Inspiration

As artificial intelligence reshapes our world at an unprecedented pace, educators are in a unique position to help the next generation understand and engage with this transformative technology. Code.org and a global community of partners have introduced The Hour of AI, a new initiative designed to bring AI literacy to classrooms, homes and communities everywhere.

The Malta Digital Innovation Authority (MDIA), represents Code.org in Malta as a partner, helping to bring this transformative opportunity to educators and students across the islands.

Building on the legacy of the The Hour of Code, the The Hour of AI offers a simple but powerful idea: with just one hour, any educator regardless of their background in technology can spark curiosity, conversation and creativity about AI.

What is The Hour of AI?

The Hour of AI is a free and globally accessible learning moment, to be launched in autumn 2025. It provides practical and easy-to-use activities that help learners take their first significant steps towards understanding how AI works and how they can create it.

Whether you teach computer science, language arts, science, or social studies, The Hour of AI is built to integrate into your classroom in a flexible, fun, and deeply relevant way. No technical experience is required. If you can run a class, you can run an Hour of AI.

Why is it important and why now?

We are seeing AI influence every area, from healthcare and education to the arts and climate science. And yet, for many students, AI still feels far away and inaccessible. The AI Hour changes this by making this complex topic accessible, creative, and human-centric.

Through short and interesting lessons, students are encouraged to explore major questions:

• What is AI?
• How is it built and used?
• What role do humans play in shaping its future?

The initiative does not focus solely on how AI functions, it focuses on the role of the learner in shaping ethical, inclusive, and creative uses of AI in their own lives.

What can educators expect?

The Hour of AI platform offers a variety of age-appropriate activities, from funny introductions for young students to more advanced explorations of generative AI, machine learning, and computer vision for older students.

Examples include:

• AI Music Laboratory: Run songs using AI tools while learning about creativity and algorithms.
• Minecraft, AI generation: Guide students in the design of AI-enabled solutions within Minecraft Education.
• Dance Party, AI edition: Allow students to co-register music videos with AI-generated animations and visuals.

All materials are ready for classroom use, aligned with global educational standards, and designed to enable everyone to facilitate, regardless of technical background.

Global effort, roots in the community

The Hour of AI builds on the momentum of over 100 million The Hour of Code participants, and is supported by a vast network of educators, non-profit organisations, and technological partners. Together, we can ensure that all learners (not just those in technology-focused programmes) can access the tools to understand and shape the world around them powered by AI.

Are you ready to get involved?

As educators, your leadership is essential to guide students in this new era. The Hour of AI makes it easier than ever to start. Visit The Hour of AI to explore resources, register for updates, and prepare to bring this global moment to your classroom.

Let’s make AI education human-centric, equitable, and inspiring for every student.

Disclaimer: This Article is based on information collected from various online sources and intended solely for informational purposes. It does not constitute professional advice or recommendations. While the information provided is accurate and true to our knowledge, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, expressed or implied, regarding the completeness, accuracy, trustworthiness, appropriateness, or availability of the subjects covered. We strongly advise readers to carry out further research and consult appropriate professionals or experts before taking any decision based on the information presented in this Article. We waive any liability for loss or damage incurred on the basis of the information provided herein.

OECD’s study results

According to an OECD study, about 33% of advertised jobs were among those with high exposure to AI, 50% among medium-exposed, and 17% among low-exposed. Subsequently, in April the OECD published recommendations for bridging gaps in AI education, which can also be an inspiration for Slovakia.

Lack of AI basic skills focus courses

Although about a third of job vacancies are strongly affected by the advent of AI, only 0.3% to 5.5% of courses in the countries surveyed featured an AI theme. Moreover, most of them focused on advanced technical skills, although only around 1% of positions were required.

Instead of specialized experts, companies also need employees who understand the basic principles of AI, its capabilities, risks and ethical context. This is important in order to be able to carry out current activities more quickly and at a higher quality level. The results of the survey suggest that workers who encounter AI but do not need to program it do not have a sufficient education offer.

Unbalanced public support between professionals and the wider population

Of the 21 countries surveyed, 14 had separate programmes to support AI education. However, two-thirds of them are intended for developers and professionals. Only a third of the target is for a wider population that needs basic orientation in new technology. Exceptions are, for example, Austria, which organises thousands of local workshops for different age groups, or Hungary, with its online course “AI challenge”, which brings the foundations of AI closer to the general public. At the same time, the OECD points out that most government incentives are related to course financing, but other tools – such as career guidance or partnerships with firms – are rarely used.

Barriers to entry the courses are too high

AI courses are less available online and their content often requires prior technical knowledge. This is a problem especially for low-skilled workers or people from risk groups. The OECD recommends expanding the offer of simpler courses that reduce barriers to entry – for example in the form of short bootcamps, hybrid learning or modules oriented towards the practical use of AI at work.

OECD’s general recommendations

In its April report, the OECD proposes a number of concrete steps to help better prepare workers for the changes brought about by AI. One of them is a more targeted focus of financial support – so that contributions are explicitly directed to AI courses. In addition, it is important to make greater use of non-financial tools such as career guidance, cooperation with companies and training of lecturers.

It is also crucial to reduce entry barriers for participation in courses, especially for people without technical education. It would help to expand simple, accessible courses focusing on basic AI literacy. At the same time, the OECD recommends extending flexible forms of education – such as evening, online or combined courses – to allow better access for a wider population.

Inspiration from the Czech Republic

The Czech Republic performs better than Slovakia in several AI indicators. We touched on this in part in the article here. Her simple and administratively undemanding system of education allowances is also inspiring. Candidates choose state-sponsored courses from an ‘eshop’. There are about 80 AI courses on offer (general, applied, online, in-person and others). Participants can receive a financial contribution of up to CZK 50 000 for 3 years, with a minimum participation of 18% of the course price. The whole process can be completed fully online and the vast majority of applications are approved.

Opportunity for employees from Slovakia

In Slovakia, the Digital Coalition within the Digital Counsellor project helps employees manage changes due to automation and AI. In line with OECD recommendations, we provide career guidance and partnerships with companies. Advice to employees is based on the results of internationally recognised tests that reveal their strengths. If you are interested in getting these services reimbursed by the EU, you can pre-register at this link . If you are interested in these services for your employees as a company, write to us at info@digitalnyradca.sk. The number of places is limited.

Europe’s digital future starts with skills and the 2026 edition of the European Digital Skills Awards is now open, celebrating the initiatives that are shaping it.

We invite everyone who have either initiated or completed projects to foster the adoption of digital skills in one of the five awards categories to apply.

