Bram Vranken
@bramvranken.bsky.social
Big Tech campaigner and researcher at @corporateeurope.org. Fighting corporate power ✊
Reposted by Bram Vranken
According to a document we obtained, EU member states seem ready to give US law enforcement authorities direct access to European police and immigration databases.
While some member states have concerns over specifics, none question the need for such an agreement.
Read more: buff.ly/qGEDeGK
While some member states have concerns over specifics, none question the need for such an agreement.
Read more: buff.ly/qGEDeGK
November 17, 2025 at 11:40 AM
According to a document we obtained, EU member states seem ready to give US law enforcement authorities direct access to European police and immigration databases.
While some member states have concerns over specifics, none question the need for such an agreement.
Read more: buff.ly/qGEDeGK
While some member states have concerns over specifics, none question the need for such an agreement.
Read more: buff.ly/qGEDeGK
Reposted by Bram Vranken
A cautionary tale about a European attempt to break free of US Big Tech which ended up being derailed by it.
If you want to solve a problem of corporate power, don't give seats on your board to the companies creating that problem.
If you want to solve a problem of corporate power, don't give seats on your board to the companies creating that problem.
A major five-year effort to build a technology base for Europe free of US influence flopped amid conflicting national strategies and powerful corporate lobbying.
Anatomy of a Franco-German tech misfire
As Europe debates how far to go in pivoting away from US Big Tech, a cloud initiative provides a cautionary tale.
www.politico.eu
November 17, 2025 at 10:31 AM
A cautionary tale about a European attempt to break free of US Big Tech which ended up being derailed by it.
If you want to solve a problem of corporate power, don't give seats on your board to the companies creating that problem.
If you want to solve a problem of corporate power, don't give seats on your board to the companies creating that problem.
Reposted by Bram Vranken
A major five-year effort to build a technology base for Europe free of US influence flopped amid conflicting national strategies and powerful corporate lobbying.
Anatomy of a Franco-German tech misfire
As Europe debates how far to go in pivoting away from US Big Tech, a cloud initiative provides a cautionary tale.
www.politico.eu
November 17, 2025 at 7:57 AM
A major five-year effort to build a technology base for Europe free of US influence flopped amid conflicting national strategies and powerful corporate lobbying.
Reposted by Bram Vranken
New wave of protests against Palestine Action ban set to be 'most widespread civil disobedience in modern British history'
These actions will also, once again, be in solidarity with the people of Gaza and the West Bank.
morningstaronline.co.uk/article/new-...
Info: wedonotcomply.org
These actions will also, once again, be in solidarity with the people of Gaza and the West Bank.
morningstaronline.co.uk/article/new-...
Info: wedonotcomply.org
New wave of protests against Palestine Action ban set to be 'most widespread civil disobedience in modern British history'
CAMPAIGN group Defend Our Juries announced a new wave of protests against the ban on Palestine Action today that is expected to be the “most widespread civil disobedience in modern British history.”Ac...
morningstaronline.co.uk
November 14, 2025 at 12:51 PM
New wave of protests against Palestine Action ban set to be 'most widespread civil disobedience in modern British history'
These actions will also, once again, be in solidarity with the people of Gaza and the West Bank.
morningstaronline.co.uk/article/new-...
Info: wedonotcomply.org
These actions will also, once again, be in solidarity with the people of Gaza and the West Bank.
morningstaronline.co.uk/article/new-...
Info: wedonotcomply.org
Reposted by Bram Vranken
TACD warns: The European Commission’s Digital Omnibus reform could weaken major EU digital protections. Civil society groups in the United States and in Europe call on the Commission to halt these changes.
Streamlining or deregulation? TACD sounds alarm on EU Digital Omnibus
News
tacd.org
November 14, 2025 at 9:26 AM
TACD warns: The European Commission’s Digital Omnibus reform could weaken major EU digital protections. Civil society groups in the United States and in Europe call on the Commission to halt these changes.
Reposted by Bram Vranken
📣 BREAKING: One out of every 25 attendees walking around the #COP30 climate talks is a fossil fuel lobbyist.
New research from #KickBigPollutersOut reveals there are more than 1,600 in the UN negotiations in Brazil.
Here's a thread with the top findings 🧵
kickbigpollutersout.org/Release-Kick...
New research from #KickBigPollutersOut reveals there are more than 1,600 in the UN negotiations in Brazil.
