Buy European

I like the higher food standards the union has over Canada, one of the benefits of having more accountability on the government in general.

Cross posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/40205739

I'm posting this to hopefully stop the posts that keep appearing, suggesting that progress has been made to defeat chat control. That's not correct.

The article:

Contrary to headlines suggesting the EU has “backed away” from Chat Control, the negotiating mandate endorsed today by EU ambassadors in a close split vote paves the way for a permanent infrastructure of mass surveillance. Patrick Breyer, digital freedom fighter and expert on the file, warns journalists and the public not to be deceived by the label “voluntary.”

While the Council removed the obligation for scanning, the agreed text creates a toxic legal framework that incentivizes US tech giants to scan private communications indiscriminately, introduces mandatory age checks for all internet users, and threatens to exclude teenagers from digital life.

“The headlines are misleading: Chat Control is not dead, it is just being privatized,” warns Patrick Breyer. **“What the Council endorsed today is a Trojan Horse. By cementing ‘voluntary’ mass scanning, they are legitimizing the warrantless, error-prone mass surveillance of millions of Europeans by US corporations, while simultaneously killing online anonymity through the backdoor of age verification.” ** Continue reading here - https://www.patrick-breyer.de/en/reality-check-eu-council-chat-control-vote-is-not-a-retreat-but-a-green-light-for-indiscriminate-mass-surveillance-and-the-end-of-right-to-communicate-anonymously/

(MENAFN) Finland’s largest retail chain, The S Group, announced Wednesday it will temporarily stop selling products originating from Israel. Speaking to a Finnish broadcaster, the company clarified that select items, including home carbonation devices, will remain available until current stock is depleted. However, the retailer will halt all future purchases of Israeli goods.

In practice, the range of Israeli products has been limited, with The S Group not selling Israeli fruits or vegetables for an extended period.

S Group Chief Sustainability Officer Nina Elomaa said the decision, finalized in September, was influenced by the European Commission’s proposal to suspend the trade-related components of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

Elomaa added, "The S Group is closely monitoring both the peace negotiations and EU policies and will adjust its decision as needed."

MENAFN20112025000045017169ID1110372864

Continue reading here - https://www.finnishtimes.com/article/868894479-finland-s-top-retailer-s-group-suspends-israeli-product-sales

Tesla's (TSLA) Europe woes are only getting worse.

According to the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), Tesla electric vehicle registrations (a proxy for sales) in Europe fell to just 6,964 units in October, a 48.5% drop compared to a year ago. Meanwhile, total EV registrations in the region, which includes the UK and the European Free Trade Association, rose 32.9% in October, with overall registrations regardless of powertrain up 4.9%.

October's total marks the 10th straight month of declining Tesla sales in Europe. Meanwhile, the overall market share of EVs in the broader European region grew to 16.4%. NasdaqGS - Nasdaq Real Time Price • USD Tesla, Inc. (TSLA) 426.58 +7.18 +(1.71%) At close: November 26 at 4:00:00 PM EST 426.57 -0.01 (-0.00%) After hours: 7:59:59 PM EST Date Close Open High Low

Tesla's sales hangover rolled on in certain key European territories, with the introduction of the revamped Model Y not enough to blunt the effect of rising competition and CEO Elon Musk's deep unpopularity.

October's sales slide follows a rough 2025 for Tesla year to date in broader Europe.

In the first 10 months of the year, Tesla sales dropped 29.6% to 180,688 units, per the ACEA. Conversely, Tesla's overall market share in Europe dropped to 1.6% from 2.4% a year ago.

Meanwhile, Tesla's Chinese competitor BYD (BYDDY), which sells a mix of pure EVs and hybrids, reported sales jumping 207% to 17,470 units sold in Europe. Another major China rival, SAIC, saw sales climb 46% to just under 24,000 vehicles sold.

While weakening sales in a key, EV-centric region should be a concern, it hasn't been a significant issue for Tesla stock.

On Monday, Tesla shares surged nearly 7% after Melius Research tabbed the EV maker a "must own" due to its autonomy efforts and as CEO Elon Musk talked up its chipmaking progress.