Europe’s digital skills in 2026: 5 awards categories

The five EDSA awards categories reflect the diversity of digital skills needs and initiatives shaping Europe’s digital future. They are:

• Digital Upskilling @ Work: Initiatives focused on digital upskilling and reskilling professionals in various sectors and of SMEs, facilitating job placements for ICT professionals at all levels.
• Digital Skills for Education: Projects specifically aimed at digital upskilling for teachers and/or students, VET and school administrations.
• Inclusion in the Digital World: Efforts centred on digital training, media literacy programs for groups of persons that experience a higher risk of poverty, social exclusion, discrimination and violence, including, but not limited to, ethnic minorities, migrants, people with disabilities, isolated elderly people and children, marginalised, hard to reach and high-risk groups, and initiatives to foster digital accessibility skills.
• Women in ICT Careers: Projects aimed at increasing the representation of women in ICT professions, offering digital upskilling opportunities for women in the workforce, and encouraging young women to pursue careers in ICT.
• Cybersecurity Skills: Designed for cybersecurity skills development initiatives for citizens and SMEs.

Applications for EDSA 2026

Applications are open until 20 March 2026.

Read more about here and apply by completing this application form.

We welcome applications from public, private, academic, research and/or training centres, schools, SMEs or large corporates, EU-funded project consortia, public administrations, NGOs and citizen initiatives.

Finalists will be announced during a special online event in spring 2026, and the in-person awards ceremony will take place in Brussels in June.

In this third edition of the awards since they were relaunched in 2023, we aim to reach an ever-wider audience to activate current and future stakeholders around a large-scale celebration of best practices in skills development throughout Europe.

Be part of it and stay up to date with the latest news on EDSA26 – sign up to the DSJP newsletter! 

On 20 January 2026, the European Commission released a Proposal to revise the Cybersecurity Act, as part of a broader EU cybersecurity package aimed at strengthening the bloc’s digital resilience and capabilities in the context of increasing cyber threats. This Proposal is part of the EU’s ongoing efforts to modernise its cybersecurity framework, remedy fragmentation across the internal digital market, and address vulnerabilities in critical information and communication technology (ICT) supply chains.

Three security objectives

Cybersecurity risks in Europe have increased in scale and sophistication, affecting critical infrastructure, public administrations, businesses, and citizens. In response, the Proposal seeks to reinforce the EU’s institutional and operational capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to cyber incidents. A central feature of the revision is strengthening the mandate and resources of the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA). The agency would play a more prominent operational role, supporting Member States in crisis coordination, threat analysis, and preparedness for large-scale cross-border cyber incidents.

Another key objective is to simplify and enhance the European cybersecurity certification framework. The Proposal aims to make certification schemes more efficient and widely recognized across the EU, allowing companies to certify ICT products, services, and processes once and have that certification accepted throughout Member States. This “cyber-secure by design” approach is intended to reduce administrative burdens (particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises)  while raising overall security standards in the digital marketplace.

The revision also addresses ICT supply-chain risks. By introducing clearer, risk-based requirements, the EU seeks to mitigate vulnerabilities linked to dependencies on external suppliers and ensure that critical technologies meet robust security criteria before entering the European market.

The proposal aligns with broader EU cybersecurity legislation, including the NIS2 Directive, by clarifying responsibilities and reducing overlapping reporting obligations for organizations operating in multiple countries.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) reached out to more than 1,000 employers and delivered a study mapping changes in 55 countries. The Future of Jobs 2025 report identified the 10 fastest-growing and 10 fastest-decreasing jobs by 2030. This factsheet provides valuable information for both employees and employers to better prepare for the changes.

The 10 Fastest Falling Positions

Part of the professions are facing a significant downturn due to technological advances, automation and digitalisation of services. The professions most at risk are those involving manual data processing, routine administrative tasks and outdated business models dependent on physical contact with customers.

The top three fastest-decreasing jobs are postal workers, bank officials and data-transcribing clerks. The decline in demand for these positions is due to the rapid development of electronic communications, online banking and automated data-processing systems that can effectively replace manual work.

In fourth to sixth place are cashiers and ticket vendors, assistant or secretarial positions and workers in the printing industry. The growth of e-commerce and self-service cash registers reduces the need for cashiers in brick-and-mortar stores. In turn, the automation of office processes leads to a lower demand for administrative staff, while the digitalisation of media is causing the decline of the printing sector.

Accountants, warehouse workers, passenger transport workers and field sellers of goods (e.g. doorstep sales, stand sales) ranked seventh to tenth. Automation of accounting and financial processes reduces the need for employees in this field. The robotisation of logistics affects warehouse positions and transport guides are gradually being replaced by digital information systems. On-the-ground sellers of goods are facing a shift in consumers towards online services.

The 10 Fastest Growing Positions

Big Data specialists rank first in the fastest growing professions, followed by FinTech engineers and experts in artificial intelligence and machine learning. This trend is driven by an increasing demand for big data analytics and processing, the increasing digitalisation of financial services and the deployment of artificial intelligence in business processes.

In fourth to sixth place are software and application developers, cybersecurity experts and data warehouse specialists. Their growth is related to the digital transformation of companies, growing cyber threats and the need to effectively manage and analyse data.

In seventh to tenth place among the fastest growing positions are autonomous and electric vehicle specialists, UX/UI designers, light van drivers and Internet of Things specialists. Demand for these professions is affected by the rapid development of electromobility, the growing importance of user interface design, the continued expansion of online commerce and the wider use of connected devices in industry and households.

What is the World Economic Forum warning about?

According to the World Economic Forum, if we imagine the world labour market as 100 people, 59 of them will need further education and skills development by 2030. Of this number, 29 may acquire new skills directly within their current profession, while 19 are likely to have to retrain and move to other positions within their firm. However, 11 employees are unlikely to have access to the necessary retraining, which will increase their risk of unemployment .

What measures can help to transform the labour market?

According to the World Economic Forum, the financing and provision of targeted retraining and further training has the greatest potential – more than 50% of employers consider these measures to be key. Modernising the education system to better reflect labour market needs and strengthen technological and analytical skills is also becoming increasingly important. More flexible labour laws that allow easier career transitions and promote hybrid work are another important factor that can help both employees and companies adapt to new conditions.

Presentation of the report “Media Literacy Education: the results of the workshop and survey, published in June by the international project consortium YouTHink: Media and Information Literacy for Young People’. It provides an analysis of workshops and an online survey conducted between January and March in five European countries (Lithuania, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia and Switzerland). According to the report, media and information literacy (MIR) is more relevant and important than ever before in the field of knowledge development.

