EU Digital & Tech

While you're offline, European supercomputers are online. 🖥️   The EuroHPC network keeps running: 12 supercomputers hosted across 12 EU countries, working around the clock to power scientific research across the EU.   These machines train European AI models, run high-resolution climate simulations, help researchers discover new medicines, and model complex systems from the human brain to the entire Earth system.   Discover the full network: 🔗 link.europa.eu/G9TpJv

TikTok is hugely popular among young Europeans. In France, 1 in 2 children uses the platform, and in Spain, that rises to 61% of under-18s.   Yet TikTok’s privacy settings give strangers a window into minors' lives and leave children exposed to serious risks - as our preliminary findings show.   On TikTok, minors can choose to make their accounts public. Meaning that anyone, including people without a TikTok account, can view their content. Even when a child chooses a private profile, TikTok’s settings do not provide sufficient protection against unwanted contact, cyberbullying, or predatory behaviour.   With one in five children in Europe experiencing online solicitation or grooming, and nearly 30% contacted by a stranger online, platform safety is more important than ever.   Read the full news and learn more about the Digital Services Act here: link.europa.eu/X9kwcx

Commission fines Google €890 million for breaching the Digital Markets Act.   Why?   𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 Google displays its own services more prominently in search results, including at the top of the search results page or by using enhanced visuals and filters, while similar third-party services do not have the same prominence.   𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗴𝗹𝗲’𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶-𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 Google puts in place restrictions on businesses to direct consumers to alternative, often cheaper, purchase channels on Google Play preventing app developers from freely communicating and promoting offers.   𝗢𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 As part of today’s two decisions, Google must implement measures to: • Treat third-party services that feature on Google's search results in a fair and non-discriminatory manner by reference to its own services. • Allow app developers distributing their apps via Google Play Store, both technically and contractually, to freely communicate, promote offers and conclude contracts with users not only within but also outside the Google Play app store.   𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 Google is required to comply with the Commission's decisions within 60 days, otherwise it risks periodic penalty payments of up to 5% of its total worldwide turnover.   link.europa.eu/M8hNnr EU Competition

Some things really can co-exist. Like quantum particles that are in two states at once. Beyond the summer paradoxes, quantum technology is one of the most transformative fields Europe is investing in today. With the Quantum Europe Strategy, the EU is building the foundations to make quantum a reality: from computers that solve problems today's technology can't, to communication that keeps information secure across the EU. If you want to know more, click here: 🔗 link.europa.eu/YxbCVY

Who's ready to connect? 12 EuroHPC Joint Undertaking (EuroHPC JU) supercomputers. 12 EU countries. One network powering the science that shapes our future. These machines make climate research faster, drug discovery smarter, and European AI possible. They are the invisible engines behind some of the most important research happening in Europe today. Want to know more about it? Read more here: link.europa.eu/G9TpJv

When AI enters the pitch, you deserve to know.   Today, the European Commission published new guidelines on transparency obligations under the AI Act. Their goal is simple: help providers and deployers of AI systems know exactly what to do so that people can always tell when they are interacting with AI or when content has been generated by AI.   What the guidelines bring: 🔹Clarity on what counts as a directly interactive AI system, a deepfake, or AI-generated text without human review on matters of public interest 🔹A clear picture of who needs to comply 🔹A concrete way to show compliance, including through the Code of Practice on Transparency of AI-Generated Content, confirmed as an adequate voluntary tool on 9 July 2026   The obligations start to apply on 2 August 2026, with a grace period until 2 December 2026 for AI systems already on the market.   Check the guidelines here: link.europa.eu/XT7MPx

AliExpress fined €550 million for breaching the Digital Services Act.   𝗪𝗵𝘆? The platform failed to properly assess and mitigate the risk of dissemination of illegal, unsafe, or counterfeit products through its service, such as unsafe toys or dangerous cosmetics.   𝗛𝗼𝘄? - AliExpress did not properly evaluate whether it had sufficient staff to review potential illegal products. - AliExpress inadequately assessed how its recommender and advertising systems exacerbate the spread of illegal products. - AliExpress did not properly measure how well its moderation system prevented the risk of illegal products appearing or reappearing in similar forms. - AliExpress’ system to detect illegal products did not work properly. Many illegal products circulated on the platform and, even if detected, remained online for multiple weeks. - AliExpress did not properly enforce its penalty policy for traders selling illegal products. - AliExpress’ product compliance checks could be easily circumvented through mis-categorisation of products. - AliExpress failed to adequately prevent the spread of counterfeit products.   𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗲 The Commission imposed a €550 million fine for this breach. This fine takes into account the nature of the infringement, the number of affected EU users, and its duration.   𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 AliExpress must submit an action plan to the Commission by 20 October 2026, outlining the measures to remedy the breach of its risk-assessment and mitigation obligations.   link.europa.eu/7qbWHK

Prescription for summer: Europe trips. In the EU, crossing borders doesn't mean paying more. With Roam Like at Home, you can use your mobile plan across Europe without extra roaming charges.* *Side effects may include booking another trip. link.europa.eu/tdnnHQ

If only requesting new emojis were as easy as reporting illegal content online...   🚩 If you spot fraudulent, illegal or harmful content online, don’t scroll past. Use the reporting tool under the Digital Services Act to flag it directly to the platform.   You can help make the online world safer for everyone. Discover how: 🔗link.europa.eu/FvvtT4   #WorldEmojiDay