#EU Commission’s Spokesperson

[sztupy]

Hungarian entity that Taiwanese pager company said it authorised to produce and sell devices denies making them

Lili Bayer in Brussels and Michael Safi report for the Guardian:

The CEO of a Hungarian entity which a Taiwanese company said it had authorised to produce and sell pagers has denied making the devices, saying she was just an “intermediate.”

Gold Apollo, a Taiwan-based company, said in a statement today that it had a partnership with the Budapest-based BAC Consulting KFT, and had authorised BAC “to use our brand trademark for product sales in designated regions, but the design and manufacturing of the products are solely the responsibility of BAC.”

“Regarding the AR-924 pager model mentioned in the recent media reports, we clarify that this model is produced and sold by BAC. Our company only provides the brand trademark authorization and is not involved in the design or manufacturing of this product,” it added.

BAC Consulting was registered in Hungary in 2022 and provided a Budapest address on its website – the same address used by multiple companies.

On its website, which was live early Wednesday but later became unavailable, BAC Consulting provided long yet vague descriptions of its work.

“With over a decade of consulting experience, we are on an exciting and rewarding journey with our network of passionate experts with a hunger for innovation and discovery for the Environment, Innovation & Development, and International Affairs,” according to the company’s LinkedIn page.

Cristiana Bársony-Arcidiacono presents herself on LinkedIn as the CEO of the company. Her LinkedIn page describes her as a native speaker of both Hungarian and Italian.

Bársony-Arcidiacono and BAC Consulting did not respond to questions from the Guardian. Reached by phone, Bársony-Arcidiacono asked how the paper got the number and then hung up.

However, she confirmed to NBC that her company worked with Gold Apollo.

Asked about the pagers and the explosions, Bársony-Arcidiacono said: “I don’t make the pagers. I am just the intermediate. I think you got it wrong.”

Asked about the Hungarian company, EU foreign affairs spokesperson Peter Stano said at a press conference on Wednesday: “let’s not jump to conclusions at this stage.”

“The reasons and how it was done, how it was organised, needs to be investigated,” he said.

Asked about the CEO’s claim on LinkedIn that she also works for the European Commission, a spokesperson said “she is not a staff member, never been.”

[collapsedsquid]

Secret international discussions have resulted in governments across the world imposing identical export controls on quantum computers, while refusing to disclose the scientific rationale behind the regulations. Although quantum computers theoretically have the potential to threaten national security by breaking encryption techniques, even the most advanced quantum computers currently in public existence are too small and too error-prone to achieve this, rendering the bans seemingly pointless.] The UK is one of the countries that has prohibited the export of quantum computers with 34 or more quantum bits, or qubits, and error rates below a certain threshold. The intention seems to be to restrict machines of a certain capability, but the UK government hasn’t explicitly said this. A New Scientist freedom of information request for a rationale behind these numbers was turned down on the grounds of national security. France has also introduced export controls with the same specifications on qubit numbers and error rates, as has Spain and the Netherlands. Identical limits across European states might point to a European Union regulation, but that isn’t the case. A European Commission spokesperson told New Scientist that EU members are free to adopt national measures, rather than bloc-wide ones, for export restrictions. “Recent controls on quantum computers by Spain and France are examples of such national measures,” they said. They declined to explain why the figures in various EU export bans matched exactly, if these decisions had been reached independently. A spokesperson for the French Embassy in London told New Scientist that the limit was set at a level “likely to represent a cyber risk”. They said that the controls were the same in France, the UK, the Netherlands and Spain because of “multilateral negotiations conducted over several years under the Wassenaar Arrangement”.

Do I need to start collecting laser eyes Yudkoswkys for Dark Yud?

[mariacallous]

For the past eight months, Europeans uncomfortable with the way Meta tracks their data for personalized advertising have had another option: They can pay the tech giant up to €12.99 ($14) per month for their privacy instead.

Launched in November 2023, Meta introduced its “pay or consent” subscription model as fines, legal cases, and regulatory attention pressured the company to change the way it asks users to consent to targeted advertising. On Monday, however, the European Commision rejected its latest solution, arguing its “pay or consent” subscription is illegal under the bloc’s new digital markets act (DMA).

“Our preliminary view is that Meta’s ‘Pay or Consent’ business model is in breach of the DMA,” Thierry Breton, Commissioner for the EU’s Internal Market, said in a statement. “The DMA is there to give back to the users the power to decide how their data is used and ensure innovative companies can compete on equal footing with tech giants on data access.”

Meta denied its subscription model broke the rules. “Subscription for no ads follows the direction of the highest court in Europe and complies with the DMA,” Meta spokesperson Matt Pollard told WIRED, referring to a Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) decision in July that said that Meta needed to offer users an alternative to ads, if necessary for an appropriate fee. “We look forward to further constructive dialogue with the European Commission to bring this investigation to a close.”

In a press briefing on Monday morning, Commission officials said their concern was not that the company was charging for an ad-free service. “This is perfectly fine for us, as long as we have the middle option,” they said, explaining there should be a third option that may still contain ads but are just less targeted. There are different, less-specific ways of providing advertising to users, they added, such as contextual advertising. “The consumer needs to be in a position to choose an alternative version of the service which relies on non personalization of the ads.”

