Big Tech Bowed, Google Pays $1.375 Billion to Texas: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a landmark settlement requiring Google to pay 1.375 billion dollars to the state for illegally collecting user data. The case focused on Google’s unauthorized tracking of Texans’ locations, the misuse of incognito browser data, and the capture of biometric information without consent. Paxton described the settlement as a major victory for privacy rights and a warning to large technology companies that disregard consumer protection laws. The agreement is the largest ever reached by a single state with Google, setting a precedent for how aggressive enforcement can curb invasive data practices and hold Big Tech accountable. 

Sweden Democrats Reprimanded for Secret Election Text Blunder: The Swedish Privacy Protection Authority (IMY) reprimanded the Sweden Democrats for unlawfully sending text messages urging people to vote for them in the 2024 European Parliament elections. The investigation found that the party acted as a data controller under Article 4(7) of the GDPR, since it determined both the purpose and means of processing, even though it outsourced the mailing. IMY concluded that the party had no valid legal basis under Article 6(1)(f) GDPR, as the intrusion of unsolicited political texts outweighed any legitimate interest. The text messages also failed to include essential information required under Articles 12 and 14 GDPR, such as details about the data processing and the sender’s identity, leading IMY to issue a reprimand instead of a fine due to the limited scope and short duration of the violation. 

Apple’s Privacy Ping-Pong: EU or No “Ask App Not to Track” Pop-Ups: Apple Inc. is warning that it may remove its “Ask App Not to Track” feature from its European Union products if lobbying and regulatory pressure continue. The feature, which prompts users in iOS to allow or deny cross-app tracking, has drawn strong pushback from the ad industry and some regulators who say it gives Apple an unfair advantage. Apple argues that some European rules would force it to weaken or disable the tracking-prevention functionality, harming user privacy in the region. The company says it is engaging with regulators in Germany and Italy, urging them not to force changes that would reduce protections for European users.

Sweden Appoints PTS as Enforcement Authority for EU Data Act: The Swedish government has appointed Post‑ och telestyrelsen (PTS) to be the competent national authority under the EU Data Act (Regulation (EU) 2023/2854), with the assignment covering the years 2025 and 2026. The Data Act aims to establish uniform rules across the EU for access to and use of data, and member states must designate one or more authorities with clearly defined responsibilities including handling complaints, conducting investigations and imposing sanctions. The government also initiated the Utredningen om kompletterande bestämmelser till EU:s dataförordning to propose complementary legislation to facilitate Swedish businesses and public bodies in complying with the regulation, and to assess any additional organisational or resourcing needs for the authority. The investigation is due to deliver its final report by 22 December 2025. 

Telecom Titans Tell Brussels “Loosen Up Rules or Fall Behind”: Europe’s largest telecom companies, including Vodafone, Orange, Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica, Nokia, and Ericsson, are urging the European Union to relax its strict merger rules. The industry leaders argue that current regulations prevent them from achieving the scale needed to compete with American and Asian rivals and to invest properly in 5G, fibre, and digital infrastructure. They warn that without consolidation, Europe risks lagging behind in global innovation and technological competitiveness. The group also called for the upcoming Digital Networks Act to include reforms that make it easier for telecom operators to merge and pool resources, describing such changes as vital for the continent’s digital future. 

Ericsson and VodafoneZiggo Power Up for the Netherlands: Ericsson has secured a three-year deal with VodafoneZiggo to upgrade 3,000 mobile sites across the Netherlands using its new 3.5 GHz spectrum. The project will deploy Ericsson’s energy-efficient Massive MIMO radios, cutting power use by over 60 percent and improving network capacity. Starting this year, the rollout aims to boost performance and sustainability for consumers, businesses, and IoT users nationwide. 

AWS and OpenAI Announce Strategic Partnership: OpenAI and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have formed a strategic partnership to integrate OpenAI’s advanced models with AWS infrastructure, enabling enterprise customers to deploy AI solutions securely and at scale. The collaboration focuses on combining AWS’s cloud capabilities with OpenAI’s generative AI technologies to accelerate innovation across industries, emphasizing reliability, compliance, and cost efficiency. This partnership aims to deliver optimized AI workflows and tools for developers and businesses, reinforcing both companies’ commitment to responsible and accessible AI adoption. 

How Scientists Can Use Gemini Enterprise for AI Workflows: Google Cloud introduces Gemini Enterprise as a comprehensive AI solution for scientific research, enabling advanced multimodal capabilities such as text, image, and code generation to accelerate hypothesis testing and data analysis. The platform integrates seamlessly with Vertex AI and Google Cloud’s secure infrastructure, offering scalable compute resources and compliance features tailored for sensitive research environments. By leveraging Gemini’s reasoning and automation tools, scientists can streamline workflows from literature review to simulation, reducing time-to-insight while maintaining rigorous security and governance standards. 

New Playbook Helps AI Sweden Partners Drive Successful Use Cases: AI Sweden has launched the “Use Case Playbook,” a resource designed to help partners move from AI experimentation to a structured process for identifying and evaluating new use cases across six key categories, including content creation and decision support. The playbook provides practical guidelines, examples from organizations such as Proact, the Swedish Riksbank, and the University of Gothenburg, and methods for prioritizing business value while integrating responsible AI early in workflows. It concludes with instructions for running workshops within teams, making it easy to apply the recommendations in practice. 

