As millions of voters prepare for next month’s European Parliament elections, AFP explores some of the major changes the 27 member states have made in technology.
For many years, any website that aimed to make money through advertising relied on cookies.
A small program was installed on our machine and tracked us on the internet.
In 2018, the European Union intervened.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requires websites to ask for consent to protect your personal data.
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“I systematically click ‘reject’,” explains physiotherapist Victoire Philippe. “Nobody wants sites to follow us on the internet.”
However, the user must navigate through pop-up windows and a list of permissions.
Like many internet users, Philip said it was “really annoying” to have to check each box.
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The Internet is a haven for oversharing, and it’s well known that once information is on the web, it’s difficult to remove.
But a 2014 EU ruling made it much easier to do so, with the EU’s top court ruling that Google and other search engines have an obligation to delete personal data in some circumstances.
GDPR expanded the rules and created the right to erasure.
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“We’re definitely seeing an increase in these requests,” said Jerome Delures, a lawyer specializing in digital issues.
While Google has repeatedly challenged the rule, Delures said most of the requests are now more routine: people asking former employers to erase their personal data.
Mobile networks once plagued consumers, who could be charged exorbitant fees just to answer a call abroad.
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In 2017, the EU banned roaming charges within the region.
Kevin Eon, a French executive who kept his number when he went to work in the Netherlands, said the move had “reduced his mental burden”.
“When I was doing all the administrative work needed to move abroad, I just had to enter my French number. I didn’t have to buy a Dutch SIM card. It was a huge time saver. ” he said.
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By next year, drawers full of spaghetti junctions of charging cables will be a distant memory.
All manufacturers selling in the region will be required to use USB-C ports on their phones, tablets, speakers, and other portable technology.
Most devices already use these cables, but Apple has been more than a little reluctant.
The company said in 2021 that such restrictions would “stifle innovation,” but by September last year it had started shipping phones at the new port.
The EU has enacted a number of other laws to level the power of giant platforms that control our online lives.
The rules, which have not yet been fully tested, are intended to force the largest online companies to provide access to their competitors’ services.
The immediate effect is that Google is no longer able to quickly redirect users from the search engine to the Maps app whenever they search for a location.
Rebecca (47), who lives in Hannover, Germany, said, “I’m glad the monopoly is gone.”
Stefania Briano, an Italian traveler who uses Google Maps to explore Paris, said the move hasn’t changed anything for her. “I wasn’t even aware of it,” she said.
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