Government & Policy
Technology is deeply intertwined with government and policy, both being regulated by them and augmenting civic infrastructure like voting, social services, the justice system, and state-funded research, as well as exploring the frontiers of civil rights.
President Joe Biden has vetoed H.J.Res. 109, a congressional resolution that would have overturned the Securities and Exchange Commission’s current approach to banks and crypto. Specifically, the resolution targeted the…
Chinese e-commerce marketplace Temu faces stricter EU rules as a ‘very large online platform’
Temu is to face Europe’s strictest rules after being designated as a “very large online platform” under the Digital Services Act (DSA).
Misinformation works, and a handful of social ‘supersharers’ sent 80% of it in 2020
The studies, by researchers at MIT, Ben-Gurion University, Cambridge and Northeastern, were independently conducted but complement each other well.
Chinese EV makers, and their connected vehicles, targeted by new House bill
Chinese EV manufacturers face a new challenge in their pursuit of U.S. customers: a new House bill that would limit or ban the introduction of their connected vehicles. The bill,…
Featured Article
The women in AI making a difference
As a part of a multi-part series, TechCrunch is highlighting women innovators — from academics to policymakers —in the field of AI.
Tech startup Odyssey goes on journey to help states implement school choice programs
The company’s public fund disbursement and e-commerce platform makes accepting school tuition and enabling educational enrichment more accessible.
Spotify hikes subscription price in France by 1.2% to match new music-streaming tax
Spotify has hiked its premium subscription in France by an eye-watering €0.13, in response to a new music-streaming tax.
With the EU AI Act incoming this summer, the bloc lays out its plan for AI governance
The European Union has taken the wraps off the structure of the new AI Office, the ecosystem-building and oversight body that’s being established under the bloc’s AI Act. The risk-based…
OpenAI has formed a new committee to oversee “critical” safety and security decisions related to the company’s projects and operations. But, in a move that’s sure to raise the ire…
EU’s ChatGPT taskforce offers first look at detangling the AI chatbot’s privacy compliance
A data protection taskforce that’s spent over a year considering how the European Union’s data protection rulebook applies to OpenAI’s viral chatbot, ChatGPT, reported preliminary conclusions Friday. The top-line takeaway…
The families of victims of the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas are suing Activision and Meta, as well as gun manufacturer Daniel Defense. The families bringing the…
Y Combinator’s Garry Tan supports some AI regulation but warns against AI monopolies
Like most Silicon Valley VCs, what Garry Tan sees is opportunities for new, huge, lucrative businesses.
The biggest French startups in 2024 according to the French government
The French Secretary of State for the Digital Economy as of this year, Marina Ferrari, revealed this year’s laureates during VivaTech week in Paris. According to its promoters, this fifth…
The FCC has proposed a $6 million fine for the scammer who used voice-cloning tech to impersonate President Biden in a series of illegal robocalls during a New Hampshire primary…
‘Pro-competition’ rules for Big Tech make it through UK’s pre-election wash-up
The U.K. will shortly get its own rulebook for Big Tech, after peers in the House of Lords agreed Thursday afternoon to pass the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer bill…
The Biden campaign is looking to hire a seasoned meme lord
President Joe Biden needs a meme manager.
FCC proposes all AI-generated content in political ads must be disclosed
Under the envisioned framework, both candidate and issue ads would be required to include an on-air and filed disclosure that AI-generated content was used.
In Seoul summit, heads of states and companies commit to AI safety
Government officials and AI industry executives agreed on Tuesday to apply elementary safety measures in the fast-moving field and establish an international safety research network. Nearly six months after the…
Uber’s and Lyft’s ride-hailing deal with Minnesota comes at a cost
Uber and Lyft drivers in Minnesota will see higher pay thanks to a deal between the state and the country’s two largest ride-hailing companies. The upshot: a new law that…
UK data protection watchdog ends privacy probe of Snap’s GenAI chatbot, but warns industry
The U.K.’s data protection watchdog has closed an almost year-long investigation of Snap’s AI chatbot, My AI — saying it’s satisfied the social media firm has addressed concerns about risks…
EU Council gives final nod to risk-based rulebook for AI
It’s a wrap: European Union lawmakers have given the final approval to set up the bloc’s flagship, risk-based regulations for artificial intelligence.
UK’s autonomous vehicle legislation becomes law, paving the way for first driverless cars by 2026
The U.K.’s self-proclaimed “world-leading” regulations for self-driving cars are now official, after the Automated Vehicles (AV) Act received royal assent — the final rubber stamp any legislation must go through…
The AI Safety Institute, a U.K. body that aims to assess and address risks in AI platforms, has said it will open a second location in San Francisco.
Featured Article
Microsoft dodges UK antitrust scrutiny over its Mistral AI stake
Microsoft won’t be facing antitrust scrutiny in the U.K. over its recent investment into French AI startup Mistral AI.
EU warns Microsoft it could be fined billions over missing GenAI risk info
The EU’s warning comes after Microsoft failed to respond to a legally binding request for information that focused on its generative AI tools.
EU ‘closely’ monitoring X in wake of Fico shooting as DSA disinfo probe rumbles on
European Union enforcers of the bloc’s online governance regime, the Digital Services Act (DSA), said Thursday they’re closely monitoring disinformation campaigns on the Elon Musk-owned social network X (formerly Twitter)…
EU opens child safety probes of Facebook and Instagram, citing addictive design concerns
Facebook and Instagram are under formal investigation in the European Union over child protection concerns, the Commission announced Thursday. The proceedings follow a raft of requests for information to parent…
Temu accused of breaching EU’s DSA in bundle of consumer complaints
Consumer protection groups around the European Union have filed coordinated complaints against Temu, accusing the Chinese-owned, ultra low-cost e-commerce platform of a raft of breaches related to the bloc’s Digital…
Senate study proposes ‘at least’ $32B yearly for AI programs
The AI industry moves faster than the rest of the technology sector, which means it outpaces the federal government by several orders of magnitude.
AWS confirms it will launch European ‘sovereign cloud’ in Germany by 2025, plans €7.8B investment over 15 years
AWS has confirmed its European “sovereign cloud” will go live by the end of 2025, enabling greater data residency for the region.
