#us tech

The European Commission unveiled new technology this week designed to power smartphone apps that verify users’ age online, part of an effort to make the internet safer for children by limiting access to pornography sites, social media accounts, and online alcohol purchases. Experts remain divided on whether the system will work effectively in practice. The technology is intended to prevent users from falsely claiming they are old enough to access restricted content or services. Instead of relying on self-declared ages, new apps using the EU system are expected to be developed, with the first countries planning to roll them out later this year. Under the system, users would scan a passport or national ID card within an app to confirm their age. Once verified, they would be able to access websites with minimum age requirements. The app is designed to confirm only that a user meets the age threshold, without revealing their identity. Jaap-Henk Hoepman, a senior lecturer in digital security at Radboud University, said the approach effectively makes age verification universal, noting that “in practice, everyone will have to prove they are old enough when visiting such a website.” However, shortly after the system was presented, the European Commission updated the app following reports that it could be hacked. The app’s code had been made publicly available on GitHub, where developers reportedly found that it was possible to bypass the verification system and fake being an adult.

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Being a purist isn’t possible, but what’s important is making the effort. If we can reduce the customer base for the dominant players and show there’s a market for a different way of approaching digital technology, that could help incentivize more non-US options and even get governments to put real resources behind a push for digital sovereignty.

💡 Quick Take: South Korea’s new semiconductor fabrication plant in Clay, NY, is a game-changer, solidifying US chip independence and creating a robust, diversified supply chain for the booming global AI industry. 1. The Big Picture: Why This Matters Now The global tech landscape is buzzing, and the latest news from Clay, New York, is echoing all the way to Seoul. Just last week, Samsung…

The European Union is preparing contingency sanctions against major US tech firms and banks if Donald Trump continues his push to annex Greenland. Reports suggest Google, Microsoft, Meta, X, and American financial institutions could face restrictions across the EU’s single market, marking an unprecedented rupture between NATO allies.  EU Considering Sanctions to US Companies Britain and…

Not just government institutions, but also the education, science, banking, journalism, and energy sectors are becoming more and more dependent on American tech companies. The sectors are becoming increasingly aware of the risks, but they are not taking any action to solve it as of yet, said Mariëtte van Huijstee of the Rathenau Instituut. “It is hard for organizations to leave big tech companies like Microsoft and Google.” Van Huijstee works as a research coordinator. She is involved in the research into the consequences of digital dependence. The research team is seeing that many sectors use large U.S. tech companies. Many sectors lean on the cloud services of Microsoft, Amazon, and Google, but the dependence is wider. For example, the educational sector works with teaching platforms that are owned by Google, Microsoft, and Apple. News media companies are partly dependent on social media for their visibility and findability. A significant example of this came recently when it was reported that the main prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague had no access to his e-mail because Microsoft had blocked the account upon a U.S. request. “We are seeing that the attention for the subject and the awareness of the risks is increasing,” Van Huijstee said. She thinks that this is due to U.S. President Donald Trump’s close ties with the large tech companies.