Critical Thinking Gaps and Vulnerability to Disinformation

While young people today tend to think they can critically evaluate information online and on social media, their real habits point to gaps in critical thinking. According to the report, 91% of Respondents aged 14-19 tend to be critical of online information and ‘sometimes’ or ‘rarely’ believe in everything they see or read in the digital world. However, 53% of young people admit to ‘sometimes’ believing what they see, and 29% rely on ‘common sense’ to check information that is not always based on objective data and facts. And in fact, with too much self-confidence, young people can be vulnerable and become victims of manipulation.

It is encouraging that 31% of respondents rely on multiple sources to verify information, while 23% analyse the source of information. However, this is not a particularly high number of respondents. Asked by young people what are the biggest challenges in assessing the reliability of sources, young people indicated that they still struggle to understand whether a source is reliable (41%) and to distinguish opinion from facts (28%). It can be argued that these challenges would not be as relevant to a large number of young people if their critical thinking skills were stronger.

Internet browsing habits and risks

Another worrying phenomenon is related to the peculiarities of young people browsing the Internet. More than half of respondents, 58%, said they spend more than 3 hours a day online. The most popular browsing platforms are YouTube (21%), Instagram (20%), TikTok (18%) and Snapchat (14%). An analysis of how young people get information about world events shows that social networks are not only a platform for communication, but also a main source of information for young people. 35% of respondents receive information from social media and only 21% from parents. These facts raise some concerns.

While social media platforms are fighting disinformation and removing misinformation, the risk of young people encountering liars or entering echo rooms remains real.

Challenges of Media Literacy

Summarizing the discussions that took place during the workshop, the report highlights the deepening crisis of trust in information sources, the underestimation of expertise, and the lack of personal responsibility and value attitudes in the digital space. The report mentions changes in writing and reading habits, the disappearance of the concept of authorship and the superficial use of information. The report also criticises current media literacy education, which is often limited to technical skills and does not develop a holistic understanding of the media ecosystem and its functioning. Finally, the report highlights the blurring of the line between the virtual and the physical world and the loss of a culture of debate among young people, which poses new challenges to media literacy education.

Risks of Artificial Intelligence to Critical Thinking

Today, artificial intelligence (AI) technology is changing the rules of the game across the information field. There are also concerns that young people are not sufficiently aware of the dangers of AI, i.e. disinformation, liars, deep fakes, echo rooms created by algorithms on social networks, etc. Despite the concerns expressed, participants in the debate understand that AI is an integral part of the modern world, so it is important not to avoid it, but to develop young people’s ability to critically use AI tools and the content they create.

How to develop media and information literacy skills and critical thinking?

It is not easy to answer the question of what to do, but the report concludes that teaching today is not enough on its own, but requires a common understanding of how media work. This means that a young person must be able to understand the whole chain of information: how the message is shaped, what its source is, what its technical and social environment is, who it serves and what impact it has. Young people not only need to be able to communicate, but also to learn to be personalities, not a part of the mass that is easy to influence. It is noticeable that MIR topics often seem “boring”, “too far from the reality of young people”, so it is necessary to look for forms that are relevant, understandable and inclusive for young people.

About Creative Workshops and Survey

This report was drawn up on the basis of an analysis of the workshops held and a survey carried out in five European countries (Lithuania, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia and Switzerland) between January and March. 40 multidisciplinary professionals working with young people, developing curricula and participating in media and information literacy education were invited to the creative discussions. During the discussion, participants shared their thoughts on the most relevant trends and challenges in media and information literacy. They discussed the expectations and needs of young people in this context, as well as the impact of artificial intelligence on critical thinking, and explored which innovative methods and tools are best suited to develop youth media literacy. During the youth survey, more than 200 14-19 year old respondents from the above mentioned countries were interviewed by means of a remote questionnaire. The anonymous survey consisted of questions aimed at clarifying young people’s browsing habits on the Internet, ways of checking information and the challenges they face when assessing information in the virtual space.

The YouThink project is funded under the Erasmus+ Partnerships for Cooperation in the Youth field.

The report is available in English here.

The project is funded by the European Union. However, the views or opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Youth Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Thirty years ago, on 8 February 1996, two developments kicked off a powerful narrative about the internet: that it occupied a realm apart from ordinary law and politics: the Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace and the US Communications Decency Act (CDA). 

Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace. In Davos, John Perry Barlow’s Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace asserted that the ‘Governments of the Industrial World’ have ‘no sovereignty’ in cyberspace. 

This vision spawned a generation of thought arguing that the internet meant the ‘end of geography.’ Thousands of articles, books, theses and speeches have been delivered arguing that we need new governance for the ‘new brave world’ of the digital.

This intellectual and policy house of cards was built on the assumption that there is cyberspace beyond physical space. It was (and is) a wrong assumption. There is no cyberspace. Every email, every post, every AI query is ultimately a physical event: pulses of electrons carrying bits and bytes through cables under the ocean, Wi-Fi, data servers, and internet infrastructure.

The CDA and its Section 230. On the same day as Barlow’s declaration, President Clinton signed into law the US Communications Decency Act (CDA), which had been adopted by the US Congress. Buried within it was Section 230, which granted internet platforms an unprecedented immunity: they could not be treated as publishers or speakers of the content they hosted.

For the first time in history, commercial entities were granted a broad shield from liability for the very business from which they profited. It was a departure from the long tradition of legal liability, for example, of a newspaper for the text it publishes or of broadcasters for their transmissions.

This provision was justified as a way to protect a nascent industry from crippling litigation. At the time, internet companies were small and experimental. The immunity enabled rapid growth and innovation. 

Over time, however, those start-ups became some of the most valuable corporations in history, with global reach and market capitalisations of trillions of dollars. The legal framework, however, largely remained intact, even as internet companies developed sophisticated algorithms that curate, amplify, and monetise user content at scale. This divergence created a central tension in contemporary law and economics: immensely powerful intermediaries operating with limited accountability for systemic effects.

The convergence of the two. The conceptual separation of ‘cyberspace’ made this arrangement easier to defend. If the internet was a new world, exceptional rules seemed justified.

But critics quickly challenged that reasoning. US judge Frank H. Easterbrook argued that we do not need internet law, as we did not need the ‘law of the horse’ when horses were introduced as the dominant mode of transportation. The internet should be regulated by applying existing legal principles. Law regulates relationships among people and institutions, regardless of the technologies they use. The medium may change; the underlying principles endure.

