Traditionally, statistics show that most users will trust what they see at the top of a search page. They don't generally question it. That sort of placement alone can give a company a significant advantage, as it can greatly influence and help shape user behavior on a large scale.
Meta's messaging app WhatsApp could soon be subject to deeper scrutiny (and punishment) under the European Commission's Digital Services Act, Reuters reports. Because the app's broadcasting feature WhatsApp Channels grew to around 51.7 million average monthly active users in the European Union in the first six months of 2025, the feature has crossed the 45-million-person barrier that lets DSA rules apply.
The newest flashpoint comes with the U.S. and its European allies also at loggerheads over Ukraine and the future of European security. The EU penalized X on Friday after regulators found the platform had misled users, obscured key advertising information and blocked researchers from accessing public data. A furious Musk responded by accusing the EU of stifling free speech through "bureaucratic tyranny" - rallying far-right leaders and millions of followers behind the hashtag #AbolishTheEU.
In May 2021, Apple introduced App Tracking Transparency (ATT), a privacy feature that lets users choose whether apps can track their activity across other companies' apps and websites for advertising or data-sharing purposes. Following the rollout of the feature, cross-app and cross-site tracking declined sharply, with at least one study reporting a 54.7% drop in tracking rates in the United States alone.
A French court on Thursday ruled oil and gas giant TotalEnergies had engaged in "misleading commercial practices" by overstating its climate pledges, in what activists said was the first such ruling worldwide against a major oil company for climate misinformation. The case could set a legal precedent for corporate environmental advertising, which is starting to face tighter regulations in the European Union.
Never has state support been more critical to the survival of Germany's auto industry . Thursday's Autogipfel ("auto summit," in English) a high-stakes meeting in Berlin of political leaders, automotive executives and unions comes at a moment of deep crisis as the sector faces stagnation, mass layoffs and a rocky transition to electric vehicles (EVs). Once dominant in engineering and brand prestige, the likes of Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes-Benz now lag behind Chinese rivals in software innovation and adopting EVs. China's BYD, Nio and others are expanding aggressively into the European market, offering cheaper, tech-savvy EVs.
That preservative is borax (also known as E285, sodium tetraborate) - yes, the same compound that can clean your sink or boost laundry detergent. A close cousin, boric acid (E286), sometimes substitutes for it. Caviar makers prize both because they're remarkably effective: they fight bacteria, firm up the delicate roe, and even mellow out that sharp "fishy" taste.
The CRA fundamentally redefines how software will be built and maintained, pushing organizations to adopt more structured, transparent, and security-centered development strategies. And if you're like most commercial software developers who incorporate open source components, you'll need to account for your dependencies. Your team will need time to adapt development and security workflows to meet these new expectations. The timeline for CRA compliance is already in motion: December 2024 - The CRA came into force. This marked the start of the transition period for all affected stakeholders.
