Policy & regulation
News analysis Cybersecurity
Europe took websites offline over PHP flaws; Foundation says warning signs emerged in 2024
Government, hospital and university websites across Europe were switched off as a precaution on 21 October while emergency fixes for two critical flaws in PHP were released. The PHP Foundation says warning signs of one bug appeared in 2024, but work on a repair stalled, raising questions about how the free software behind public services is maintained and funded.
· 5 min read
News Smartphones
Apple's first foldable iPhone goes on sale in Europe, at €2,300 and without Siri AI
The iPhone Duo reaches shops in France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain today, with starting prices between €2,299 and €2,369 depending on the country. European buyers get all of the hardware, but not the rebuilt Siri assistant that Apple is withholding from the EU.
· 4 min read
News analysis Policy
The price of Europe’s cloud ambitions depends on what “sovereignty” means
An industry-funded estimate puts the cost of the EU’s proposed cloud and AI law as high as €115bn over a decade. That is a modelled exposure, not a forecast of a bill governments will pay.
· 2 min read
News analysis Policy
Europe’s out-of-court appeal system for platform decisions is still being worked out
The Commission brought platforms and national regulators together to discuss the Digital Services Act’s dispute process. The meeting is evidence of implementation work, not a new rule or a verdict on platform compliance.
· 2 min read
News analysis Policy
The EU is sketching rules for independent checks on powerful AI models
A report from a July workshop sets out possible criteria for external evaluators of general-purpose AI. It records an ongoing design discussion, not a new certification system or completed safety assessment.
· 3 min read