Here's a thread with the top findings 🧵
kickbigpollutersout.org/Release-Kick...
November 14, 2025 at 8:43 AM
📣 BREAKING: One out of every 25 attendees walking around the #COP30 climate talks is a fossil fuel lobbyist.
New research from #KickBigPollutersOut reveals there are more than 1,600 in the UN negotiations in Brazil.
Here's a thread with the top findings 🧵
kickbigpollutersout.org/Release-Kick...
New research from #KickBigPollutersOut reveals there are more than 1,600 in the UN negotiations in Brazil.
Here's a thread with the top findings 🧵
kickbigpollutersout.org/Release-Kick...
Reposted by Bram Vranken
Our new mini-guide breaks down how soaring data centre demand, fuelled by AI, is straining energy systems and slowing the transition in Europe.
At #COP30, governments and tech giants need to realise data centres growth needs new and extra renewables, and can’t come at our planet’s expense.
At #COP30, governments and tech giants need to realise data centres growth needs new and extra renewables, and can’t come at our planet’s expense.
November 14, 2025 at 10:49 AM
Our new mini-guide breaks down how soaring data centre demand, fuelled by AI, is straining energy systems and slowing the transition in Europe.
At #COP30, governments and tech giants need to realise data centres growth needs new and extra renewables, and can’t come at our planet’s expense.
At #COP30, governments and tech giants need to realise data centres growth needs new and extra renewables, and can’t come at our planet’s expense.
Reposted by Bram Vranken
We joined 127 civil society organisations, trade unions and defenders of the public interest to express our alarm at the forthcoming EU Digital Omnibus proposals. These are part of a wide deregulation agenda
@ec.europa.eu is threatening hard won protections
Our letter
⬇️
edri.org/wp-content/u...
@ec.europa.eu is threatening hard won protections
Our letter
⬇️
edri.org/wp-content/u...
November 13, 2025 at 11:34 AM
We joined 127 civil society organisations, trade unions and defenders of the public interest to express our alarm at the forthcoming EU Digital Omnibus proposals. These are part of a wide deregulation agenda
@ec.europa.eu is threatening hard won protections
Our letter
⬇️
edri.org/wp-content/u...
@ec.europa.eu is threatening hard won protections
Our letter
⬇️
edri.org/wp-content/u...
Reposted by Bram Vranken
Turns out “don’t be evil” actually means “automate evil”
New: Google has chosen a side in Trump's mass deportation campaign. Google is hosting a CBP facial recognition app to hunt immigrants; no indication Google will remove. At same time Google takes down apps for reporting ICE sightings
“Big tech has made their choice”
www.404media.co/google-has-c...
“Big tech has made their choice”
www.404media.co/google-has-c...
Google Has Chosen a Side in Trump's Mass Deportation Effort
Google is hosting a CBP app that uses facial recognition to identify immigrants, while simultaneously removing apps that report the location of ICE officials because Google sees ICE as a vulnerable gr...
www.404media.co
November 14, 2025 at 7:23 AM
Turns out “don’t be evil” actually means “automate evil”
Reposted by Bram Vranken
127 civil society groups, unions & BEP urge the EU to stop the Digital Omnibus—the biggest rollback of digital rights in EU history. Protect GDPR, AI Act & privacy. Full statement: https://balancedeconomy.pulse.ly/ipgvhvmauf #DigitalRights
Balanced Economy Project Joins 127 Organisations to Oppose EU Digital Rights Rollback — Balanced Economy Project
For Hire:
balancedeconomy.pulse.ly
November 13, 2025 at 12:44 PM
127 civil society groups, unions & BEP urge the EU to stop the Digital Omnibus—the biggest rollback of digital rights in EU history. Protect GDPR, AI Act & privacy. Full statement: https://balancedeconomy.pulse.ly/ipgvhvmauf #DigitalRights
Reposted by Bram Vranken
🙌We are joining 127 organisations demanding the Commission to halt its highly damaging digital omnibus.
The Commission's leaked proposal threatens to:
❌Pause the AI Act
❌Weaken the GDPR to enable AI companies to hoover up personal data
This would be a major Big Tech win
👉 edri.org/wp-content/u...
The Commission's leaked proposal threatens to:
❌Pause the AI Act
❌Weaken the GDPR to enable AI companies to hoover up personal data
This would be a major Big Tech win
👉 edri.org/wp-content/u...
