The Tech Brief

A series of EU nations have started to make their cases for the nomination as the bloc’s next cybersecurity hub. This week, take a look at the battle for Europe’s new cyber centre.

This week, the European Commission has published its draft decision on standard contractual clauses (SCCs) for the transfer of personal data to third countries, after the Schrems II strikedown earlier this year. The EDPB has also released its guidance for the transfer of EU personal data abroad.

The United States is on the brink of electing its next President has elected a new President. This week, Samuel Stolton takes a look at how the ballot may influence the future of EU digital policy as well as transatlantic elections.

There’s been lots of talk on the EU conference circuit this week, with regards to the best course of action to take as part of new competition capacities to be outlined in the Commission’s Digital Markets Act, set to be unveiled on December 2.

And talk of a potential Big Tech breakup has not gone away.

Welcome to EURACTIV’s Digital Brief podcast, where we bring you a specially curated digital and tech story from the week in the world of EU politics and policy.

The European Parliament has overwhelmingly backed a series of reports which could have a profound impact on the future of the platform economy, supporting a possible ban on targeted advertising, reporting procedures for illegal content, and better detection of fraudulent vendors.

Global technology giants including Google, Microsoft, and IBM, in addition to Chinese players in the market, are welcome to take part in the EU’s ambitious cloud infrastructure project Gaia-X, German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said on Thursday.

European Council summit where EU leaders are set to sign off on commitments made to bolster the EU's digital clout in the world, with a new series of so-called Digital Compass benchmarks for 2030. 

In the Commission's digital development plans, one initiative that stands out is the notion of establishing an EU wide digital identity.

The European Commission has concerns that certain aspects of the UK’s data protection regime may change in the future and negatively impact the safety of EU personal data when transferred to the country.

Presenting her future vision to MEPs earlier this week, von der Leyen outlined three areas that have become more pertinent in the context of the coronavirus, referring to forthcoming years as Europe’s ‘digital decade’ and proposing that 20% of the bloc’s recovery fund be spent on digital initiatives.

Europe's online marketplaces should not be controlled by a handful of dominant gatekeeper platforms, the EU's digital chief Margarethe Vestager has said, referring to her bid to reign in the market dominance of tech giants through the EU's forthcoming new competition tool.