Experience has largely vindicated that view. Digital technologies have not dissolved geography; they have intensified it. States assert jurisdiction over data flows, content moderation, taxation, competition, and security. High-precision geolocation, data localisation requirements, and national regulatory regimes demonstrate that the internet operates squarely within territorial boundaries.

However, CDA remains in force, extending into the age of AI. Companies developing large language models and other AI systems often rely on intermediary protections and analogous doctrines to limit liability. As a result, AI tools can be deployed globally with comparatively limited ex ante oversight. Yet their outputs can shape public discourse, influence elections, affect mental health, and generate economic disruption.

The central question is not whether innovation should be constrained, but whether it should be aligned with established principles of responsibility. Technologies do not exist outside society; they are embedded within it. If an entity designs, deploys, and profits from a system, it should bear responsibility for its foreseeable impacts. The age of legal exceptionalism should end.  

This week in AI governance

The UN. The General Assembly approved the creation of a historic global scientific advisory body on AI, the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence (AI). The first of its kind, the panel’s main task is to ‘issue evidence-based scientific assessments synthesising and analysing existing research related to the opportunities, risks and impacts of AI’, in the form of one annual ‘policy-relevant but non-prescriptive summary report’ to be presented to the Global Dialogue on AI Governance. The Panel will also ‘provide updates on its work up to twice a year to hear views through an interactive dialogue of the plenary of the General Assembly with the Co-Chairs of the Panel’. 

AI governance was a key focus at the recent UN Special Dialogue entitled ‘From Principles to Practice: Special Dialogue on Artificial Intelligence and Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism’. Diplomats and experts discussed how AI is reshaping global stability, conflict dynamics and international law. Participants highlighted risks from autonomous systems and misinformation campaigns and stressed the need for multilateral cooperation and shared norms to mitigate emerging threats.

Germany. Germany has unveiled plans for a ‘Sovereign AI Factory’, a government-backed initiative to develop sovereign AI models and infrastructure tailored to local language, cultural context and industrial needs. The project will support domestic innovation by providing compute resources, datasets and certification frameworks that conform to European safety and privacy standards, with the aim of reducing reliance on non-EU AI providers. Berlin says the factory will also serve as a collaborative platform for research institutions and industry to co-design secure, interoperable AI systems for public and private sectors.

Pakistan. Pakistan’s government has pledged major investment in AI by 2030, rolling out a comprehensive national strategy to accelerate digital transformation across the economy. The plan focuses on building AI capacity in key sectors — including agriculture, healthcare and education — through funding for research hubs, public-private partnerships and targeted upskilling programmes. Officials say the investment is intended to attract foreign direct investment, boost exports and position Pakistan as a regional tech player, while also addressing ethical and governance frameworks to guide responsible AI deployment.

Slovenia. Slovenia has set out an ambitious national AI vision, outlining strategic priorities such as human-centric AI, robust ethical frameworks, and investment in research and talent. The roadmap emphasises collaboration with European partners and adherence to international standards, positioning Slovenia as a proactive voice in shaping AI governance dialogues at the upcoming summit.

Chile. Chile has introduced Latam-GPT to strengthen Latin America’s presence in global AI. The project, developed by the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence with support across South America, aims to correct long-standing biases by training systems on the region’s own data instead of material drawn mainly from the USA or Europe. President Gabriel Boric said the model will help maintain cultural identity and allow the region to take a more active role in technological development. Latam-GPT is not designed as a conversational tool but rather as a vast dataset that serves as the foundation for future applications. More than eight terabytes of information have been collected, mainly in Spanish and Portuguese, with plans to add indigenous languages as the project expands.

India. India has begun enforcing a three-hour removal rule for AI-generated deepfake content, requiring platforms and intermediaries to take down specified material within 180 minutes of notification or face regulatory sanctions. The accelerated timeframe is designed to blunt the rapid spread of deceptive, synthetic media amid heightened concerns about misinformation and social disruption.

Brazil. Brazil’s National Data Protection Agency and National Consumer Rights Bureau have ordered X to stop serving explicit image generation via its Grok AI, citing risks of harmful outputs reaching minors and contravention of local digital safety norms. The directive demands immediate technical measures to block certain prompts and outputs as part of ongoing scrutiny of platform content moderation practices.

Global coalition on child safety. A broad coalition of child rights advocates, digital safety organisations and policymakers has called on governments to ban ‘nudification’ AI tools, urging criminalisation of software that converts clothed images into sexually explicit versions without consent. The group argues that existing content moderation approaches are insufficient to protect minors and stresses that pre-emptive legal prohibitions are needed to prevent widespread exploitation.

The UK. The UK Supreme Court has ruled that AI-assisted inventions can qualify for patents when the human contributor’s inventive role is identifiable and substantial, a decision legal experts say will boost innovation by clarifying intellectual property protections in hybrid human-AI development. The judgment aims to incentivise investment in AI research while maintaining established patentability standards.

South Korea. South Korea has launched a labour-government body to address the pressures of AI automation on the workforce, creating a cross-sector council tasked with forecasting trends in job displacement and recommending policy responses. The initiative brings together labour unions, industry leaders and government ministries to coordinate reskilling and upskilling programmes, strengthen social safety nets, and explore income support models for workers affected by automation.

Child safety online: The momentum holds steady

Bans, bans, bans. The ban club just keeps growing, as Portugal’s parliament has approved a law restricting social media access for minors under 16, requiring express and verified parental consent for accessing platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Access will be controlled through the Digital Mobile Key, Portugal’s national digital ID system, ensuring effective age verification and platform compliance. The law strengthens protections amid growing concerns over social media’s impact on young people’s mental health, and detailed implementation and enforcement rules are now set for parliamentary 

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš publicly endorsed a proposal to ban children under 15 from using major social platforms, framing it as a protective measure against damaging effects on mental health and well-being. The government is actively considering legislation this year that could formalise such restrictions.

The EU as a whole is revisiting the idea of an EU-wide social media age restriction. The issue was raised in the European Commission’s new action plan against cyberbullying, published on Tuesday, 10 February. The plan confirms that a panel of child protection experts will advise the Commission by the summer on possible EU-wide age restrictions for social media use. The panel will assess options for a coordinated European approach, including potential legislation and awareness-raising measures for parents.

The document notes that diverging national rules could lead to uneven protection for children across the bloc. A harmonised EU framework, the Commission argues, would help ensure consistent safeguards and reduce fragmentation in how platforms apply age restrictions.

