Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 crisis, a huge amount of fake news has been spread across the internet. Now, the Commission has recommended measures to improve the fight against future disinformation. However, comprehensive protection of internet users also requires the consequent protection of their data.

The COVID-19 crisis once more shows the necessity and urgency of a Digital Services Act. The issue is now also dealt with by the European Parliament apart from being the reason for Commissioner for Digital, Margrethe Vestager, to be invited to an exchange of views.

Whether telework, e-Learning or 5G networks: the continuing Coronavirus crisis is likely to accelerate digitalization in many areas of life. Hence, one of the self-proclaimed core issues of the European Commission has come even more into focus.

Currently, Brussels is focussing very much on digitalization. On 19 February 2020, the Commission published no fewer than three documents, which deal with the wide range of challenges of an increasingly digitalized society. Their focus was on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the EU’s digital future.

The European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) explores the field of platform work and reacts with a publication on the meagre data situation. The ETUI discussed the results of this study and other research in the field of digital work in an expert round on 18.02.2020.

Apart from the Green Deal, the shaping of digitalization is the second large project of the new EU Commission. The presentation of a White Paper on Artificial Intelligence has already been announced for next week. Reason enough, to have a look at the current developments and European projects in the digitalization sector.

By hosting a current event, which took place in Brussels on 3rd February, AK EUROPA, the Brussels Office of the Austrian Federal Chamber of Labour, and ÖGB Europabüro, the Brussels Office of the Austrian Trade Union Federation, addressed two important topics: platform work and minimum wages.

Anyone surfing the internet leaves behind valuable traces for the digital economy. The latter has a great interest in skimming off data as unnoticed as possible - and being able to use it. The original aim of a 2017 draft Regulation of the Commission was to protect users’ privacy. However, discussions in the Council point in another direction. The latest AK Position Paper summarizes the state of play.