The European Commission says it wants its newly proposed satellite mega-constellation to be offering some sort of initial service in 2024. The BBC reports: The first priority is to fill in gaps in broadband coverage where ground infrastructure cannot reach, but later it will power services such as self-driving cars. The project will in some ways mirror America’s Starlink and the…
Tag: European Parliament
EU Pushes for ‘Right To Disconnect’ From Work at Home
An anonymous reader shares a report: The coronavirus pandemic has not only upended social life across Europe but dramatically changed the way people work. With ever more people working from home — roughly a third of all employees within the bloc according to the Associated Press (AP) — and needing to be constantly reachable, the boundaries between work and private life…
European Parliament Votes For Right To Repair
In a landmark move, the European Parliament voted today to support consumers’ Right to Repair. The resolution was adopted with 395 in favor and just 94 against, with 207 abstentions. iFixit reports: “By adopting this report, the European Parliament sent a clear message: harmonized mandatory labelling indicating durability and tackling premature obsolescence at EU level are the way forward,” said Rapporteur…
EU Parliament Votes For 60% Greenhouse Gas Emissions Cut By 2030
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian: EU capitals have been put under pressure to agree to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2030 compared with 1990, after the European parliament voted in favor of an “ambitious” climate law that would also oblige each member state to be carbon neutral by 2050. The vote, which sets the chamber’s…
EU Lawmakers Ask Jeff Bezos Whether Amazon Spies on Politicians
A cross-party group of MEPs has written to Amazon’s chief executive, Jeff Bezos, demanding information on the online retailer’s monitoring of trade union activists and politicians in response to deleted job postings that described unions as “threats.” From a report: The letter, from 37 members of the European parliament, said they were concerned Amazon deliberately targeted workers seeking to organise, and…
Frustration Grows In China As Face Masks Compromise Facial Recognition
schwit1 shares a report from Quartz: Face masks are mandatory in at least two provinces in China, including the city of Wuhan. In an effort to contain the coronavirus strain that has caused nearly 500 deaths, the government is insisting that millions of residents wear protective face covering when they go out in public. As millions don masks across the country,…
Europe Plans Law To Give All Phones Same Charger
On Monday, members of the European Parliament (MEPs) discussed the idea of introducing “binding measures” that would require chargers that fit all mobile phones and portable electronic devices. The company that would be impacted most by this legislation would be Apple and its iPhone, which uses a Lightning cable while most new Android phones use USB-C ports for charging. ZDNet reports:…
Undercover Reporter Reveals Life In a Polish Troll Farm
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Guardian: It is as common an occurrence on Polish Twitter as you are likely to get: a pair of conservative activists pouring scorn on the country’s divided liberal opposition. “I burst out laughing!” writes Girl from oliborz, a self-described “traditionalist” commenting on a newspaper story about a former campaign adviser to Barack Obama…
EU Reappoints Top Antitrust Cop Who Led Crackdown on Tech Giants
In a surprise move, the new European Commission has reappointed Margrethe Vestager to be its antitrust chief. From a report: As Europe’s chief of competition, Vestager has over the past several years led a crusade against many of the biggest U.S. tech companies for abuses of power. But following recent elections for the European Parliament and the selection of a new…
Europe Will Not Accept US Verdict On 737 Max Safety
Europe’s aviation safety watchdog will not accept a U.S. verdict on whether Boeing’s troubled 737 Max is safe. Instead, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) will run its own tests on the plane before approving a return to commercial flights. The BBC reports: The 737 Max has been grounded since March after two fatal crashes. But Easa told the U.S. Federal…