Category: Digital rights
COVID-19 and the digitalisation of health: five risks you need to know
Some claim that artificial intelligence (AI) will always be better than natural stupidity, especially when it comes to decisions about health. But it is important to be aware of the risks using AI in health care might entail for us.
Let´s call a spade a spade: abuse of power in the digital economy must end
The era of tech-optimism is over, replaced by a crisis of trust. While there are strong rules in Europe which could help consumers to regain trust, their enforcement is sadly lacking.
How EU-funded research can deliver to consumers
Between 2021 and 2027, the EU Horizon Europe programme is planning to spend around a whopping 100 billion euros on research projects. No surprise therefore that academics, industry representatives and others will flood Brussels this week to attend the huge...
In no man’s land: consumers in the copyright debate
Consumers love sharing content online. Over the last decade, the rise of Facebook, Vimeo or Twitter transformed the Internet into a place where consumers can express themselves and where they can easily share their creations with their friends and family....
Play it again, Siri – what Apple’s acquisition of Shazam could mean to consumers
It’s Sunday afternoon and it’s raining outside. You want to relax at home watching a classic, and you go for Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill. In one scene there’s a song you fall in love with, so you quickly grab your...
How Google is eroding consumers’ freedom to choose
Google hit the headlines last year when the European Commission fined the tech giant €2.42 billion for breaching EU antitrust rules. It has been argued the European Commission has over-stepped the line here. After all, if people like and use...
e-Privacy and the doorstep salesmen
In the European lobby city, Brussels, foes of strong e-Privacy rules have spread the term “consent fatigue”. Behind this phrase is the ‘concern’ of the advertising industry that since consumers have to give their consent – for snooping on them...
Roaming done. International calls next
Since 15 June, roaming fees in the EU are part of history. That is undoubtedly great news for consumers and a big step towards the creation of a single market for telecom services. But it has also created a terrible...
#Toyfail: When toys fail children
What would you say if the doll you bought for Christmas was used to eavesdrop on your child, or if the conversation you have with the doll was used for targeted advertising and shared with unnamed 3rd parties? Most of...
“I want my update!”
Imagine you want to buy a new mobile phone: a smartphone that is a software-driven internet device. You expect this new device to work on the latest technology. You expect that it will be able to run the latest apps....