Under the DMA, very large tech platforms must ask users for consent if they want to share their personal data with other parts of their businesses. In Meta’s case, the Commission said it is particularly concerned about the competitive advantage Meta receives over its rivals by being able to combine the data from platforms like Instagram and its advertising business.

Meta has a chance to respond to the charges issued on Monday. However if the company cannot reach an agreement with regulators before March 2025, Brussels has the power to levy fines of up to 10 percent of the company’s global turnover.

In the past week, the EU has issued a series of reprimands to US tech giants. The Commission warned Apple that its App Store is in breach of EU rules for preventing app developers offering promotions directly to their users. Brussels also accused Microsoft of abusing its dominance in the office-software market, following a complaint from rival Slack.

[commiepinkofag]

More than 10,000 people attended Pride in Bulgaria's capital city Sofia in June, says Sofia Pride 📷: Sophia Pride 2024

EU says it will defend rights after Bulgaria adopts anti-LGBTIQ law

by Nikolaj Nielsen, Brussels, August 9, 2024

The European Commission says it will defend minority rights, following a Russian-inspired Bulgarian draft law that seeks to ban LGBTIQ "propaganda" in schools. "We remain steady in our commitment to tackling discrimination, inequalities and challenges faced by the LGBTIQ individuals also," said Anitta Hipper, a European Commission spokesperson in Brussels on Thursday (8 August). … The Bulgarian Helsinki Committee also says the bill violates basic human rights, including those protected by the Bulgarian Constitution, as well as EU laws and the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights. But Bulgarian lawmakers had also voted on a separate text that aims to define "non-traditional sexual orientation", posing additional problems for rights defenders. The text describes "non-traditional sexual orientation" as "different from the generally accepted and established notions in the Bulgarian legal tradition of emotional, romantic, sexual, or sensual attraction between persons of opposite sexes." Radio Free Europe, a media outlet, cites a Bulgarian lawmaker who says the definition was in part copy pasted from the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia. …

[tomorrowusa]

Elon Musk has turned Twitter X into a haven for hate speech as well as bots from Russia and other malevolent countries.

Musk himself promoted an antisemitic tweet – probably to show his far right pals that he's just one of the guys. Because of that, he's losing his few remaining respectable advertisers and is coming under scrutiny by governments in the US, UK, and the EU.

An advertising boycott of social media platform X is gathering pace amid an antisemitism storm on the site formerly known as Twitter. Apple, Disney, Comcast and Warner Brothers Discovery have all halted advertising on X, US media report, following hot on the heels of IBM. The European Commission, TV network Paramount and movie studio Lionsgate have also pulled ad dollars from X. It comes after X owner Elon Musk amplified an antisemitic trope. The corporate boycott has also been picking up steam in the wake of an investigation by a US group which flagged ads appearing next to pro-Nazi posts on X. A spokesperson for X told the BBC on Thursday that the company does not intentionally place brands "next to this kind of content" and the platform is dedicated to combatting antisemitism. Mr Musk came under fire on Wednesday after he replied to a post sharing an antisemitic conspiracy theory, calling it "actual truth".

Yeah, "actual truth" as the type of stuff you'd find on Truth Social. 🙄

The White House denounced Mr Musk's endorsement of the post. "We condemn this abhorrent promotion of antisemitic and racist hate in the strongest terms," said spokesperson Andrew Bates.

The Washington Post has a list of major advertisers who have suspended their ads on Musk's platform.

IBM IBM pulled its advertising from X on Nov. 16 after the Media Matters report identified it as one of several blue-chip companies whose ads had appeared next to tweets promoting antisemitism. [ ... ] Apple The maker of iPhones and MacBooks decided to pause all advertising on X on Friday after Musk endorsed an antisemitic post on platform, according to Axios, citing unnamed sources, and the New York Times. Apple was reportedly the platform’s largest advertiser, spending nearly $50 million in the first quarter of 2022. [ ... ] Lionsgate A spokesperson for the entertainment and film distribution company told The Washington Post it suspended advertisements on X on Friday afternoon, saying the decision came after “Elon’s tweet.” [ ... ] Disney The entertainment giant suspended advertising on the social media platform Friday, a company spokesperson said. [ ... ] Paramount The media, streaming and entertainment company is suspending all advertising on the platform, a spokesperson said in an email to The Post on Friday.

[ ... ] Comcast The global media and tech company is pausing ads on X, company spokesperson Jennifer Khoury said in an email on Friday. Philadelphia-based Comcast, with a market cap near $171 billon, provides a range of broadband, wireless and other services.

The European Union has also stopped all advertising at MuskX.

No more ads on Elon’s X, EU Commission tells staff

Truth Social is having HÜGE financial problems. Perhaps the two ought to merge; a lot of people wouldn't notice the difference except for the logo. 😆

Chris Hayes at MSNBC put Elon Musk's antisemitism in historical perspective.