Quantum Technologies: Unlocking Next‑Gen Value in Manufacturing and Supply Chains:  The World Economic Forum (WEF), in collaboration with Accenture, outlines how quantum technologies including computing, sensing, and secure communications offer transformative benefits for advanced manufacturing and resilient supply chains. The report highlights successful early use cases, such as Ford Otosan’s 50% faster production scheduling, the Port of Rotterdam’s quantum-secured network, and Boeing’s quantum-enhanced materials research, emphasizing measurable improvements in efficiency, precision, and security. It also proposes a strategic roadmap for scaling quantum adoption—spanning hybrid pilot projects, talent development, cybersecurity measures, and standardization—to support long-term competitive advantage and digital transformation.  

Google Threat Intelligence Exposes Vietnamese Actors Using Fake Job Postings: A cluster of financially motivated threat actors from Vietnam, tracked as UNC6229, has been posting fake job opportunities on legitimate employment and freelance platforms to target digital-marketing and advertising professionals, luring victims into downloading malware or entering credentials on phishing sites. The group effectively bypasses security filters and builds rapport before delivering password-protected malware-laden ZIPs or convincing phishing pages. Once compromised, these credentials enable the hijacking of corporate advertising and social media accounts, which the actors either exploit for ad fraud or sell to other criminals. 

Cloud CISO Perspectives: AI as a Strategic Imperative to Manage Risk: Jeanette Manfra, Senior Director of Global Risk and Compliance at Google Cloud, underscores that AI is now essential for transforming risk management from reactive to proactive models, enabling predictive analytics, continuous monitoring, and automated mitigation across four key stages: identification, assessment, mitigation, and reporting. She highlights that effective implementation requires structured governance, including frameworks like SAIF, NIST AI RMF, and ISO standards, alongside organizational alignment, leadership buy-in, and investment in AI capabilities and talent. Google Cloud advocates a holistic approach to trustworthy AI that combines responsible innovation, human oversight, continuous auditing, and collaboration across disciplines. 

EUIPO Launches AI-Powered Pre‑Assessment Tool in EUTM EasyFiling: EUIPO has integrated a new AI-powered pre-assessment service into its EUTM EasyFiling form, delivering real-time risk alerts and filing guidance to reduce uncertainties and improve application predictability for users. The tool checks for issues such as prior EUTM refusals, identical trademarks, domain name conflicts, geographical indications, and potential offensiveness directly within the simplified interface, empowering especially SMEs and first-time filers. While the AI-driven feedback aids applicants in identifying potential registration obstacles early, human examiners remain responsible for final decisions, ensuring a balance between automation and expert judgment. 

Thom Browne Secures Victory in Adidas Trademark Appeal: The UK Court of Appeal dismissed Adidas’s challenge and upheld the invalidation of six UK trademarks featuring the three-stripe motif, marking another major win for Thom Browne in the protracted dispute over stripe designs. The court affirmed that Adidas’s position-based marks lacked the required clarity and precision—terms like “running along one third or more” were deemed too vague to define a single, protectable sign. This ruling reinforces the legal limits of position marks and highlights the necessity for distinctiveness and precise definitions when registering simple geometric designs. 

Apple Watch Patent Trial Centers on Storytelling, Not Sensors: The upcoming patent trial between Apple and Masimo will focus less on technical sensor details and more on the narrative each side presents to the jury. Legal experts suggest that Apple will emphasize its innovation history and consumer benefits, while Masimo will frame the dispute around intellectual property rights and fairness in competition. This case highlights how persuasive storytelling and strategic framing often play a decisive role in complex technology litigation, beyond the underlying engineering specifics. 

Tariffs Tacos and Dollars, Markets React to Trump 2.0: Donald Trump’s return to the White House has sent global markets into a year of turbulence marked by shifting trade policies and financial uncertainty. The dollar rose on early optimism but later fell as unpredictable moves unsettled investors. Stock markets have stayed resilient thanks to enthusiasm for artificial intelligence while gold and crypto climbed as safe options. Traders coined the TACO strategy, short for Trump Always Chickens Out, to describe how investors bet on his pattern of bold threats followed by softer actions.  

Supreme Court Lets Trump’s Tariffs Stand: The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to block Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs, allowing them to remain in place as legal challenges continue. Officials signaled that businesses and trade partners should adapt rather than expect quick relief. Even if courts strike down Trump’s use of emergency powers, the administration could rely on older trade laws to keep the tariffs alive. 

China Pauses Rare-Earth Curbs and Drops Chip-Firm Probes: China has announced it will suspend certain export controls on rare-earth metals and end investigations into U.S. semiconductor-supply-chain firms, part of a trade de-escalation after talks with Donald Trump. The move covers key materials such as gallium, germanium, antimony and graphite, reversing curbs introduced earlier this year. In return, Washington has agreed to extend its pause on some tariffs on Chinese goods and drop its planned full-tariff increase. The decision signals a shift toward easing tensions in global supply chains and technology trade. 

• 5th ENISA-ERA Conference on Cybersecurity in Railways 

Date:  December 1 – 2, 2025

Time: 9:00 am – 2:00 pm

Location: Tallin, Estonia

Registration: Link 

• IMY Annual Conference of Data Protection Officers (DSOs) 

Date:  December 10, 2025 

Time: 9:00 am –12:00 pm (CEST) 

Location: Live webinar 

Registration: Link 

• 10th Cybersecurity Standardisation Conference 

Date: Mar 12, 2026 

Time: 9:00am to 5:00pm (CEST) 

Location: Brussels Marriott Hotel Grand Place, Brussels, Belgium 

Registration: Link