The big picture. The membership of the ban club has reached double digits. We’ll continue following the developments.

The addiction trial begins. In the USA, a landmark trial opened in Los Angeles this week against Meta and YouTube, centring on claims that their platforms are deliberately designed to be addictive and have harmed young users’ mental health. 

The plaintiff, Kaley, now 20, alleges that Instagram and YouTube caused her anxiety, body dysmorphia, and suicidal thoughts. Her lawyers likened features like infinite scroll, autoplay, likes, and beauty filters to a ‘digital casino’ for children, citing internal documents showing the platforms targeted young users and even used YouTube as a ‘digital babysitter.’

Meta and YouTube’s defence argued that social media was not responsible for Kaley’s struggles, citing her difficult family background, therapists’ records, and the availability of safety tools. YouTube highlighted that Kaley’s average daily usage has been 29 minutes since 2020 and compared the platform to other entertainment services, emphasising that she is not addicted. Meta stressed that Instagram offered creative outlets and new tools to manage screen time, and that social media may have provided support during family difficulties.

What’s next? Executives, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri, and YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, are expected to testify in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, the British government has launched a campaign called ‘You Won’t Know Until You Ask’ to encourage parents to talk with their children about the harmful content they might encounter online. It will include guidance to parents on safety settings, conversation prompts, and age-appropriate advice for tackling misinformation and harmful content.

Zooming out.  Government research found that roughly half of parents had never had such conversations. Among those who have, almost half say the conversations are one-offs or rare. This shows a need to normalise frequent conversations about online content.

Russia and the Netherlands make moves for digital sovereignty

In Russia, authorities have intensified efforts to control the country’s digital communication landscape, reflecting a broader push for ‘sovereign’ internet infrastructure. 

The Russian communications regulator Roskomnadzor has tightened restrictions on Telegram, slowing delivery of media and limiting certain features to pressure users toward domestic alternatives. Roskomnadzor stated that Telegram is not taking meaningful measures to combat fraud, is failing to protect users’ personal data, and is violating Russian laws. Telegram’s founder has condemned the measures as authoritarian, warning they may interfere with essential communication services.

This crackdown has escalated with the full blocking of Meta’s WhatsApp, which 100 million Russians use. Authorities justified the ban by pointing to WhatsApp’s refusal to meet Russian legal requirements. Users are being encouraged to adopt government-supported platforms that critics say enable state surveillance, raising concerns about privacy and access to independent communication channels. Meta called the ban harmful to both safety and privacy.

Despite these moves, Russia is pausing aggressive action against Google, citing the country’s dependence on Android devices and warning that a sudden ban could disrupt millions of users. Officials indicated that any transition to domestic alternatives will be gradual, reflecting a cautious approach to reducing reliance on foreign tech.

Meanwhile, in the Netherlands, digital sovereignty has moved to the forefront of parliamentary debate. Lawmakers have renewed calls to shift public and private-sector data away from US-based cloud services, citing risks under US legislation such as the Cloud Act. Concerns have intensified following the proposed acquisition of Solvinity, which hosts parts of the Dutch DigiD digital identity system, by a US firm. MPs emphasised the need for stronger safeguards, the promotion of European or Dutch cloud alternatives, and the updating of procurement rules to protect sensitive data.

EU challenging Meta’s grip on AI access in WhatsApp

The European Commission has formally notified Meta that it has breached EU competition law by blocking third-party AI assistants from accessing WhatsApp, limiting in-app AI interactions to Meta’s own Meta AI.

Regulators argue Meta likely holds a dominant position in consumer messaging within the EU and that its restrictions could cause serious and irreparable market harm by foreclosing rivals’ access to WhatsApp’s large user base. 

The Commission is considering interim measures to prevent continued exclusion and protect competitive entry.

The UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), in partnership with the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), will hold an event to explore the phenomenon of hybrid threats, examining their main types and impacts. The event will be held on 16 February (Monday), in Geneva. Registration for the event is open. 

The India AI Impact Summit 2026 will be held on 19–20 February 2026 in New Delhi, India, under the auspices of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). The summit brings stakeholders to explore how AI can be developed and deployed to generate positive societal, economic, and environmental outcomes. Structured around guiding principles of People, Planet, and Progress, the Summit’s programme focuses on thematic areas such as human capital and inclusion, safe and trusted AI, innovation and resilience, democratising AI resources, and AI for economic growth and social good. 

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) will launch the 2026 edition of its World Intellectual Property Report, entitled ‘Technology on the Move’, on 17 February (Tuesday) in Geneva and online. The programme for the launch includes opening remarks by WIPO leadership, a keynote address on the diffusion of generative AI in the global economy, a presentation of the World Intellectual Property Report 2026 by the WIPO Economics and Data Analytics team, and an industry panel discussion exploring perspectives on technology diffusion.

Moltbook: Inside the experimental AI agent society

The AI agent social network Moltbook is fuelling the hype around autonomous ecosystems while raising security and digital reality concerns.

Read more

On 28 November 2022 the Council of the European Union announced that it has adopted the Directive on measures for a high common level of cybersecurity across the Union, repealing Directive (EU) 2016/1148 (“NIS2 Directive”).

In response, Bulgaria has undertaken the transposition of the directive through a Bill amending and supplementing the Cybersecurity Act, which was finally adopted at second reading on 6 February 2026 and is expected to be promulgated in the State Gazette any moment now. The legislation will set tighter cybersecurity obligations for risk management, reporting, and information sharing.

Changes introduced by the new law:

The law mandates that essential and important entities take appropriate and proportionate technical, operational and organizational measures to manage the risks posed to the security of network and information systems which those entities use for their operations or for the provision of their services, and to prevent or minimize the impact of incidents on recipients of their services and on other services. The measures shall be based on an all-hazards approach and shall include the following:

• policies on risk analysis and information system security;
• incident handling;
• business continuity, such as backup management and disaster recovery, and crisis management;
• supply chain security, including security-related aspects concerning the relationships between each entity and its direct suppliers or service providers;
• security in network and information systems acquisition, development and maintenance, including vulnerability handling and disclosure;
• policies and procedures to assess the effectiveness of cybersecurity risk-management measures;
• basic cyber hygiene practices and cybersecurity training;
• policies and procedures regarding the use of cryptography and, where appropriate, encryption;
• human resources security, access control policies and asset management;
• the use of multi-factor authentication or continuous authentication solutions, secured voice, video and text communications and secured emergency communication systems within the entity, where appropriate;
• change management;
• cybersecurity risk-management measures and reporting obligations.