To people still on Twitter/X: How do you explain to others why you remain on a platform associated with vile hatemongers?

[thoughtlessarse]

Languages: Deutsch

Europe’s free-travel zone, otherwise known as the Schengen Area, is increasingly being punctured by border controls as many EU countries opt to tighten their internal borders. Signed in 1985 and coming into force in 1995, the Schengen Area is considered one of the bloc’s biggest benefits, allowing people to travel between member states without undergoing a single passport check. With 29 members, the latest round of expansion took place on 31 March with the accession of Romania and Bulgaria, limited to aerial and maritime border crossings. While the European Commission spokesperson was clear that border checks “must remain exceptional, strictly limited in time and a measure of last resort, if a serious threat to public policy or internal security has been established,” the enthusiasm of EU members for border controls, an anathema to the project, is increasing. A growing number no longer want to use border controls as the short-term, last-resort measure that Schengen originally intended them to be. What began as localised, long-term border controls in Bavaria has now expanded into a nationwide policy across Germany. The country, once a staunch advocate of open borders and a founding member of the Schengen Area, is increasingly tightening its national borders. […] Faced with a surge in border controls, Brussels has been at pains to convince EU countries to consider “possible alternatives”, like targeted police controls to address security concerns, “without resorting to the reintroduction of internal border controls,” they added. 

read complete article

“Targetted police controls,” means Black and brown people will be discriminated against, making such EU citizens second class.

[bluespring864]

I just read this insane thing and thought the folks of tumblr might appreciate it

The European Parliament is a peculiarly Byzantine place, which is all the more baffling for an assembly that only sprung into life in 1979.

It’s replete with obscure working groups hived off from real committees, opaque voting procedures, feeble attempts to keep tabs on the Commission, and dull, empty plenary sessions taking place weeks after the news trigger has passed. And don’t forget the gift vault on floor 5 ½. 

And the article in full because it is insane:

Inside the European Parliament’s gift vault

APRIL 17, 2023 4:00 AM CET

BY EDDY WAX

BRUSSELS — Down a curving corridor on floor five and a half, there’s a dark alcove hiding an unmarked door. 

This is the final resting place for the European Parliament’s would-be bribes. 

The secret chamber is piled high with diplomatic gifts, all carefully labeled and left to languish in bureaucratic limbo under lock and key — neither accepted nor rejected. 

There’s the opulent; there’s the bizarre. One cupboard contains a Taiwanese wristwatch given to a Polish EU lawmaker. Another holds a pot of French mustard, a miniature Saudi Arabian door and a commemorative plaque from the Indonesian parliament.

Expensive bottles of wine, children’s toys, wireless headphones, books, stationery, figurines — five dusty containers are brimming with the forsworn freebies that governments and parliaments from all over the globe have showered on EU lawmakers. 

The crypt — essentially a glorified janitor’s closet — has sat largely unperturbed since the collection began almost 15 years ago. But in recent months, it has taken on a new significance due to revelations over alleged bribes that countries like Qatar, Morocco and Mauritania were funneling to EU lawmakers. 

The scandal, dubbed Qatargate, has prompted soul-searching within Parliament, which is now squabbling over how to revise the code of conduct that governs lawmakers’ behavior — including what they should do when offered a gift.

But here, in room 55A031 of the labyrinthine Paul-Henri Spaak building, remain the gifts given but not received.

Too small a room

Outside, there is no indication about what the room contains. It is permanently locked.

Besides the renounced gratuities, the room stores old MEP files.

POLITICO’s access to the vault was facilitated by the office of German Green MEP Daniel Freund — a vocal proponent of tougher transparency rules in the institution — plus three European Parliament officials, including a spokesperson.

“It’s a bit anticlimactic if you expected some kind of treasure trove,” Nurminen said, standing on the squeaky linoleum floor of the vault as the air conditioning thrummed in the background.

With MEPs rushing to declare many more gifts than before in light of the Qatargate scandal, this storage room could soon become too small. Between 2009 and 2014, EU lawmakers declared just 15 gifts — but in this parliamentary term, which began in 2019, they’ve already registered 266.

The higher numbers are largely due to a massive dump of gifts by Parliament President Roberta Metsola, who declared 170 gifts since the start of the year — most recently a traditional shirt from the chairman of the Ukrainian parliament and a decorative box from Harvard University.

The president’s gifts are either displayed in her office, stored in this gift vault — or already long gone. When it comes to gifts of chocolates, wine or crunchy snacks, some have been “served in the course of Parliament’s functions,” i.e. consumed during official work meetings.

Even though she missed the internal deadline to declare many of the gifts, Metsola — who has been Parliament president since January 2022 — argued she was being radically transparent by declaring the gifts and turning them over. This broke with years of the institution exempting the president from declaring gifts on the public register.

Because of this change, many gifts given to previous presidents and kept in boxes by a set of civil servants called the “protocol service” are now being transferred to this room from undisclosed locations. The Parliament spokesperson described this gift vault as the only dedicated room where such gifts to former presidents are kept.

