Op-eds
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It’s not just spyware scandals: EU is funding the industry that spies on Europeans
Spyware, an extremely potent technology that turns a personal device into a constant surveillance instrument, was used by the Greek secret services to target dozens of people, including journalists, politicians and business executives. The Greek case marks arguably the first time that the executives of a spyware manufacturer – Intellexa, who developed Predator – will face criminal accountability. Although it did not condemn any Greek authorities for using spyware, this victory is heartening. It also leads to a bigger question: what about the EU’s own complicity in funding the market for spyware, even when we recognise the harms it inflicts?
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Europe shouldn’t “move fast and break things” with fundamental rights
The Digital Omnibus proposals, presented as “simplification,” risk weakening essential safeguards in the GDPR, the ePrivacy Directive, and the AI Act. By reducing protections and delaying obligations for high-risk systems, they introduce a logic reminiscent of the tech industry’s “move fast and break things” approach. In digital infrastructures built on large-scale data processing and automated decision-making, however, mistakes do not simply disappear. They become part of the system. This is why regulation is essential to protect people’s rights.
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Fewer rules, more innovation? The miscalculation of the new Brussels
Is European regulation really holding back innovation, or is it a strategic asset that we are about to sell off? This piece debunks the official narrative of a European Commission that claims to be “learning to regulate better”. Through incisive analysis, it warns that the fear of falling behind in the artificial intelligence race is pushing Brussels to sacrifice fundamental rights in the name of a misunderstood competitiveness.
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Moving past ‘Chat Control’ to solutions that truly protect kids and privacy
This article highlights evidence-based alternatives that strengthen child safety while safeguarding encryption and fundamental rights. It calls for better enforcement, more targeted tools, and meaningful support for child protection services rather than broad surveillance measures.
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Europe is dismantling its digital rights from within
The European Commission’s new Digital Omnibus is presented as simple “streamlining”, but in practice it dismantles key safeguards in the GDPR, ePrivacy rules and the AI Act. It would make access to device data easier, weaken limits on automated decision-making and lower protections against discriminatory AI.
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Why the EU’s GDPR ‘simplification’ reforms could unravel hard-won protections
Since it came into force almost seven years ago, the European Union (EU)'s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has set the global standard for data protection. It empowers people to control their personal data while holding businesses accountable for how they collect, process, and store that data. One would imagine that all of the above would cement the GDPR, but this crucial law is being threatened by a push for profit at any cost.
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Commission slams Apple and Meta for breaching the Digital Markets Act, doesn’t stick the landing with fines
The European Commission has shown some teeth with the EU’s digital rulebook by slamming tech giants Apple and Meta with fines, and an order to stop the infringing behaviour. While we commend the strong stance, we're concerned about whether the low fines will actually lead to change of behaviour from the tech giants.
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When data never dies: How better GDPR enforcement could minimise hate and harm
Lax enforcement of the GDPR has had far-reaching consequences for many people and collectives in the EU, especially those most vulnerable. Through a story based on real life experiences of people, this blog highlights the gap between the GDPR’s promise of protection and its current reality of weak enforcement, and the opportunity EU lawmakers have with the ongoing GDPR Procedural Regulations to take bold steps to protect our data rights.
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Why the new Europol regulation is a Trojan Horse for surveillance
The EU Commission’s proposal for a new Europol Regulation as part of the recast of the ‘Facilitator’s Package’ is a pretext for unchecked expansion of power and resources for Europol, the EU’s policing agency, at the expense of those they claim to protect.
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The mirage of EU techno-solutionism to the climate crisis
Technology, as shaped by today’s market-driven priorities, carries immense hidden environmental and social costs. The tech sector is one of the fastest-growing contributors to waste and energy consumption. In 2021, it was responsible for two-to-three percent of global carbon emissions — on par with aviation.
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Why Ireland is the Achilles heel of the EU’s fightback against Big Tech
The recent controversies surrounding Big Tech moguls Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg — who are defying content moderation norms and accusing the EU of censorship — should come as no surprise to those following the tech industry closely. For over a decade, Big Tech has approached the EU's robust data protection framework as little more than a compliance checkbox, rather than a set of binding legal obligations.
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Will the far right threaten Europe’s digital future?
To move away from a technosolutionist approach, it is important to envision a future where technology serves humanity, democracy, and the planet by asking the hard question of how technology enables harmful power dynamics in our society.
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