A risk-based approach is central to the new law, requiring entities to tailor their cybersecurity posture based on their size, exposure, and the potential societal and economic impact of incidents.

Which sectors and entities are in scope?

The Bulgarian Amendments Act to the Cybersecurity Act broadens the range of entities subject to cybersecurity obligations, aligning national coverage with the sectors listed in the NIS2 Directive. In addition to the sectors, covered by the previous law (energy, transport, banking, health, drinking water supply and distribution, digital infrastructure), newly covered sectors are Space, Public administration, Postal and courier service, Waste water & waste management, Manufacturing of certain critical products (i.e pharmaceuticals, medical devices, chemicals) and Production, processing and distribution of food.

Importantly, the Amendments Act to the Cybersecurity Act introduces a size-cap rule. All medium-sized and large entities operating in the listed sectors will fall within scope of the law.

What to do if your entity falls within the scope of the new act?

The first and most critical step for any entity is to carefully assess whether it qualifies as an essential or important entity under the new legislation. This assessment should consider the nature of the services provided, its size and operational scale and last but not least, the entity’s role in critical societal or economic functions

If the entity is deemed to fall within scope, its management body will bear direct responsibility for cybersecurity governance. This includes formally reviewing, developing and approving cybersecurity policies, procedures and risk management measures, overseeing their implementation, and ensuring ongoing compliance. Under the law, management may also be held liable for failures to meet these obligations. Staff and management shall also be required to follow cybersecurity-related training.

The entities shall have to notify the national competent authorities of any cybersecurity incident having a significant impact on the provision of the service they provide. Important to note is that the term for reporting is short. Where the entities become aware of a significant incident, they shall be required to submit an early warning without undue delay and in any event within 24 hours. That early warning should be followed by an incident notification, submitted without undue delay and in any event within 72 hours of becoming aware of the significant incident.

What will happen in cases of non-compliance with the new legislation?

Competent national authorities will have the power to issue warnings, binding instructions, and impose administrative penalties. The entities may be subject significant administrative fines of a maximum of at least BGN 20 000 000 or of a maximum of at least 2 % of the total worldwide annual turnover in the preceding financial year of the undertaking, to which the entity belongs.

What comes next?

• Preparation and maintenance of a register of obligated entities

Once the amended Cybersecurity Act enters into force, the competent national authorities will begin identifying the companies falling within the categories of essential and important entities. This process will involve gathering and analysing information about companies operating in the covered sectors, assessing their role in critical societal and economic functions, and considering their size and operational scale. After their status is determined, the entities are expected to be notified, and the data will be entered into a central register. This register will serve as a key supervisory tool for planning inspections and ensuring accountability under NIS2, supporting traceability of all regulated entities.

• Adoption of a new ordinance on minimum requirements and measures for the protection of information and communication systems

New secondary legislative instrument will be adopted, providing detailed rules on the specific requirements that entities must comply with. The ordinance will introduce the core network and information security measures, including risk management, information protection and classification, access control, management of network and information security incidents, as well as maintaining the necessary internal documentation. This act will be essential for the practical implementation of the law, as it will clarify how organisations are expected to meet their obligations and outline the oversight applied by the competent authorities.

Safer Internet Day (SID) is a global campaign celebrated each year to promote safer and positive use of the internet, especially for young people. SID brings together schools, families, organisations, and communities to raise awareness of topics such as cyberbullying, digital well-being, online safety, and digital identity. Events range from school workshops, webinars, and youth activities to awareness campaigns, resource launches, and social media actions that encourage positive online behaviour.

Why do we need a Safer Internet Day?

The internet is no longer a luxury or a novelty – it is a lifeline, and an infrastructure – and if we look at how young people are using the internet, we start to see why. In 2024 in the EU, the share of young people using the internet daily ranged between 93% and 100%. Youngsters are way more active on social media, compared to the EU average too. But the same networks that power innovation and growth also amplify risks related to cyberbullying and online violence.

According to OECD data, 1 in 6 children (across many countries) report experiences of cyberbullying. Beyond bullying, a large share of minors are exposed to harmful material: some research indicates that over 82% of minors have encountered pornographic content online at some point in their lives.

Against this backdrop, Safer Internet Day lands with particular urgency. What started as a European awareness initiative has become a worldwide mobilisation moment – and one that you can join, too.

The Internet wasn’t build in a day: the story Safer Internet Day

Launched in 2004 through the EU SafeBorders project and coordinated by Insafe in partnership with INHOPE, with the support of the European Commission, Safer Internet Day has grown into a global movement reaching more than 180 countries.

Each year, the initiative seeks to increase awareness of evolving digital challenges and contemporary concerns, ranging from cyberbullying and social networking to digital identity issues.

Resources to celebrate Safer Internet Day and make the internet a better place

Better Internet for Kids (BIK) – the European Commission’s central hub for Safer Internet resources, hosting toolkits, research reports, awareness materials, campaign packs and educational content in multiple languages.

The Better Internet for Kids dedicated learning corners  provides a range of resources for parents, teachers and young people – all at your fingertips.

Safer Internet Day 2026 campaign – get to know this year’s edition of the annual campaign, participating countries, downloadable visual materials and event coordination tools.

In 2026, we are together for a better internet

Under this year’s theme Together for a better internet, Safer Internet Day emphasises the collective responsibility of all stakeholders, including citizens, to create a safer digital environment for everyone, particularly children and young people. As AI becomes increasingly integrated into educational tools, social platforms, and online experiences, it is essential that young people understand both the opportunities and potential risks of these technologies, enabling them to make informed decisions that protect their privacy, wellbeing, and digital rights in an AI-driven world.

Atomico recently published the 2025 edition of its annual State of European Tech report: an in-depth analysis of the European tech ecosystem. Below are some highlights from the report, and an analysis of the lessons that Luxembourg can extract from it in its efforts to lead on the European digital transformation. We also look at the hot topics for Luxembourg based on insights from the report.

Taking stock of the EU tech ecosystem today: huge leap in growth overshadowed by growing talent shortage

Bolstered investment in tech has led to growth on EU-wide scale

Growth in the EU tech sector has surpassed expectations, with the tech ecosystem jumping in value (from less than $1T a decade ago to around $4T in 2026). Today, Europe’s tech ecosystem represents 15% of the bloc’s GDP. In 2016, a decade ago, this figure stood at just over 4%).

Investment is also rising, although nowhere near its largest bump back in 2021, as the graph below illustrates. According to the report, current data shows investment in tech start-ups is on track to finish at around $44B, showing a marked increase since 2024.