Just 17 gifts to presidents past and present are on display in glass cabinets at the Parliament’s seat in Strasbourg, next to a tiny kiosk selling Roberta Metsola-themed stamps. They include a statuette of a horse from the United Arab Emirates’ National Council; handmade artwork from the president of Nigeria; a silver bowl from top U.S. politician Nancy Pelosi; a peace-themed mosaic from Pope Francis; and a vide-poches or decorative tray from French President Emmanuel Macron.

Manfred’s mobile

For now, the gifts in the chamber in Brussels are essentially in limbo — neither displayed nor used — a fate that might perhaps make lobbyists or foreign dignitaries think twice about going to the trouble of making any such gesture in the first place.

A case in point is a Huawei smartphone that was worth more than €150 when given to European People’s Party chief Manfred Weber by the Chinese tech company — in 2013. It’s been gathering dust here ever since.

The “end of life” rules, as Parliament speak would have it, means dead but not buried.

According to the current rules, EU lawmakers can keep these gifts permanently if it can be proved they have no “obvious” value to the Parliament. Or they may be temporarily displayed in their offices if the president gives her blessing.

In theory, parliamentarians can also bid to buy back their gifts in a public tender — but such an auction has never happened.

At a later stage of the ethics reform plan initiated by Metsola, senior parliamentarians could at some point tweak the code of conduct to allow the gifts to be given to charities — as happens with used furniture and food waste from the canteens. But such a tweak is currently not under consideration.

“If you have more presents handed into the institution, there needs to be a way to process them. So the existing 2013 rules might be revised,” the spokesperson said as the door quietly closed.

 source: politico.eu

[beardedmrbean]

The Bulgarian Ministry of Education is currently preparing responses to inquiries from the European Commission regarding the recent amendments to the Preschool and School Education Act, which ban "LGBTQ+ propaganda in school." To develop a comprehensive response, the ministry is seeking additional input and clarification from the National Assembly and other relevant ministries. Deputy Minister of Education Emilia Lazarova, as cited by BNR, stated that the ministry has set a deadline of the end of next week to finalize the response.

The European Commission had requested clarification from Bulgaria after these amendments were adopted, with European Equality Commissioner Helena Dalli sending a letter to Education Minister Galin Tsokov on August 13, following the release of the amendments for promulgation by President Rumen Radev. The minister has a two-week period to justify the necessity of these legal changes.

The amendments, proposed by the "Revival" party and adopted in early August, include a definition of "non-traditional sexual orientation" and prohibit its promotion within the school system. The European Commission's spokesperson mentioned that they are awaiting explanations from Sofia to assess whether the legal changes comply with European law.

Additionally, the United Nations has expressed "deep concern" over the legal amendment, urging a review in accordance with Bulgaria's international human rights obligations. The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O'Flaherty, had earlier called on President Radev not to sign the law.

[head-post]

Apple changes EU app store policy after Commission probe

Apple changed its policy in the EU to allow developers to communicate with their customers outside its App Store, Euractiv reported.

The move came after the commission accused the company in June of violating the bloc’s technical rules. The Commission said that under most business terms, Apple only allowed management through “link-outs.” In other words, app developers can include a link in their app that redirects a customer to a web page where the customer can sign a contract. Apple stated that developers would now be able to communicate and promote offers from within their app, not just on their own website.

However, Apple will introduce two new fees, an initial 5% fee for new users and a 10% shop service fee on any sales made by app users on any platform within 12 months of installing the app. The company currently charges three types of fees: a basic technology fee for less than 1% of apps, a reduced fee for all digital goods and services sold through the App Store, and an optional fee for payments and commerce services.

The two new fees will replace the reduced fee for all digital goods and services sold through the App Store. However, a Spotify spokesperson criticised Apple’s new policy.

At first glance, by demanding as much as a 25% fee for basic communication with users, Apple once again blatantly disregards the fundamental requirements of the Digital Markets Act.

A Commission official also claimed that Apple went beyond what was strictly necessary for such a remuneration.

We will assess Apple’s eventual changes to the compliance measures, also taking into account any feedback from the market, notably developers.

The charge against Apple is the first brought by the Commission under its Digital Markets Act. The legislation is designed to curb the power of big tech, with violations potentially subject to fines of up to 10 per cent of a company’s global annual turnover.

Read more HERE

[ukrainenews]

Daily Wrap Up November 30, 2022

Under the cut:

Spanish police said an employee at the Ukrainian embassy in Madrid was injured on Wednesday in an explosion that occurred while he was handling a letter. The staff member received light injuries and went to hospital under his own steam, police said.

A teenager was killed in Russian shelling of a hospital in the northern Ukrainian region of Sumy, a presidential aide said Wednesday. Another person was killed and one was wounded in Russian shelling of the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, regional governor Yaroslav Yanushevych said.

The president of the European Commission appears to have caused some confusion on Wednesday in her speech on Ukraine. Ursula von der Leyen said an estimated 100,000 Ukrainian military personnel had died as well as 20,000 civilians. Ukraine has been tight-lipped about its wartime military losses, saying figures would give Russia an advantage. The commission later apologised, saying the speech was inaccurate and the estimate had included injured as well as dead. The sentence was then removed from the transcript on the commission’s website and edited from the video of her speech.

