EURActiv Info Society
EU on cusp of multimedia missing child alerts
A campaign to introduce an EU-wide missing child alert system using new and traditional media is gaining traction as more countries sign up for funding, Edward McMillan-Scott, a UK Liberal Democrat MEP who has been lobbying on behalf of Gerry and Kate McCann - whose daughter went missing on holiday in Portugal in 2007 - told EurActiv in an interview.
Child protection on the Internet
The protection of children online has become an EU priority as lawmakers wake up to the risks of social networking sites and ramp up the fight against child pornography.
EU to establish cybercrime agency
EU ministers have asked the European Commission to assess whether it should set up a centralised agency on tackling cybercrime to prevent online fraud and child pornography.
Google's Buzz 'in step with EU privacy rules'
The European Commission has said that Google's Buzz is in line with the bloc's data protection guidelines, while 10 national regulators from Canada to the UK are demanding that Google must change the privacy controls of the social networking site.
New EU rules let brand owners block online sales
The European Commission unveiled revised antitrust rules on Tuesday (19 April) allowing luxury brand owners to block online retailers without a bricks-and-mortar shop from distributing their products.
EU eGovernment push 'threatens Microsoft supremacy'
EU telecoms ministers took an important step towards diluting the market dominance of Microsoft's Office software on Monday (19 April) when they agreed to roll out online services using more interoperable document formats, according to Brussels-based competition lawyers.
Kroes champions interoperability in draft 'digital agenda'
As Commissioner Neelie Kroes prepares to unveil proposals for an EU digital agenda by the end of April, tensions have emerged around the issues of interoperability and open standards for ICT systems. EurActiv France reports.
MEPs mark red lines as EU-US anti-terror talks start
While EU and US authorities meet in Madrid to discuss future anti-terrorism cooperation, the European Parliament renewed its concerns over the Terrorism Finance Tracking Programme, ruling out any transfer of bulk data to the Americans.
Swedish law gives shelter to controversial Wikileaks site
Sweden's stringent whistleblower laws are protecting the anonymity of sources that have been feeding the controversial Wikileaks website with sensitive government and corporate information, according to Swedish political sources.
'Selective distribution' to hamper eCommerce, retailers warn
Amazon, eBay and other online retailers have asked the European Commission to reconsider draft rules which they claim would allow manufacturers in the 27-member bloc to prevent their products from being sold online.
Digital switchover raises interference fears
Ringing mobile phones sometimes make radios or televisions crackle, a problem that could soon get worse as the switch to digital technology picks up. As Germany prepares to auction spectrum to telecommunications operators next week, industry experts are worried that as more technologies compete for the same digital bandwidths, the level of interference will rise, disrupting services.
UK parties ignoring social media ahead of poll
The UK's political parties use social media for "one-off witty campaigns" but they do not engage in US-style outreach to their voters, according to an analysis by a British consultancy published ahead of elections due on 6 May.
EU's top health official to run 'digital agenda'
The most senior official in the European Commission's health directorate will take charge of the new 'Digital Agenda' portfolio as part of a shakeup of top-ranking Brussels bureaucrats.
High-speed Internet not the answer, say satellite operators
The EU's strategy for connecting more people to the Internet is "a little detached from reality," argues Aarti Holla from the European Satellite Operators Association. In an interview with EurActiv, the ESOA secretary-general said countries will lose money by focusing on Internet speeds.
EU divided on ways to defeat online child pornography
The European Commission wants member states to filter out child porn from the Internet and impose harsher sentences on human trafficking, but the European Parliament has cast doubt as to whether new EU laws would be tough enough.
EU defends itself from attack on ACTA
The European Commission attempted to dispel rumours today (22 March) regarding draconian new anti-counterfeiting laws being negotiated under the global Anti-Counterfeiting and Trade Agreement (ACTA) talks.
Study: Internet piracy taking big toll on jobs
Over a million jobs and up to €240 billion in business could be lost in the European Union over the next five years as a result of illegal downloading, according to a new study into Internet piracy.
Broadcasters call for single EU licensing online
Europe's broadcasters have put pressure on the EU to clean up rules for rights clearance of online content, complaining that the current patchwork of regulations is too expensive and too cumbersome.
EU's Reding to push for criminal and civil law reform
Cross-border crimes, such as money laundering or counterfeiting, should be defined in the same way across all EU countries, according to the bloc's new Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding, who will outline her long-term ambitions at a conference in Brussels today (18 March).
Parliament threatens court action on anti-piracy treaty
The European Parliament defied the EU executive today (10 March), casting a vote against an agreement between the EU, the US and other major powers on combating online piracy and threatening to take legal action at the European Court of Justice.