Deep tech is also fuelling investment rates upwards. In 2025, 36% of European venture capital (VC) dollars went into deep tech companies. In 2021, this figure was just 19%. At the same time, the EU still lags behind its counterparts on a global scale both in terms of deep-tech investment size, but also concentration.

Empowering digital talent – key to addressing persisting EU-wide gaps

Entrepreneurship is on the rise globally, and especially in Europe, against the backdrop of an increasingly faster race for innovation. In 2025, almost 60% more people in Europe started companies compared to 2023, representing the highest number of enterprise founders starting new ventures than any other year. Lowered barriers for starting entrepreneurs and businesses (from no-code tools to stronger founders networks) have opened the door for many with ideas, across all age groups and countries in Europe.

Key lessons the report’s challenges to take stock of (a Luxembourgish perspective)

Luxembourg performs strongly in the EU-27 across several indicators, and its tech ecosystem has been growing steadily over the past decade. Investment in deep tech in Luxembourg seen significant long-term venture activity, with over $1.9 billion in total funding invested in deep tech start-ups in Luxembourg for the period 2016 to 2026.

In 2025, 60.1% of Luxembourg’s adult population had at least basic digital skills, a level above the EU average but still below the Digital Decade 2030 target of 80%. Luxembourg continues to have a high concentration of ICT specialists, with 8.0% of total employment classified as ICT specialist roles, making it one of the highest shares in the EU. The EU average share of ICT specialists is near 5%, underscoring Luxembourg’s comparatively strong position in digital specialist employment.

Here are the key lessons for Luxembourg that can be extracted – and some of the challenges the State of European Tech 2025 report lays bare.

A growing sense of urgency to reduce EU-wide fragmentation of the tech ecosystem

While more people in Europe are opening up companies, lack of trust undermines positive scoring: 70% of founders consider the European environment too restrictive for a starting tech company to grow and thrive in. Amongst the largest obstacles are market fragmentation, difficulties in accessing finance, and overly complicated and cumbersome tax system (in some EU Member States more than others). Initiatives such as EU-INC and the future 28^th Regime for Innovative Companies aim to facilitate cross-border operation and accelerate business creation.

The “growth gap”: lack of late-stage capital despite stable investment

As seen earlier in this article, venture capital investments remain stable, but large-scale fundraising is lacking. European pension funds invest very little in tech compared to the US – and catching up would add hundreds of billions to the European ecosystem. Another danger is the magnitude of foreign investment in Europe – an aspect that can push start-ups out of the continent.

The “talent gap”: attracting and retaining senior, high-level profiles

Europe has a strong tech workforce, but is struggling to retain experienced talent. More and more founders are choosing to set up their business in the United States for a variety of reasons – from accessing capital and customers more easily, to benefitting from more flexible regulation.

Deep tech and growing sovereignty

Deep tech now accounts for 36% of VC investments and sovereignty technologies (AI, defence, energy) are growing strongly. Europe is also proving its ability to create competitive AI players such as Mistral or Lovable.

We gave you the highlights. For a deeper-dive in the report,click here to access its full version. 

Recent unrest over tariff wars with the United States has prompted public authorities, private companies and private individuals to reflect on our choice of digital service solutions, a good deal of which are from the United States. If this uncertainty was not enough motivation, the rising costs of the systems (acting in practice as monopolies) that control everything from our self-igniting lamp down to our healthcare system have also led us to consider whether we should switch to European IT solutions, or at least open source.

Toward personal digital sovereignty

For me, this geopolitical uncertainty was the push for digital sovereignty that made me take the first step towards what I had long wanted: To make my digital actions my own. That’s why I deleted the Google browser, swapped it out with the French Vivaldi, and swapped Google Maps out with the open source program Organic Maps. Many decisions had already been made on my behalf, in the world of monopoly I had lost part of my autonomy, just to list a few examples:

When I bought my Lenovo computer windows were already installed, and it was quite convenient, so I didn’t have to think at all. And just as convenient as it is for me to keep up with the flow along with the billions of other Windows users, just as convenient is it for the tech giant Windows.

In my laziness I keep Microsoft’s own Internet browser Edge, which automatically uses Microsoft’s Bing, which automatically comes with news on the front page from Microsoft’s MSN. In my frustration, I open word to write a debate post, only to remind you that Word is also owned by Microsoft.

Now MSN’s news is fortunately so rarely relevant that it is difficult to describe them as political, but it does not take much imagination to imagine that Microsoft was owned by, for example, Elon Musk or Rupert Murdoch – and then MSN could have been swapped for Twitter, Fox News or Wall street Journal.

But luckily I also have other devices than my computer, so I bought a Samsung mobile; I didn’t have to think about anything here either. I could just sit back while my Samsung downloaded Google’s android operating system, and to my “lucky”, Android automatically downloads Playstore… which is also owned by Google. And it’s not the only thing that is automatically downloaded, there are Google browser, google drive, google TV, google Meet, google Photos, Gmail and Google Maps. Digital considerations and free choice have become (and have long been) a thing of the past.

It is not surprising that in 2021, Google was behind 10% (50) of the 500 most downloaded apps, of which all apps in the top 10. These 50 Google apps were downloaded an average of 2.7 billion times, which is on average 4 times higher than the remaining 450 apps. In addition, Google’s third-party services are present in 88% of the 1 million most popular apps on google play (Lai & Flensburg: “Invasive Species of the App Eco System”).

If Google was a supermarket

The monopoly of the tech giants has become everyday for us and seems like the most natural thing – because everything else would be inconvenient. But let me give you some examples/metaphors that can put it into perspective.

You go down to shop in Netto (google play), and of course you could go to another grocery store, but you don’t actually know any others, and even if you did, you would have to create a user profile and yet another new password before the doorkeeper would let you go into the store. So you choose net. As soon as you get into the net, there is an employee who puts one milk, one bag of flour and toilet paper into your basket (GMail, Google Maps etc.). You don’t think about it because you needed the items anyway, and therefore you don’t think about the fact that the items that have been put into your basket are made of net (google), you go on in the store, the thousands of items (apps) on the shelves give you the fantastic illusion of freedom that makes you forget that they are carefully selected by net (google). You buy fruit and vegetables that you can see are not made of net, what you can’t see is that the seed is developed in collaboration with net and the pesticides (third party services) on its exterior are produced from net.

It can be difficult to imagine this reality, but it exists and we allow its existence because so far we have not prepared for the alternative, and the tech giants are therefore allowed to have a special monopoly we would never have allowed other industries.