Read more: How to avoid the sticker shock on Tesla car insurance The editorial image shows the interior of the new Tesla Model 3 with Full Self-Driving activated. The photograph highlights the advanced autonomous driving system and the innovative design of Tesla's electric vehicles, representing the future of mobility and sustainable transport in Bari, Italy, on September 6, 2025. (Photo by Matteo Della Torre/NurPhoto via Getty Images) The interior of the new Tesla Model 3 with Full Self-Driving activated, highlighting the advanced autonomous driving system and design of Tesla's electric vehicles, in Bari, Italy, on Sept. 6, 2025. (Matteo Della Torre/NurPhoto via Getty Images) · NurPhoto via Getty Images

"One of the reasons we called Tesla a 'must own' in our recent launch — despite all the obvious risks — is that the world is about to change, dramatically," analyst Rob Wertheimer wrote. "Autonomy is coming very soon, and it will change everything about the driving ecosystem.”

The main spark appears to be the latest version of Tesla's full self-driving (FSD) software, which is available in the US and select territories.

While investors own Tesla stock mostly for the AI and autonomous potential, there could be good news from the self-driving front for European buyers.

The Netherlands RDW automotive governing body said it has set up a schedule allowing Tesla to demonstrate in February whether FSD meets requirements but has not approved it yet.

Getting at least one automotive regulator in Europe to approve FSD would be a huge step in the right direction for Tesla and may help staunch the sales slide in the region.

Hello friends, I'm preparing a presentation and I remember seeing during the past year, several times some nice graphics with european alternatives. In the left column there'd be a main stream US app (logo/app icon) and in the right column 1, 2, 3 or more alternatives (logo/app icon) from Europe or the Open Source world.

Does anyone have any such graphics or links to recommend, that I can either use or get inspired by for the presentation I'm preparing?

I already intend to include

https://european-alternatives.eu/ and https://europick.eu/

cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/5784029

The Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and State Modernisation is working on the so-called Germany Stack, which is intended to “create a sovereign, European-compatible and interoperable digital infrastructure for federal, state and local governments” as “national sovereign technology platform”. Until the end of November 2025, a public consultation is running, to which the Free Software Foundation Europe (FSFE) has today submitted a statement (open new link in German).

...

The Germany Stack can only achieve its stated aim if it consistently relies on Free Software. A proprietary stack would merely replace existing dependencies with new ones. Proprietary software developed by manufacturers in Germany or Europe does not provide the necessary conditions for sovereignty, creates new lock-in effects, and can at any time be withdrawn from access by public authorities – for instance, if a manufacturer becomes insolvent or is bought by a non-European competitor. Trust issues also remain when the code is intransparent, and security bugs may persist if there is no right to fix the software. Defining availability as Free Software as a criterion for components of the Stack does not disadvantage manufacturers of proprietary software. Rather, this decision creates an incentive for all manufacturers to produce and publish Free Software, from which not only public administrations but also the European economy and society as a whole will benefit.

...

cross-posted from: https://mander.xyz/post/42411433

...

Following ... Trump’s win [in the US presidential election last year], and amid the first year of the new US administration, members of the European parliament ... have swung towards the sovereignty paradigm with a new fervour, embracing an enforcement-focused legal “simplification” agenda that borders on deregulation, and supporting research for funding and policy proposals that would likely have seemed farfetched even two years ago. Ideas for public service media alternatives include an AI-powered “European News Streaming Platform”. And then there’s the EuroStack, an initiative for investment in Europe-based digital infrastructures.

The news platform is still somewhat speculative, but the EuroStack initiative has gained significant traction in Brussels. The EU commissioner for technological sovereignty, Henna Virkunnen, spoke at a EuroStack event in June. Her speech came a little more than six months after a EuroStack pitch document criticised the bloc’s years of US-focused regulation as a misstep that has likely condemned the EU to a future “as a definitive and irreversible ‘US colony’ in digital infrastructure”. Today, as the European Commission “prepares to simplify digital rules with a new omnibus plan”, it appears that EU politicians’ belief in the optimistic, constitutionalist paradigm has significantly deteriorated, if not collapsed.

But old habits die hard, and the EU has for decades been described as a “regulatory state” that effects change primarily through legal rulemaking. It must now resist slipping back into that comfort zone, and also take care, while simplifying the rules, not to destroy the essence of the regulations it has built. If the EU is to offer a genuinely alternative and rights-conscious vision of the internet, it must cast off idealistic visions of achieving hegemony through law and redirect its energies towards technological creation. Initiatives like the Eurostack and the European News Streaming Platform appear to offer promising places to start.

