Policy & Society is the category for everything that changes technology through
the statute book rather than the lab: EU digital legislation such as the AI Act,
DSA and DMA, antitrust and abuse-of-dominance cases, data-protection rulings,
procurement law, copyright, and the slow digitisation of public administration.
The focus is Europe and Germany; American or Chinese proceedings appear when
they land here — through supply chains, export controls, or products that
quietly change shape as a result.
What we are after is the practical consequence: who has to document what and
from when, which deadline is running, what the penalty is. Where a case turns on
specific technology — export controls on chip manufacturing, say — the
engineering side sits under Hardware. Political verdicts
we leave to others; this is what was decided and whom it binds.
Apple has increased the price of its Apple TV streaming service and the individual Apple One bundle in the US, marking the fourth such hike in as many years.
Meta's $18 billion settlement with state attorneys general includes unprecedented provisions that could force TikTok, YouTube, and Snap to adopt similar teen safety measures, potentially transforming the industry.
A US judge found Google's initial rollout of third-party app stores in the Play Store inadequate and ordered the company to make improvements within a week.
Twitch confirmed it will share user data with Amazon for AI training, with the setting on by default, drawing criticism from gamers who say opting people in by default is not consent.
As Spain prepares for its first total solar eclipse in over a century, small villages like Somosierra and Jabaloyas are taking extraordinary measures to manage safety and overtourism.
Archaeologists have uncovered two tiny ivory bird figurines dating back 40,000 years in Germany's Hohle Fels cave, the smallest of their kind found there, offering new insights into early human artistry.
eBay and three former executives have agreed to pay $55.7 million to settle a lawsuit over a 2019 harassment campaign against journalists Ina and David Steiner.
TotalEnergies is challenging a Paris court decision that found the company liable under France's duty of vigilance law for climate impacts, arguing the law does not cover climate change or customer product use.
A Tyrannosaurus rex specimen named Gus sold for a record $50.1 million at Sotheby's, highlighting the ongoing conflict between private collectors and paleontologists over the preservation of irreplaceable fossils.
Archaeologists in El Salvador have uncovered a 2,800-year-old skeleton buried face down with a ceramic sea turtle vessel, a discovery that may reshape understanding of pre-Maya ritual practices.
Google will let users find and install rival app stores directly within the Play Store from July 22, 2026, after withdrawing a joint motion with Epic Games, marking a major shift in Android app distribution in the US.
A new bipartisan bill introduced in Congress would give the Department of Homeland Security unprecedented authority to shut down or suspend AI systems deemed capable of catastrophic harm, with fines reaching $20 million per day for violations.
Governor Kathy Hochul signs an executive order halting approvals for data centers over 50MW for up to one year, citing environmental and energy concerns.
China published a detailed climate plan on July 10, 2026, focusing on deeper integration of renewable energy into factories, data centers, and transport through 2030, while maintaining existing emissions targets.
The UK Department of Health and Social Care has outlined fresh measures to speed up value-based procurement, aiming to shift focus from upfront costs to long-term patient outcomes.
A new analysis suggests that tropical forests could stop absorbing carbon dioxide during El Niño events, with this year potentially being the worst on record for such disruption.
The U.S. Navy awarded Lockheed Martin $850 million to continue modernizing the Trident II D5 submarine-launched ballistic missile, supporting its service life into the 2040s.
The El Niño climate phenomenon is causing uneven impacts across Pacific fisheries, with some regions facing losses while others experience unexpected gains.
Major music organizations have introduced a new labeling system to identify content created with generative AI, aiming for widespread industry adoption.
The $5.5-billion venue in Inglewood hosted eight World Cup matches, drawing praise from players, coaches, and fans as one of the world's top football stadiums.
Despite renewed U.S.-Iran airstrikes, a limited number of oil tankers still transit the Strait of Hormuz using the Oman shipping corridor, though overall vessel traffic remains below normal.
A new analysis from the Energy Institute reveals that the United States accounted for nearly 50% of the world's carbon dioxide emissions increase in 2025, driven by the surge in AI data centers and policy shifts under the Trump administration.
The EPA has proposed eliminating public participation requirements for air pollution permits for data centers and other minor sources, a move that critics say reduces transparency.
The European Commission has preliminarily found that Facebook and Instagram's addictive features violate the Digital Services Act, threatening Meta with fines if it fails to address risks to users' mental wellbeing.
Apple has filed suit accusing OpenAI of orchestrating the theft of confidential hardware designs through former employees, naming Jony Ive's io Products among the defendants.
The Federal Trade Commission has ruled that farmers have the right to repair their own John Deere equipment, potentially reshaping the agricultural tech landscape.
As extreme heat becomes the norm in Europe, advances in environmentally friendly air-conditioning technology may resolve long-standing cultural and environmental tensions over cooling.
The Federal Trade Commission has reached a settlement with John Deere, requiring the agricultural machinery giant to allow farmers to repair their own equipment, ending years of restrictions.