November 13, 2025 at 10:14 AM
🙌We are joining 127 organisations demanding the Commission to halt its highly damaging digital omnibus.
The Commission's leaked proposal threatens to:
❌Pause the AI Act
❌Weaken the GDPR to enable AI companies to hoover up personal data
This would be a major Big Tech win
👉 edri.org/wp-content/u...
The Commission's leaked proposal threatens to:
❌Pause the AI Act
❌Weaken the GDPR to enable AI companies to hoover up personal data
This would be a major Big Tech win
👉 edri.org/wp-content/u...
Reposted by Bram Vranken
We were promised that simplification was not going to lead to deregulation. Recent reports on the digital omnibus show otherwise. BEUC urged @michaelmcgratheu.bsky.social and @hennavirkkunen.bsky.social to keep protections under the GDPR and uphold the AI Act. Read our full letter: shorturl.at/zIfji
BEUC concerns on Digital Omnibus - keep protections under GDPR and uphold the AI Act
In this letter to Executive Vice-President Virkkunen and Commissioner McGrath, BEUC expressed its concerns with the recent public reports that the European Commission, in the upcoming Digital Omnibus ...
www.beuc.eu
November 13, 2025 at 8:16 AM
We were promised that simplification was not going to lead to deregulation. Recent reports on the digital omnibus show otherwise. BEUC urged @michaelmcgratheu.bsky.social and @hennavirkkunen.bsky.social to keep protections under the GDPR and uphold the AI Act. Read our full letter: shorturl.at/zIfji
Reposted by Bram Vranken
⚠️ Press freedom under attack ⚠️
Asking an uncomfortable question can cost you your job if you are a journalist at Agenzia Nova.
We stand in solidarity with @gabrielenunziati.bsky.social
theintercept.com/2025/11/04/j...
Asking an uncomfortable question can cost you your job if you are a journalist at Agenzia Nova.
We stand in solidarity with @gabrielenunziati.bsky.social
theintercept.com/2025/11/04/j...
A Journalist Asked Why Israel Isn’t Paying to Rebuild Gaza. It Cost Him His Job.
Italy’s Nova news agency confirmed it let reporter Gabriele Nunziati go for asking a European official about Israel at a press conference.
theintercept.com
November 6, 2025 at 2:57 PM
⚠️ Press freedom under attack ⚠️
Asking an uncomfortable question can cost you your job if you are a journalist at Agenzia Nova.
We stand in solidarity with @gabrielenunziati.bsky.social
theintercept.com/2025/11/04/j...
Asking an uncomfortable question can cost you your job if you are a journalist at Agenzia Nova.
We stand in solidarity with @gabrielenunziati.bsky.social
theintercept.com/2025/11/04/j...
Reposted by Bram Vranken
Papagei der Tech-Bosse: Wissenschaftler, die zu Künstlicher Intelligenz forschen, widersprechen Ursula von der Leyen. Sie wiederhole nur „unwissenschaftliche Marketingaussagen“ von US-Konzernen netzpolitik.org/2025/kuenstl...
„Künstliche Intelligenz“: Ursula von der Leyen als Papagei der Tech-Bosse
EU-Kommissionspräsidentin Ursula von der Leyen macht sich die Übertreibungen der Tech-Bosse über „Künstliche Intelligenz“ zu eigen. Dagegen protestieren nun Wissenschaftler: Die EU sollte eher ein Aug...
netzpolitik.org
November 12, 2025 at 7:47 AM
Papagei der Tech-Bosse: Wissenschaftler, die zu Künstlicher Intelligenz forschen, widersprechen Ursula von der Leyen. Sie wiederhole nur „unwissenschaftliche Marketingaussagen“ von US-Konzernen netzpolitik.org/2025/kuenstl...
Reposted by Bram Vranken
🧐 Curious about how Big Tech is lobbying to influence EU decision-making?
🍟 Join us on a lobby tour of the European Quarter in Brussels!
When: Friday 14/11 10 o'clock
We only have a few spots available, so be fast!
Registration: ceo[at]corporateeurope.org
🍟 Join us on a lobby tour of the European Quarter in Brussels!
When: Friday 14/11 10 o'clock
We only have a few spots available, so be fast!
Registration: ceo[at]corporateeurope.org
November 12, 2025 at 2:22 PM
🧐 Curious about how Big Tech is lobbying to influence EU decision-making?