At least five civilians were killed in Russian strikes in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine on Tuesday, according to a Ukrainian military official.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned in his nightly video address Tuesday that the Russians are "planning something in the south." He said that the situation on the frontline remains difficult and Russian forces are trying to advance into the Donbas region and Kharkiv.

“Spanish police said an employee at the Ukrainian embassy in Madrid was injured on Wednesday in an explosion that occurred while he was handling a letter.

The staff member received light injuries and went to hospital under his own steam, police said.

Detectives are investigating the incident, aided by forensic and intelligence investigators.

Ukraine’s embassy to Spain was not immediately reachable, Reuters reported.

The area surrounding the embassy has been cordoned off, the state broadcaster TVE reported.”-via The Guardian

~

“A teenager was killed in Russian shelling of a hospital in the northern Ukrainian region of Sumy, a presidential aide said Wednesday.

Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of Ukraine's presidential administration, said on the Telegram messaging app that Russian forces had pounded the region, which borders Russia, with artillery and mortar bombs over the past 24 hours.

Russian forces pulled back from northern Ukraine weeks after their Feb. 24 invasion but have continued shelling some areas, Ukrainian officials have said.

Another person was killed and one was wounded in Russian shelling of the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, regional governor Yaroslav Yanushevych said.

Russia did not immediately comment on the Ukrainian officials' reports.”-via Reuters

~

“The president of the European Commission appears to have caused some confusion on Wednesday in her speech on Ukraine.

Ursula von der Leyen said an estimated 100,000 Ukrainian military personnel had died as well as 20,000 civilians. Ukraine has been tight-lipped about its wartime military losses, saying figures would give Russia an advantage.

The commission later apologised, saying the speech was inaccurate and the estimate had included injured as well as dead. The sentence was then removed from the transcript on the commission’s website and edited from the video of her speech.

A spokesperson for Ukraine’s general staff told Ukrainian journalists that it would not comment on the figure quoted but vowed that Russia would face punishment for its actions in Ukraine.

Von der Leyen also said the EU would set up a special tribunal for the “crime of aggression” – in other words Russia’s military transgressing Ukraine’s borders.

The statement appears to have caught Ukraine off guard. Oleh Gavrysh, a spokesperson of Andriy Smyrnov, the deputy head of Ukraine’s presidential administration, who is leading the effort to establish a tribunal, said they were “exploring” what Von der Leyen had said and needed to confirm if this tribunal would include removing the immunity of key Russian leaders, including the Russian president Vladimir Putin. If it did, said Gavrysh, then Ukraine would accept her proposal.

A special tribunal for the crime of aggression has been the subject of a months-long campaign by Kyiv. It would lead to Russia’s top figures prosecuted, including Putin and the foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, and would require little investigation as the fact that the crime of aggression was committed was something overwhelmingly accepted by the UN general assembly. But states will need to back the tribunal individually as they will be responsible for enforcing any sentencing of Russia’s leaders as international criminals (even if in absentia).”-via The Guardian

~

“At least five civilians were killed in Russian strikes in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine on Tuesday, according to a Ukrainian military official.

In a statement Wednesday, Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk regional military administration, said two people died in Bakhmut city, two others in Drobysheve and one in neighboring Lyman.

A total of 15 others were injured, he added.

Some of the fiercest fighting in eastern Ukraine is taking place around Bakhmut, which has been besieged for months by Russian forces.”-via CNN

~

“Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned in his nightly video address Tuesday that the Russians are "planning something in the south."

He said that the situation on the frontline remains difficult and Russian forces are trying to advance into the Donbas region and Kharkiv.

“The situation at the front is difficult. Despite extremely big Russian losses, the occupiers are still trying to advance in the Donetsk region, gain a foothold in the Luhansk region, move in the Kharkiv region, they are planning something in the south,” he said.

"But we are holding out and -- most importantly -- do not allow the enemy to fulfill their intentions," he added.

The warning comes just weeks after the southern city of Kherson was liberated from Russian troops on November 11, after eight months of occupation.

The city has since been rocked by heavy Russian shelling, shattering an initial sense of calm.

Kherson was the only Ukrainian regional capital that Russian forces had captured since February’s invasion.”-via CNN

[todayworldnews2k21]

China objects to EU tariffs on EV imports, pushes for negotiation · TechNode

Beijing is firmly objecting to the European Commission’s decision to implement additional countervailing duties on China-made electric vehicles ranging up to 35.3% for a period of five years, while pushing for ongoing negotiations with Brussel to establish a price floor on Chinese EVs, according to a spokesperson from China’s Ministry of Commerce, who made the comments on Oct. 4. The spokesperson…

[blsm-m]

