The EU will ban children under 13 from using social media platforms, some gaming platforms, and AI chatbots without parental supervision. The ban is set to be outlined in the Kids Act, which will be published on Thursday, reports Financial Times.

"No social media under the age of 13. No personal account under the age of 15," said the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen in a speech on Wednesday. "Europe has the power to act. It is us who decide the rules, not big tech."

According to a draft proposal seen by FT, children under 13 will only be allowed access with supervision from a parent, while children between 13 and 15 will need parental consent to create accounts with parental controls and other restrictions like time limits.

Meanwhile, social media companies, online gaming services, and AI chatbots will be required to introduce safeguards to protect children from abuse and addictive behavior, and companies that offer AI companions and chatbots services will have to avoid designs that encourage unhealthy emotional attachments or expose them to harmful interactions.

Affected companies will also be required to verify the age of users with an official age verification app. Failure to comply with the rules could result in fines of up to 6% of their global annual revenue.
This article, "EU's Kids Act to Ban Social Media for Under-13s, Curb Chatbot Access" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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A proposed law would bar children under 13 from using social media across the 27-nation bloc.

The European Commission has reached an agreement with an industrial consortium to proceed with a secure connectivity constellation, increasing the number of satellites as well as its cost.

The post Europe increases size and cost of IRIS² constellation appeared first on SpaceNews.

Apple has agreed to acquire PlasmaSolve, a Czech materials science company specializing in plasma simulation software, according to a regulatory notice published today on the European Commission’s website, as spotted by MacRumors

Earlier this year, Apple informed the European Union that it would acquire the entire issued share capital of PlasmaSolve s.r.o. through a subsidiary and hire certain employees from the firm. PlasmaSolve develops solutions, including plasma simulation software, to design and optimize plasma-based manufacturing processes.

Founded in 2016, the company has focused on creating simulation tools to help manufacturers work with various plasma-related technologies. Its website remains active and details grant funding it has received for its research over the years.

PlasmaSolve’s primary product is MatSight, a suite of applications designed to help manufacturers simulate the results of vapor deposition processes for metals. Apple has used this technology for years across multiple products, including various iPhone models, to apply a durable thin film to casings that helps minimize scratching and other damage.

No financial terms or further details about the deal’s timeline were disclosed in the regulatory filing.

MacDailyNews Take: The acquisition underscores Apple’s continued investment in advanced materials and manufacturing processes that improve the durability and quality of its devices.

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Firm told to treat third-party services that appear in its results in ‘fair and non-discriminatory manner’

Google has been fined a total of €890m (£760m) by the EU for breaches of online competition laws by its search and app store services.

The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, said Google had broken the Digital Markets Act by giving priority to its own services, such as shopping and hotel deals, in search results over those of its rivals.

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© Photograph: Steve Marcus/Reuters

© Photograph: Steve Marcus/Reuters

© Photograph: Steve Marcus/Reuters

A group of 25 U.S. lawmakers has sent a letter to President Trump calling on his administration to confront the European Union’s digital regulations, which they describe as discriminatory policies aimed at American technology giants.

In the letter, obtained by Reuters, the Republican lawmakers – including key members of the House trade subcommittee – urged the president to consider launching Section 301 investigations under U.S. trade law. Such probes could pave the way for tariffs or other retaliatory measures against the EU if talks fail to resolve the issues.

The central target of the complaint is the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which designates major U.S. companies – including Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, Microsoft, and Booking Holdings – as “gatekeepers” subject to strict behavioral rules. Lawmakers argue the rules unfairly burden American firms while sparing European and Chinese competitors.

Key concerns raised in the letter:

• Cloud services: The likely inclusion of Amazon Web Services and Microsoft’s cloud business under DMA oversight would impose “unprecedented regulatory burdens” not faced by European or Chinese rivals.

• Google fines: An expected European Commission fine against Google this week for alleged DMA violations ignores the company’s significant changes to its search services.

• Inconsistent enforcement: Apple, Meta, and Amazon have been labeled gatekeepers based on user numbers in Europe, while Chinese platforms like Temu and AliExpress have been excluded.

“We write to bring to your attention the many ways the EU continues to pursue anti-competitive acts, policies, and practices as a tool of economic extraction and regulatory coercion against American firms,” the letter states. It warns that EU access to the U.S. market “is not guaranteed” if the discriminatory practices continue.