🍟 Join us on a lobby tour of the European Quarter in Brussels!
When: Friday 14/11 10 o'clock
We only have a few spots available, so be fast!
Registration: ceo[at]corporateeurope.org
🍟 Join us on a lobby tour of the European Quarter in Brussels!
When: Friday 14/11 10 o'clock
We only have a few spots available, so be fast!
Registration: ceo[at]corporateeurope.org
Reposted by Bram Vranken
"Europe is hurtling toward digital vassalage. Under Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, EU laws to tackle tech giants have been either not applied or delayed, for fear of offending Donald Trump." - @johnnyryan.bsky.social and Georg Riekeles
The EU has let US tech giants run riot. Diluting our data law will only entrench their power | Johnny Ryan and Georg Riekeles
The GDPR is Europe’s defence against digital oligarchy and child harm. Deregulation plans are misguided, say Johnny Ryan and Georg Riekeles
www.theguardian.com
November 12, 2025 at 12:03 PM
"Europe is hurtling toward digital vassalage. Under Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, EU laws to tackle tech giants have been either not applied or delayed, for fear of offending Donald Trump." - @johnnyryan.bsky.social and Georg Riekeles
Reposted by Bram Vranken
As we write in The Guardian this morning, the Commission’s plan to gut EU digital rules will hurt Europe’s startups and give U.S. tech an unassailable advantage, confirming Europe as a digital vassal.
Piece by George Riekeles and I.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Piece by George Riekeles and I.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The EU has let US tech giants run riot. Diluting our data law will only entrench their power | Johnny Ryan and Georg Riekeles
The GDPR is Europe’s defence against digital oligarchy and child harm. Deregulation plans are misguided, say Johnny Ryan and Georg Riekeles
www.theguardian.com
November 12, 2025 at 7:28 AM
As we write in The Guardian this morning, the Commission’s plan to gut EU digital rules will hurt Europe’s startups and give U.S. tech an unassailable advantage, confirming Europe as a digital vassal.
Piece by George Riekeles and I.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Piece by George Riekeles and I.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by Bram Vranken
"A court in Munich has ruled that OpenAI’s chatbot ChatGPT violated German copyright laws by using hits from top-selling musicians to train its language models in what creative industry advocates described as a landmark European ruling" www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
ChatGPT violated copyright law by ‘learning’ from song lyrics, German court rules
OpenAI ordered to pay undisclosed damages for training its language models on artists’ work without permission
www.theguardian.com
November 12, 2025 at 7:19 AM
"A court in Munich has ruled that OpenAI’s chatbot ChatGPT violated German copyright laws by using hits from top-selling musicians to train its language models in what creative industry advocates described as a landmark European ruling" www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Reposted by Bram Vranken
🗞️ One line of attack from privacy groups is to poke holes in what they say is a rushed omnibus process. The Commission’s tunnel vision on the AI race has resulted in a "poorly drafted 'quick shot' in a highly complex and sensitive area," said Schrems.
👀 www.politico.eu/article/brus...
👀 www.politico.eu/article/brus...
Brussels knifes privacy to feed the AI boom
Draft proposals obtained by POLITICO show EU is breaking sacred privacy regime to placate industry.
www.politico.eu
November 11, 2025 at 2:00 PM
🗞️ One line of attack from privacy groups is to poke holes in what they say is a rushed omnibus process. The Commission’s tunnel vision on the AI race has resulted in a "poorly drafted 'quick shot' in a highly complex and sensitive area," said Schrems.
👀 www.politico.eu/article/brus...
👀 www.politico.eu/article/brus...
Reposted by Bram Vranken
Scientists and scholars in AI and its social impacts call on von der Leyen to retract #AIHype statement.
@olivia.science
@abeba.bsky.social
@irisvanrooij.bsky.social
@alexhanna.bsky.social
@rocher.lc
@danmcquillan.bsky.social
@robin.berjon.com
& many others have signed
www.iccl.ie/press-releas...
@olivia.science
@abeba.bsky.social
@irisvanrooij.bsky.social
@alexhanna.bsky.social
@rocher.lc
@danmcquillan.bsky.social
@robin.berjon.com
& many others have signed
www.iccl.ie/press-releas...
Scientists call on the President of the European Commission to retract AI hype statement
Experts in AI call on the President of the European Commission to retract unscientific AI hype statement she made in the budget speech.
www.iccl.ie
November 10, 2025 at 9:48 AM
Scientists and scholars in AI and its social impacts call on von der Leyen to retract #AIHype statement.