Pork for sale at a wholesale market in Beijing, China.Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesDays after the European Union increased tariffs on Chinese-made cars, Beijing launched an anti-dumping investigation targeting certain pork products coming from the EU. China Ministry of Commerce The European Commission said on Monday it had launched an investigation into EU imported pork and by-products, including pig offal, pig fat, pig intestines, bladders and stomachs. The ministry said the investigation is expected to be completed within 12 months but could be extended for a further six months.The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China said the EU pork investigation was a retaliatory measure by Beijing for recent tariffs on Chinese-made EVs."This is not a surprise in light of the EU EV investigation as it is not the first time a similar response has been made to an investigation announced in a jurisdiction," the spokesperson said in a statement to CNBC. Answer the questions, Chinese Ministry of Commerce official He said the investigation was launched following a formal complaint from the China Animal Agriculture Association, a domestic industry group.Investigators determined the request met the criteria for opening an investigation under Chinese and World Trade Organization law, the official added.A copy of the complaint shared by the Commerce Ministry accused the EU pork industry of creating overcapacity and benefiting from heavy subsidies, which in turn affect China's domestic pork industry.The language in the filing echoes similar accusations by Western officials and industry that have recently targeted Chinese electric vehicle and solar power exports.The European Commission announced last week that as a result of its investigation, it would impose additional anti-subsidy tariffs of up to 38% on car imports from China."Iberian ham" is a type of jamon or presunto (a type of salted pig's trotter) on display at the Atarazanas Central Food Market in Málaga, Spain. John Keble | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesIn May, the US imposed tariffs on Chinese electric vehicle imports of 100%, up from 25%, doubled import taxes on Chinese solar cells from 25% to 50%, and tripled tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum.Beijing criticized the EU moveA Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said Thursday that Beijing would take "all necessary measures" to safeguard its trade interests, WTO rules and market principles. Meanwhile, the announcement of the investigation raised concerns from the EU's pork industry, which has China as one of the world's largest markets. of The Danish Agriculture and Food Council told Reuters. If China were to restrict imports of European meat, it would deal a major blow to China's meat industry. Meanwhile, Spain, the EU's largest pork exporter to China, They called on EU authorities to find an immediate solution. The report added that this is to avoid harmful tariffs.— CNBC's Evelyn Chen contributed to this report.

[mariacallous]

A Russian political influence campaign is shaking up Europe, as top officials warned Moscow paid European Parliament members to interfere in the upcoming EU election.

"This confirms what we have suspected: the Kremlin is using dodgy outlets pretending to be media [and] using money to buy covert influence,” European Commission Vice President Věra Jourová told Brussels Playbook, calling the revelations “very troubling.”

The scandal broke when the Czech government on Wednesday sanctioned a news site called Voice of Europe, which Prague said was part of a pro-Russian influence operation. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said Thursday that Russia had approached EU parliament members (MEPs) and "paid [them], to promote Russian propaganda.”

The new Russian influence campaign comes with less than three months to go before the European Parliament election on June 6-9. It echoes concerns of corruption and foreign meddling brought to the fore by the Qatargate corruption scandal that rocked the European Parliament less than two years ago.

"We can't afford to be one step behind Putin and his propaganda army on a chess board ... We have to constantly bear in mind he will use the disinformation and foreign interference as a weapon to divide Europe," Jourová said.

The influence scandal revolved around the website Voice of Europe. The Czech foreign ministry sanctioned Ukrainian oligarch Viktor Medvedchuk, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as Voice of Europe itself and a person called Artem Pavlovich Marchevskyi presumed to be involved in the operation.

Medvedchuk was running a “Russian influence operation” from Russia on Czech territory using Voice of Europe, authorities said in a statement.

“This decision is in the security interest of the Czech Republic, as well as contributing to the protection of the democratic nature of the forthcoming elections to the European Parliament,” the Czech foreign ministry said.

Polish security services said Thursday they had carried out searches as part of the cross-border investigation in Warsaw and Tychy in western Poland, Reuters reported. Local media cited the security services' statement saying authorities had seized €48,500 and $36,000. Poland's Internal Security Agency's website has been down since Thursday evening.

Voice of Europe’s YouTube page throws up a parade of EU lawmakers, many of them belonging to far-right, Euroskeptic parties, who line up to bash the Green Deal, predict the Union’s imminent collapse, or attack Ukraine. There is no suggestion that those appearing on the network accepted cash.

The website has its roots in the Netherlands, Dutch daily NRC reported. An entrepreneur linked to the site at the time “worked with” far-right leader Thierry Baudet in 2016 “to bring about the Ukraine referendum,” the paper wrote, referring to a non-binding vote in which Dutch voters opposed a political association agreement between Ukraine and the EU. 

Voice of Europe’s website was unavailable on Thursday and its account on X hasn’t posted since Wednesday.

"It is just a bitter joke to call this operation of Russian interference the 'Voice of Europe' but it shows clearly the level of despise Putin has towards our democracies," Jourová said.

The claim that MEPs were paid to speak up for the Kremlin has raised questions about who might have taken the cash.

A spokesperson for European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said in a statement: “The president is aware of the allegations being made and is looking into specific allegations.”

Italian European People's Party lawmaker Matteo Gazzini, who gave Voice of Europe an interview and participated in a panel debate alongside other MEPs, denied being offered or taking any money.  