The pressure on the issue predates Trump’s return to the White House. In October 2024, even before the election, Apple CEO Tim Cook personally called then-candidate Trump to voice concerns over EU fines and regulations affecting the company, including the Digital Markets Act and a major tax ruling. Trump later publicly referenced the call, signaling his willingness to push back against what he viewed as unfair European penalties on U.S. firms.

The European Commission has not yet responded to the letter. It maintains that its rules apply neutrally to promote fair competition and do not single out any country.

This latest congressional push aligns with President Trump’s long-standing criticism of EU digital policies and could signal a more aggressive U.S. trade posture toward Brussels in the coming months. Lawmakers emphasized that dialogue should be attempted first, but “all available tools” – including tariffs – remain on the table if needed.

The move highlights ongoing transatlantic tensions over technology regulation, data privacy, and market access that have persisted for years and are now poised to test the new Trump administration’s approach to international trade.

MacDailyNews Take: Good. The DMA does far more harm than good.

The European Union arose because the Europeans couldn’t compete on their own with the rest of the world, so they each lined up to surrender their national sovereignty, unique cultures, and dignity for an undemocratic, opaque, wasteful, bloated, bureaucratic quasi-governmental blob – and, even with the EU’s thumbs all over the scale, they still can’t compete. – MacDailyNews, March 4, 2024

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The European Commission today formally ordered Google to give third-party AI services the same access to Android device features that Gemini has. Europe's Digital Markets Act requires software makers like Apple and Google to grant equal interoperability to third-party apps and services, and the EC is enforcing it.


DMA interoperability rules are why Siri AI won't be available in the European Union when iOS 27 launches. While Apple tried to work out an agreement with regulators before launching ‌Siri‌ AI in Europe, Google did the opposite. Instead of asking, Google just launched Gemini integration on Android and opted to deal with the consequences afterward. Google's strategy gives Android users in Europe full Gemini access while it works on compliance with the DMA.

The European Commission is giving Google a full year to implement changes that will meet the Digital Markets Act requirements, and that's before any legal appeals Google might make.

The European Commission is making many of the same demands of Google that it made of Apple. Google must allow AI apps to access 11 features, such as:

• AI services must be accessible through voice commands like "Hey Google" or through access points like the home button or another activation button.


• AI services must be able to complete actions in and across apps, including completing long-running tasks in the background.


• Google must allow AI services to access context from apps and device sensors so AI can offer proactive services and anticipate user needs.


• Google has to give AI apps sufficient hardware and software resources, including access to its on-device AI models to execute tasks.

Google is required to implement the majority of the European Commission's changes by August 1, 2027.

Shortly after announcing ‌Siri‌ AI, Apple said EU regulators would not accept any of its proposed solutions to introduce the feature, and refused to engage on options that "preserve privacy and security." Apple wanted to use a Trusted System Agent that would allow third-party virtual assistants to safely access the same device capabilities as ‌Siri‌ AI.

Apple said the Digital Markets Act would require it to give any AI system "nearly unlimited access to a user's device," along with the ability to act on that information autonomously.

The European Commission claims Apple was "unable to develop interoperability solutions that meet essential EU privacy and security standards" and instead asked for a blanket exemption from the interoperability requirements, which the EC did not grant.

In response to the EC's mandate, Google said the requirements "risk undermining vital privacy and security guardrails for millions of Europeans." Google hasn't given information on its next steps, but it says it plans to "continue advocating for a balanced approach that protects privacy and security while supporting market goals."
This article, "EU Orders Google to Give Rival AI Apps the Same Android Access as Gemini" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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After the release of a new report, the European Commission is considering changing the rules across the 27-nation bloc.

European Union authorities said the company’s use of “addictive design” violated a digital safety law.

A regulatory dispute has indefinitely delayed the release of Siri AI.

Days after the U.S. said it would kill a network of ocean monitors, European officials pledged to invest more in their version, calling it a “necessity.”

© Marta Masdeu Navarro/Shutterstock

Days after the U.S. said it would kill a network of ocean monitors, European officials pledged to invest more in their version, calling it a “necessity.”

The 27-nation European Union outlined how it hopes to expand the region’s data centers, semiconductors and cloud computing capabilities.