@olivia.science
@abeba.bsky.social
@irisvanrooij.bsky.social
@alexhanna.bsky.social
@rocher.lc
@danmcquillan.bsky.social
@robin.berjon.com
& many others have signed
www.iccl.ie/press-releas...
@olivia.science
@abeba.bsky.social
@irisvanrooij.bsky.social
@alexhanna.bsky.social
@rocher.lc
@danmcquillan.bsky.social
@robin.berjon.com
& many others have signed
www.iccl.ie/press-releas...
Reposted by Bram Vranken
EU officials are ready to sacrifice some of their most prized privacy rules for the sake of AI, as they seek to turbocharge business in Europe by slashing red tape.
Brussels knifes privacy to feed the AI boom
Draft proposals obtained by POLITICO show EU is breaking sacred privacy regime to placate industry.
www.politico.eu
November 10, 2025 at 8:02 AM
EU officials are ready to sacrifice some of their most prized privacy rules for the sake of AI, as they seek to turbocharge business in Europe by slashing red tape.
Reposted by Bram Vranken
Incredible- Meta projected 10% of its 2024 revenue would come from ads for scams and banned goods, documents seen by Reuters show. And the social media giant internally estimates that its platforms show users 15 billion scam ads a day."
Meta earns $3.5 billion every six months from showing Faceboon and Instagram users 15 billion “higher legal risk” scam ad impressions a day, internal documents state.
That haul vastly exceeds how much the company expects regulators
To fine it for running scam ads.
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
That haul vastly exceeds how much the company expects regulators
To fine it for running scam ads.
www.reuters.com/investigatio...
www.reuters.com
November 6, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Incredible- Meta projected 10% of its 2024 revenue would come from ads for scams and banned goods, documents seen by Reuters show. And the social media giant internally estimates that its platforms show users 15 billion scam ads a day."
Reposted by Bram Vranken
YouTube zwicht voor Amerikaanse druk. Met het verwijderen van de accounts van drie prominente Palestijnse mensenrechtenorganisaties draagt het bedrijf bij aan het monddood maken van Palestijnen.
rightsforum.org/youtube-verw...
rightsforum.org/youtube-verw...
YouTube verwijdert 700 video’s met documentatie van Israëlische misdaden - The Rights Forum
rightsforum.org
November 6, 2025 at 9:41 AM
YouTube zwicht voor Amerikaanse druk. Met het verwijderen van de accounts van drie prominente Palestijnse mensenrechtenorganisaties draagt het bedrijf bij aan het monddood maken van Palestijnen.
rightsforum.org/youtube-verw...
rightsforum.org/youtube-verw...
Reposted by Bram Vranken
We have found unreasonable that @ec.europa.eu applied a general presumption of non-disclosure to a risk assessment report drawn up by the social media platform X under the Digital Services Act #DSA.
🧵 1/3
🧵 1/3
Commission should analyse risk assessment report of social media firm X for possible disclosure, says Ombudswoman
European Ombudswoman Teresa Anjinho has found maladministration in the European Commission’s refusal to analyse a 2023 risk assessment report drawn up by ...
www.ombudsman.europa.eu
November 5, 2025 at 9:17 AM
We have found unreasonable that @ec.europa.eu applied a general presumption of non-disclosure to a risk assessment report drawn up by the social media platform X under the Digital Services Act #DSA.
🧵 1/3
🧵 1/3
Internal documents, obtained by @politico.eu, show just how far the EU Commission is willing to go to please Big Tech oligarchs 🙇
In a trip to the US in May, commissioner Virkkunen promised the CEOs of Apple, Google, Meta and others to weaken the AI Act and 'simplify' EU rules.
In a trip to the US in May, commissioner Virkkunen promised the CEOs of Apple, Google, Meta and others to weaken the AI Act and 'simplify' EU rules.
November 5, 2025 at 9:50 AM
Internal documents, obtained by @politico.eu, show just how far the EU Commission is willing to go to please Big Tech oligarchs 🙇
In a trip to the US in May, commissioner Virkkunen promised the CEOs of Apple, Google, Meta and others to weaken the AI Act and 'simplify' EU rules.
In a trip to the US in May, commissioner Virkkunen promised the CEOs of Apple, Google, Meta and others to weaken the AI Act and 'simplify' EU rules.