“Of course not, what a question is this?” he said. “It makes me laugh when you ask me if I got money from Russia … because I come from a very well-off family,” he said, adding that he is an agricultural and real estate entrepreneur who is only in politics to serve his country.

Asked about his comments on a Voice of Europe panel in which he said that Europe should not have the goal of defeating Russia, and instead focus on finding a path to peace in Ukraine, Gazzini said he condemned the invasion and that Russian troops should leave Ukraine. “At the same time, Europe should not help to escalate the situation,” he said.

He also blamed the European Parliament for letting Voice of Europe into the institution, where he said they first approached him. “If they are such a big threat, why [did] the European Parliament let these journalists inside? Why didn’t they check them?” he asked.

His EPP colleague Dennis Radtke, from Germany, said that Gazzini’s membership of the political group “has to be discussed.” Gazzini joined the EPP this year from the far-right Identity & Democracy grouping, having quit his League party to join Forza Italia.

“It underlines my skepticism with former members of Lega and the ID. Whoever is involved in this Russian network has to face consequences ... We have to defend our democracy and the integrity of our political institution,” Radtke wrote in a message.

A senior EPP group official said: “The EPP stands clearly and firmly on the side of Ukraine. We have been fighting against Putin‘s propaganda and disinformation for years and we will continue to do so.”

The S&D group joined others in calling for an urgent debate.

[jcmarchi]

Microsoft and Apple Step Back from OpenAI’s Board Amid Antitrust Concerns

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/microsoft-and-apple-step-back-from-openais-board-amid-antitrust-concerns/

Microsoft and Apple Step Back from OpenAI’s Board Amid Antitrust Concerns

As large tech firms expand through acquisitions and advancements, regulatory bodies express concerns about potential anti-competitive practices. FAMGA (Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, Google, Amazon) has invested $59 billion in AI research. The rapid growth in these companies’ influence has prompted new antitrust regulations to focus on fair competition and prevent monopolistic behavior.

In a significant move reflecting this growing scrutiny, Microsoft and Apple have decided to step down from OpenAI’s board amidst increased regulatory oversight from US, UK, and EU authorities.

In this blog, we will discuss the ramifications of increased regulatory scrutiny on OpenAI, new digital oversight, and the impact on the broader industry.

Microsoft Leaves OpenAI’s Board

On July 10, 2024, Microsoft officially announced its exit from OpenAI’s governance board. In a letter, Microsoft’s Deputy General Counsel Keith Dolliver stated, “We are confident in the company’s direction and have witnessed significant progress by the newly formed board over the past eight months, and we no longer believe our limited role as an observer is necessary.”

Microsoft had been drawn to the OpenAI board after a power struggle that saw CEO Sam Altman briefly dismissed and played a key role in rehiring Sam Altman as OpenAI’s CEO.

After being reinstated, Sam Altman announced Microsoft’s new role on the OpenAI board as a non-voting observer in his inaugural statement. This allowed Microsoft’s representatives to attend board meetings and access confidential information.

However, they would not possess voting rights. This development, alongside a $13 billion investment, made Microsoft OpenAI’s largest and most important investor.

The close ties between the two companies and Microsoft’s ability to access confidential information attracted scrutiny from regulators regarding fair competition and market practices.

Regulators Investigate Potential Anti-Competitive Practices

Following the contentious temporary removal of OpenAI’s CEO in December 2023, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched an investigation into Microsoft and OpenAI’s partnership.

Similarly, the European Commission (EU) also asked for more information regarding “certain exclusivity clauses” in Microsoft’s agreement with OpenAI that could be detrimental to competition. The head of the competition bureau, Margrethe Vestager, emphasized that the EU will keep a careful eye on the quickly developing AI market.

The EU will put special emphasis on one area, called “Acquire-Hires,” in which a company purchases another primarily to acquire its key talent.

“It is hard not to conclude that Microsoft’s decision has been heavily influenced by the ongoing competition/antitrust scrutiny,” said UK-based lawyer Alex Haffner.

All of this can lead to a slowdown in the development of innovative AI solutions necessary for a competitive edge and threaten business reputations.

OpenAI’s Response and Governance Changes

After Microsoft’s withdrawal, OpenAI has committed to increasing transparency with strategic partners and plans to alleviate regulatory concerns and strengthen its governance.

“We’re grateful to Microsoft for continued support, and we look forward to continuing our successful partnership,” said Steve Sharpe, a spokesperson for OpenAI.

However, OpenAI will no longer offer stakeholders the role of non-voting board observers. The company will adopt a new strategy of hosting stakeholder meetings more frequently to share progress and enhance collaboration, particularly in safety and security.

“Under the new leadership of the CFO Sarah Friar, we plan to host regular meetings with partners such as Apple and Microsoft and key investors Khosla Ventures and Thrive Capital,” announced Steve Sharpe.

Impact of Microsoft’s Withdrawal From OpenAI’s Board

With increasing pressure from antitrust authorities in the US, UK, and EU, Microsoft’s exit from the OpenAI board helps it ease regulatory concerns. By distancing itself from direct board involvement, the company can navigate potential antitrust complications and maintain a positive relationship with regulators.