[Edit typo.]

we do know we have italian companies cooperating to make all-EU, Open Source Hardware computers, right?

this is worth checking out.

the models i found are in the Sam440* and Sam460* lines. made by ACube systems for the Power9 architecture. they've made releases of schematics and upon emailing respond to questions about open-source

only reason i find they're less known is because they're absolute geeks, the entire company uses old forums to announce things and have outdated looking website with no SEO. it's Amiga geeks making computers that are passively cooled and can run Linux, in the EU, open hardware - schematics published.

various links

https://shop.acube-systems.biz/ their shop webpage design is confusing and they have already sold the Sam460LE model (LE is for Limited Edition) but hey email and the human who makes it will reply, opening shop for more orders.

https://www.acube-systems.biz/index.php?page=hardware&pid=756 their webpage, again they need help with design layout and organizing their information IMO

https://forum.amiga.org/index.php?topic=75615.0 one such open hardware announcement, in as mentioned a forum without SEO. help me find more

https://www.amigawiki.org/doku.php?id=de%3Amodels%3Asam440ep a wiki entry on a computer model in the Sam440* line. it's only in german, help me find more wikis and info

let's not give up on competent nerds making open hardware in the EU (Linux compatible!) just because they market themselves as (badly) as only nerds can do!

Cross posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/39979757

After Germany blocked the October vote, Europe’s surveillance proposal didn’t die—it evolved. Denmark’s November compromise claims to abandon mandatory scanning while preserving identical outcomes through legal sleight of hand. The repackaging reveals the essential dynamic: when democratic opposition defeats mass surveillance, proponents don’t accept defeat. They redraft terminology, shift articles, and reintroduce the same architecture under different labels until resistance exhausts itself.

The pattern is documented across five iterations. Sweden’s January-June 2023 presidency failed. Belgium couldn’t secure passage in June 2024. Hungary’s presidency ended December 31, 2024 without achieving agreement. Poland’s presidency collapsed in January-June 2025 when 16 pro-scanning states refused meaningful compromise. Each defeat produced not withdrawal but repackaging: “chat control” became “child sexual abuse regulation,” “scanning” became “detection orders,” “mandatory” became “risk mitigation,” and “breaking encryption” became “lawful access.” October’s blocking minority forced Denmark’s hand, but rather than accepting defeat, Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard withdrew the proposal on October 31 and immediately began drafting version 2.0.

The Loophole Disguised as Compromise

Denmark’s November 5 revised text removes Articles 7-11’s “detection orders”—the language mandating scanning. Privacy advocates initially celebrated. Then legal experts read Article 4. The provision requires all communication providers implement “all appropriate risk mitigation measures” to prevent abuse on their platforms. Services classified as “high risk”—essentially any platform offering encryption, anonymity, or real-time communications—face obligations that experts argue constitute mandatory scanning without using the word “mandatory.”

Continue reading this article - https://restmedia.st/the-voluntary-trap-how-denmark-repackaged-chat-control-after-defeat/

Cross posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/39979350

[TRANSLATED ARTICLE]

EU chat control comes – through the back door of voluntariness

The EU states have agreed on a common position on chat control. Data protection advocates warn against massive surveillance. What is in store for us?

After lengthy negotiations, the EU states have agreed on a common position on so-called chat control. Like from one Minutes of negotiations of the Council working group As can be seen, Internet services will in future be allowed to voluntarily search their users' communications for information about crimes, but will not be obliged to do so.

The Danish Council Presidency wants to get the draft law through the Council "as quickly as possible", "so that the trilogue negotiations can begin promptly", the minutes say. Feedback from states should be limited to "absolute red lines".

Consensus achieved

The majority of States supported the compromise proposal. At least 15 spoke in favor, including Germany and France. Germany "welcomed both the deletion of the mandatory measures and the permanent anchoring of voluntary measures", said the protocol.

However, other countries were disappointed. Spain in particular "continued to see mandatory measures as necessary, unfortunately a comprehensive agreement on this was not possible". Hungary also "seen voluntariness as the sole concept as too little".

Spain, Hungary and Bulgaria proposed "an obligation for providers to detect, at least in open areas". The Danish Presidency "described the proposal as ambitious, but did not take it up to avoid further discussion.

