comes to commercial data usage.
Apple is no stranger to antitrust investigations, particularly as the company was recently fined, alongside Amazon, just a couple of days ago in Italy. Now Apple has been fined again for "aggressive practices" pertaining to its selling of user data, but this time, the company has been fined alongside Google for the same reasons. Both companies have been fined €10 million, which is the maximum permitted according to Italian law.
Irish DPC proposes fining Facebook up to €36 million
The Irish Data Protection Commission has proposed fining Facebook up to €36 million, though there's potential for it to be higher.
The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) has proposed fining Facebook €36 million euro in one of more than a dozen probes into the company. This is according to a draft decision published on Wednesday. Under European Union 2018 data protection rules, the preliminary ruling must now be shared with other EU supervisory authorities and consider their views too. If no disagreements are raised by those authorities, then a final verdict will be made and presented to Facebook.
EU expected to open investigation into NVIDIA's acquisition of Arm
NVIDIA is struggling to close out its acquisition of U.K.-based Arm, as the EU is reportedly readying an antitrust investigation.
In September last year, NVIDIA signed a definitive agreement to acquire Arm, the U.K.-based semiconductor and software design company. Given how important of a role Arm plays in the mobile and tech ecosystem as a whole, many raised concerns that the acquisition would give NVIDIA too much power and control, and they argued that it could hurt competition as a result. Qualcomm, Microsoft, and Google have all voiced concerns about the deal, and now it appears that NVIDIA has hit yet another hurdle. The EU is reportedly looking to open an antitrust investigation into the acquisition.
EU plans to force OEMs to use a common USB-C charger and ship phones without one in the box
The Eurpoean Union is planning to force manufacturers to use a common charging port on all their devices to save the environment.
The European Commission is set to present a legislative proposal today for all phones, tablets, and headphones sold in the European Union to have a common charging port. This comes after the European Parliament had voted in favor of Right to Repair, an initiative that would benefit consumers as well as the Union's plan to force OEMs to allow users to uninstall bloatware from their devices. The news isn't really new though since EU lawmakers have been attempting to generalize the charger used to charge consumer electronic gadgets for over a decade now.
Ireland fines WhatsApp €225 million over privacy concerns
The Irish Data Protection Commission has fined WhatsApp €225 million for breaching the EU's GDPR rules. The Facebook-owned company plans to appeal the decision.
The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) has issued a €225 million fine on WhatsApp for breaching the EU's GDPR rules. The fine is related to an investigation that started in 2018 regarding WhatsApp's lack of transparency about how it processes user data.
EU paves the way for Wi-Fi 6E devices to hit Europe
The EU has opened up 480MHz of spectrum in the 6GHz band, paving the way for Wi-Fi 6E devices to hit the region. Read on to learn more.
In April last year, the FCC opened up 1200MHz of spectrum in the 6GHz band, paving the way for Wi-Fi 6E in the US. The European Union is now following suit and has opened up 480MHz spectrum in the 6GHz band for the implementation of wireless access systems.
Google is expanding Android's search engine choice screen in Europe
Google will bring new changes to its search engine choice screen in the EEA and the UK, increasing the number to 12 search engines.
Google is bringing new updates to its Search engine selection screen that was introduced in Europe in 2019, as per directions by the European Union. Later this year, users in the European Economic Area (EEA) and the UK will see up to 12 options for their preferred search engine for the pre-installed Google app and the Chrome browser. These changes are in the direction of complying with the EU and will allow Google to avoid any future antitrust charges on the account of search-related monopoly in the EEA and the UK.