However, Microsoft’s exit will not deteriorate its partnership with OpenAI. It is still OpenAI’s biggest investor, approximately controlling 49% of the ownership stake. Going forward, the company plans to integrate OpenAI models into Office 365 and Azure products to provide better customer service.

Apple Avoids Observer Role

With Microsoft’s departure, Apple also dropped plans to join OpenAI’s board as a non-voting observer. This development came despite Apple’s joint endeavor with OpenAI, where the company planned to incorporate ChatGPT into Apple’s product lineup.

Although Apple’s AI enhancements have significantly improved Siri and machine learning capabilities, the tech giant prefers to avoid possible regulatory issues.

Broader Industry Trends

Regulatory authorities are becoming increasingly vigilant about scrutinizing mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the AI domain. Top US antitrust regulators are currently examining investments by Microsoft, Google, and Amazon in startups like OpenAI and Anthropic.

“Our investigation aims to determine whether the investments and alliances formed by these dominant companies could potentially distort innovation and hinder fair competition,” said Lina Khan, head of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

UK competition regulator CMA is also investigating Microsoft’s rehiring of Inflection AI CEO to determine whether it caused a “substantial lessening of competition” in the AI space.

Likewise, The US Department of Justice (DOJ) initiated two distinct inquiries into Nvidia due to rising antitrust concerns surrounding their AI-centric business operations. Nvidia commands a 70% to 95% market share in the chips essential for training AI models.

This dominance has not escaped the attention of other international regulatory bodies. Last month, Reuters reported that Nivida might face antitrust accusations in France.

A broader trend has emerged in the tech industry, where regulatory authorities scrutinize the acquisition of AI startups and technologies to discourage monopolistic behavior. Microsoft’s decision to exit the OpenAI board has been viewed as a proactive effort to prevent the perception of exerting undue influence over smaller firms.

However, tech companies will continue collaborating with AI startups in different ways, such as providing funding, technical support, and strategic advice.

Key Outcomes

With greater regulatory scrutiny, tech giants must exercise greater caution when investing in AI startups. Moreover, the OpenAI board’s shuffle and scrutiny presents an opportunity for tech companies to enhance their governance protocols, strengthen partnerships, and proactively meet compliance obligations.

All this will contribute to the development and adoption of responsible and explainable AI.

Stay ahead of the curve in the ever-evolving world of artificial intelligence by visiting Unite.ai.

[sa7abnews]

EU endorses Ukraine’s incursion into Russia

New Post has been published on https://sa7ab.info/2024/08/12/eu-endorses-ukraines-incursion-into-russia/

EU endorses Ukraine’s incursion into Russia

European Commission spokesman Peter Stano reaffirmed the bloc’s support for Kiev after its cross-border attack

The European Union fully supports the actions of Ukraine’s forces, including striking Russian territory, European Commission spokesman Peter Stano has said. The statement came a day after Ukraine launched a major cross-border sortie into Russia’s Kursk Region early on Tuesday. At least five civilians were killed in assault as of Wednesday evening, according to the Interim Governor of Kursk, Aleksey Smirnov. Another 31 people – including six children – were injured in the Ukrainian shelling of the town of Sudzha, Russia’s Health Ministry said late on Wednesday. Russian President Vladimir Putin has called the Kursk attack yet another “large-scale provocation” by Kiev, accusing Ukrainian troops of deliberately targeting civilians. Commenting on the raid, Stano said Ukraine has the right to defend itself, “including by striking the aggressor on its territory.”  “The EU continues to fully support Ukraine’s legitimate right to defend itself” and win back its lost territories, the spokesperson told the Ukrainian news network Suspilne on Wednesday. Kiev considers the Kherson and Zaporozhye Regions, the Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk, as well as the Crimean peninsula to be parts of Ukraine. All five territories formerly joined the Russian Federation after a series of democratic referendums.

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Veteran Russian war correspondent wounded in Ukrainian drone attack

Ukrainian forces numbering up to a thousand, supported by tanks and artillery, moved across the border in an attempt to take hold of the Sudzhinsky district of Russia’s Kursk Region, the Russian Ministry of Defense said on Wednesday, reporting that the Ukrainian advance had been stopped. In the attack, Kiev’s forces suffered at least 315 casualties, with more than 100 killed and the rest wounded as of Wednesday, the chief of the Russian General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, reported. Ukraine also lost at least 54 armored vehicles, including seven tanks during the push, he stated.

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Putin comments on Kursk Region incursion attempt

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova slammed the incursion as a “massed terrorist attack.” The “barbaric attack” aimed to “sow panic among the residents of the region and demonstrate at least some semblance of activity, amid the constant failures of the Ukrainian armed forces in the conflict,” she stated. Commenting on Kiev’s incursion, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said Washington’s stance on Ukraine’s use of US-supplied weapons in cross-border attacks has not changed, and that “with the actions that they are taking today, they’re not in violation of our policy.”  Moscow has repeatedly warned that Western arms supplies to Ukraine will not break the course of the conflict, but only prolong it.