Technology and Digitalisation

Europe is heavily dependent on US companies for cloud services, AI and digital infrastructure. However, the close ties between Big Tech and politics in the US exacerbate the risks associated with this dependence. The EU needs to realign its digital strategy.

New geopolitical realities also call for new strategies for tech sovereignty: The EU’s digital strategy links its own competitiveness and autonomy with new international partnerships.

Between digital dominance and democratic freedom: how can Germany and Europe strengthen their digital sovereignty? Rebecca Lenhard, spokesperson for digital policy for the Greens in the Bundestag, provides some answers.

AI is no longer just a technological issue – it sits at the heart of Europe’s regulatory agenda and democratic future. From the Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA) to emerging frameworks on trustworthy AI, the EU is actively shaping how power, responsibility and accountability are distributed in the digital sphere. At the same time, AI’s impact on labour, markets and global competition is accelerating. Karen Hao’s investigative work sheds light on how dominant tech companies are driving the current AI boom, often outpacing existing governance tools. Her reporting raises urgent questions about concentration of power, data extraction, and the gap between innovation and oversight. In this conversation, Karen Hao reflected on her global research and engage with the European approach to digital regulation. The discussion with MEP Alexandra Geese (Greens/EFA) explored how the EU can build on its DSA and DMA foundations to advance ethical, human-centric AI – ensuring that technological development aligns with democratic values, protects workers, and serves the public interest. Moderated by by Roderick Kefferpütz.

Both the U.S. and the EU are retreating from efforts to regulate the risks of AI. With growing economic nationalism and AI spending driving markets, the two sides are competing for AI innovation instead of collaborating to address AI risks and supporting trust in the technology. The Trump administration’s latest Executive Order on AI seeks to preempt state laws without a federal framework already in place, leaving a gap in regulation. Meanwhile, the EU is scaling back the AI Act. Big Tech stands to gain from the deregulatory pushes, while the populations of the U.S. and Europe absorb the risks.

While much of the AI debate focuses on its economic potential, its expanding physical footprint tells a different story. The machines driving this revolution depend on a resource far older – and far more contested – than data or electricity.

Is Europe ready for the era of hybrid warfare? To defend against hybrid attacks, we must urgently build civil preparedness and societal resilience. When updating security assets, we must not only invest in hardware and software but also in 'wetware'.

Hybrid threats, rooted in authoritarian uses of technology, cause everyday harm. Collective resilience requires dismantling their ecosystems through reconceptualising these threats, comprehensive countermeasures, and cross-regional cooperation. Europe and Asia already cooperate on cyber defence but must go further to disincentivise authoritarian practices directly.

Europe and Canada can only protect their digital ecosystems against US interference if they start investing in tech sovereignty now.

For the third time, Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union | Global Dialogue, in partnership with the Heinrich Böll Foundation, Washington, DC, is looking for a select number of journalists reporting on climate disinformation. Apply now if you have research ideas on the threat of growing climate denialism, the relation between big tech and climate obstruction, the climate counter-disinformation community or similar topics. The application deadline is Tuesday 9 September 2025, 23:59 CEST.

Tackling climate disinformation requires sustained investment, yet the counter-disinformation community remains underfunded, and regulation faces significant resistance, writes Zora Siebert.

Today, a united Europe no longer means everyone at the same time. On key issues such as defence, digitalisation, and key technologies, alliances of the willing are needed – both within and beyond the EU.

As geopolitical tides shift, the EU and India are betting big on the Trade and Technology Council to deepen ties in trade, digital tech, and green innovation. But can ambition meet action? This policy brief breaks down convergences, roadblocks—and what needs fixing to make the TTC truly transformative.

To understand the importance of self-representation within photography, Merel Maan Galama sheds a light on the history of photography, showing how prejudiced representation of Roma became part of archives, how this influenced the widespread development of stereotypes and how these are now continuously spread through algorithms. 

The EU still has strong rules for the major digital platforms. However, under Donald Trump and his allies - above all powerful tech CEOs such as Musk and Zuckerberg - the USA is becoming an open opponent of these regulations. 

Brace for impact: Trump is moving full-speed ahead with his reactionary agenda. Signing over 100 executive actions, he has declared the border with Mexico a national emergency, lifted restrictions for oil and gas drilling, withdrawn the US from the Paris Climate agreement and the World Health Organization, weakened AI safety regulation, and more.

Digital trust is a trojan horse. For years, LinkedIn has maintained its position as the most trusted digital platform globally. Yet this same trust may be its greatest vulnerability. When we feel safe, our defences drop. And misinformation thrives in these unguarded moments.

An international coalition has formed around digital public infrastructure – services that empower citizens and drive local innovation. Could a Euro Stack help the EU break with the market logic of big tech and increase its geopolitical autonomy from the US?

Digital technologies are now a global priority, like security and climate change. The 2024 UN Summit of the Future brings the Global Majority into internet and AI governance. The UN Convention on Cybercrime may do the same for cybersecurity. At the same time, the centralization at the UN risks empowering governments and undermining human rights.

Katrin Köppert takes a new look at the explainability of AI systems, through a queer perspective. Queersplaining means not only explaining AI, but also revealing the inherent contradictions and power structures. An explainability that does not support the illusion of a universal solution, but recognises the complexity and context dependency of AI.