What can we do?

We are not completely helpless we have a choice to make. A super inconvenient choice that makes everyday life in the coming time more difficult. But in this inconvenience lies hidden advantages. Not only do we break away from the tyranny of the monopoly, promote the free market and democracy, but I also believe that a reflected choice of “technological backsliding” can bring personal progress.

The Open Source program “Organic Maps” is not as well-functioning and intuitive as Google maps, but in a world where we are used to getting the quick answer every time we can-, should and have access to everything, there is a liberation in being forced to limit themselves.

In cognitive psychology, it is an important element for the well-being of individuals that we actively think about our actions and thoughts and do not let them control us – whether it involves brushing our teeth with the opposite hand or using an app that feels like left-handed work – it strengthens our brain mentally and physically. Whether in our real life or digital life, autonomy prevents anxiety and depression.

Therefore, I would argue that when we choose to use programs that are less convenient and intuitive, we make sure that it becomes an active choice. Every time I use “Organic Maps” I consider: Would this be easier with Google Maps? Here I emphasize the word “consider”, because it is this reflection that promotes us not just as digital citizens, but as self-thinking critical individuals.

Open source strengthens not only the free market and democracy, but also us as individuals. If we do not have free choice and free thought, what does it mean for our status as individuals and what does it do for our quality of life?

My future ambitions

My hope is that in a few years I can tell you about how ProtonMail has taken over my GMail, Linux my windows, and Word has been replaced with Overleaf. My hope is a European Union that should not fear a digital war with the United States. My hope is a free market in which individual companies do not buy up its competitors in order to maintain the illusion of free choice; Companies see the benefit in sharing knowledge and opening APIs for the benefit of all. My hope is that, as citizens, we will regain our freedom of choice, our individualism and thus our psychic well-being.

On 16 September 2025, almost a year after the European Commission published the landmark Draghi Report on lagging European competitiveness, the Commission opened a call for views on its upcoming “Digital Package on Simplification”. In poignant timing, on the same day it also held a conference to review its progress on implementing the Draghi report’s recommendations.

This new two-part digital simplification package is a direct response to one of Draghi’s key findings, that overregulation is hindering EU firms from innovating and competing with the US and China, and the Commission has hailed it as “a first step in simplifying the EU’s digital rulebook”. The package builds on a number of previous consultations (on the Data Union Strategy, the Cybersecurity Act and the Apply AI strategy), and existing “omnibus” simplification packages announced for other sectors.

Digital Omnibus

The first part of the package is the “Digital Omnibus”. This is a series of regulatory adjustments designed to achieve the same objectives as the current rules but at a lower administrative cost. It is expected to cover the following areas:

Data – Measures to target fragmented EU data regulations (including the Data Governance Act, the Free Flow of Non-Personal Data Regulation, and the Open Data Directive), to streamline the accessing and processing of data and potentially to foster uptake of data sharing regimes.

Cookies/ePrivacy Directive – Updating the “cookie article” of the ePrivacy Directive to curb consent fatigue (reducing where user consent is needed) and achieve greater alignment between EU data protection rules. The use of modernised cookie/tracking technologies may also be facilitated, such as central cookie management mechanisms.

Cybersecurity reporting – Simplifying incident and data-breach reporting across overlapping EU frameworks, to minimise burdens and costs on businesses. Further measures are being considered under a separate review of the Cybersecurity Act.

EU AI Act application – Measures to ensure a “predictable and effective” application of the AI Act, addressing implementation challenges and smoothing the interplay with other laws (see our insights on the AI Act here and here).

Digital identity and trust services – Improving certainty and reducing compliance costs under the European Digital Identity Framework, including alignment with the forthcoming EU Business Wallet and the application of the “one in, one out” principle.

Digital Fitness Check

The second part of this package is the “Digital Fitness Check”, a tool to help the Commission to assess the “coherence and cumulative impact” of the EU’s digital regulations. There isn’t much detail yet, and more public consultation is expected, but it signals the Commission’s intention to continue assessing how digital regulation is impacting businesses, and identify future opportunities for simplification.

The Draghi report: one year on

At the conference, President von der Leyen gave a resolute and optimistic defence of her Commission’s progress, but Professor Draghi’s outlook was decidedly less rosy. A year on, he thinks the challenges have only “grown more acute” and that Europe is in a “harder place”.

It was clear the Commission is committed to its simplification agenda (and on competitiveness overall), although many feel streamlining alone is not enough, including Draghi. His report had pointed to the concerning volume, overlapping, and inconsistency of EU legislation (including “gold-plating” by member states), which he reiterated at the conference, noting the cost of data for EU firms is 20% higher than their US peers due to GDPR alone.

Importantly, Draghi also used his speech to join more than 40 European CEOs calling for the AI Act’s provisions on high-risk systems (coming in 2026) to be paused until their “drawbacks” are understood. That will be welcomed by businesses who remain uncertain on how to comply with the Act, but Yvo Volman (director for data at the Commission) subsequently confirmed that a pause of the Act “is not on the table”, so the AI Act seems to be full steam ahead. The Commission may yet be pragmatic in other ways, for example it will control enforcement of the AI Act’s GPAI provisions, so it may focus enforcement on only the largest GPAI providers (or on egregious breaches), but that remains to be seen.

Overall, the conference highlighted the difficult crossroads at which the EU still finds itself, with continuing disagreement on the balance between regulating against digital harms and promoting competitiveness. While Draghi and others call for more radical change, the Commission is focussing on streamlining only (it thinks “the EU digital rulebook is fit for purpose”, and it will be “keeping the same standards” while continuing to “promote citizens’ rights and interests”). In any case, Draghi and von der Leyen clearly agreed on one thing – the need for far more urgency from the EU co-legislators.

Our three takeaways for businesses

Firstly, keep an eye out for the full Digital Omnibus proposal when it lands later this year. Hopefully, it will lead to some simplified processes and costs savings for businesses.

Secondly, the Commission seems to be adamant on not planning any significant rolling back of regulatory standards (and the Digital Omnibus will still take time to be approved by EU co-legislators). Cautious businesses, or those needing certainty in the short term for their product development cycles, should plough on with compliance efforts against existing regulations.

Finally, however, in the face of growing dissatisfaction with the weight of EU regulation, and with pressure only intensifying on Brussels for a rethink, we doubt this is the end of the conversation. For businesses with a more pragmatic view of compliance, or those with time to spare in their product development cycles, it may be worth holding back to see whether a potential softening in Brussels’ regulatory approach is coming.