The organization Netzpolitik.org, which has been reporting critically on chat control for years, sees the plans as a fundamental threat to democracy. "From the beginning, a lobby network intertwined with the security apparatus pushed chat control", writes the organization. “It was never really about the children, otherwise it would get to the root of abuse and violence instead of monitoring people without any initial suspicion.”

Netzpolitik.org argues that "encrypted communication is a thorn in the side of the security apparatus". Authorities have been trying to combat private and encrypted communication in various ways for years.

A number of scholars criticize the compromise proposal, calling voluntary chat control inappropriate. "Their benefits have not been proven, while the potential for harm and abuse is enormous", one said open letter.

According to critics, the planned technology, so-called client-side scanning, would create a backdoor on all users' devices. Netzpolitik.org warns that this represents a "frontal attack on end-to-end encryption, which is vital in the digital world".

The problem with such backdoors is that "not only the supposedly 'good guys' can use them, but also resourceful criminals or unwell-disposed other states", argues the organization.

Signal considers withdrawing from the EU

Journalists' associations are also alarmed by the plans. The DJV rejects chat control as a form of mass surveillance without cause and sees source protection threatened, for which encrypted communication is essential. The infrastructure created in this way can be used for political control "in just a few simple steps", said the DJV in a statement Opinion.

The Messenger service Signal Already announced that it would withdraw from the EU if necessary. Signal President Meredith Whittaker told the dpa: “Unfortunately, if we were given the choice of either undermining the integrity of our encryption or leaving Europe, we would make the decision to leave the market.”

Next steps in the legislative process

The Permanent Representatives of the EU states are due to meet next week on the subject, followed in December by the Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs, these two bodies are due to approve the bill as the Council's official position.

The trilogue then begins, in which the Commission, Parliament and Council must reach a compromise from their three draft laws. Parliament had described the original plans as mass surveillance and called for only unencrypted suspect content to be scanned.

The EU Commission had originally proposed requiring Internet services to search their users' content for information about crimes without cause and to send it to authorities if suspected.

Duralex glasses are beautiful. They have clear "made in France" at the bottom. We bought a few colourful ones back to England when we visited France last year.

Cross posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/39114169

How to opt out Opting out requires you to change settings in two places, so I’ve tried to make it as easy to follow as possible. Feel free to let me know in the comments if I missed anything.

To fully opt out, you must turn off Gmail’s “Smart features” in two separate locations in your settings. Don’t miss one, or AI training may continue.

Step 1: Turn off Smart Features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet settings Open Gmail on your desktop or mobile app. Click the gear icon → See all settings (desktop) or Menu → Settings (mobile). Find the section called Smart Features in Gmail, Chat, and Meet. You’ll need to scroll down quite a bit. Smart features settings Uncheck this option. Scroll down and hit Save changes if on desktop. Step 2: Turn off Google Workspace Smart Features Still in Settings, locate Google Workspace smart features. Click on Manage Workspace smart feature settings. You’ll see two options: Smart features in Google Workspace and Smart features in other Google products. Smart feature settings Toggle both off. Save again in this screen. Step 3: Verify if both are off Make sure both toggles remain off. Refresh your Gmail app or sign out and back in to confirm changes. Why two places? Google separates “Workspace” smart features (email, chat, meet) from smart features used across other Google apps. To fully opt out of feeding your data into AI training, both must be disabled.

Note Your account might not show these settings enabled by default yet (mine didn’t). Google appears to be rolling this out gradually. But if you care about privacy and control, double-check your settings today.

cross-posted from: https://jlai.lu/post/29069799

The first event of its kind for Iceland’s game dev community.

Game Makers Iceland presents the first-ever Reykjavík Game Summit - a full-day event curated for Iceland’s professional game development community. Designed for game designers, narrative designers, developers, and creative leaders, the summit offers an opportunity to learn from industry experts, exchange ideas, and build connections with peers.

We’re bringing together international voices and local talent for a day of talks, insights, and inspiration - celebrating creativity and collaboration in game development.

Don’t miss this chance to be part of a milestone moment for game dev in Iceland!

Thursday, November 27 2025, 09:00-16:30

Vinnustofa Kjarvals, Fantasíusalur

MI5 warns lawmakers China’s security ministry is “actively reaching out to individuals in our community” to “collect information and lay the groundwork for long-term relatio…