https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Italy in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Italian regulators fined Facebook parent company Meta 805 million euros ($880 million) for accessing users' photos without their "specific" consent, the country's data protection authority said on Saturday. https://www.thelocal.it/20261114/italy-fines-meta-880mn-over-photo-privacy-authority Sat, 14 Nov 2026 16:36:21 +0100 italy-fines-meta-880mn-over-photo-privacy-authority AI agents going rogue and ever-louder doomsday warnings have led many in Europe to wonder: are the EU's artificial intelligence rules enough to protect against the potential dangers? https://www.thelocal.it/20261006/are-the-eus-new-rules-on-ai-enough-to-protect-europeans Tue, 06 Oct 2026 11:08:09 +0200 are-the-eus-new-rules-on-ai-enough-to-protect-europeans The European Union will ban social media for children under 13 and allow only limited, supervised access until the age of 15 under plans unveiled Wednesday by EU chief Ursula von der Leyen. https://www.thelocal.it/20260916/europe-has-power-to-act-eu-to-ban-social-media-for-under-13s Wed, 16 Sep 2026 13:27:10 +0200 europe-has-power-to-act-eu-to-ban-social-media-for-under-13s Calls are growing louder in Europe for action against "pervert" smart glasses after secretly filmed footage of girls and women appeared online -- with a petition in Britain demanding a ban on their sale. https://www.thelocal.it/20260912/europe-eyes-battle-over-pervert-ai-glasses Sat, 12 Sep 2026 16:35:38 +0200 europe-eyes-battle-over-pervert-ai-glasses If there is an industry for it, there will be a lobby group representing its interests in Brussels, home to the European Union's institutions. But which companies or lobby groups splash out the most on seeking to influence EU policy? https://www.thelocal.it/20260911/big-tech-to-banking-which-companies-spend-the-most-on-eu-lobbying Fri, 11 Sep 2026 15:02:18 +0200 big-tech-to-banking-which-companies-spend-the-most-on-eu-lobbying How can you make Italian bureaucracy even more needlessly complicated than it already is? Just ask an AI chatbot, writes Clare Speak in this week's Inside Italy. https://www.thelocal.it/20260905/inside-italy-why-ai-is-no-match-for-italian-bureaucracy Sat, 05 Sep 2026 13:46:25 +0200 inside-italy-why-ai-is-no-match-for-italian-bureaucracy If you like and trust The Local's coverage you can easily add us as a preferred source on Google to make sure our articles appear in your searches. https://www.thelocal.it/20260216/how-to-make-the-local-your-preferred-source-on-google Mon, 16 Feb 2026 15:02:08 +0100 how-to-make-the-local-your-preferred-source-on-google The EU said Thursday it expects Meta to address "addictive" features of its platforms in Europe, after the tech giant agreed to sweeping limits on teen use of Facebook and Instagram in some US states. https://www.thelocal.it/20260827/eu-demands-meta-to-protect-our-kids-after-us-settlement Thu, 27 Aug 2026 18:13:17 +0200 eu-demands-meta-to-protect-our-kids-after-us-settlement New data centres in Lombardy and Sardinia are part of a wider €25 billion government plan, but local communities have raised concerns over their environmental impact. https://www.thelocal.it/20260814/protests-in-lombardy-as-italy-fast-tracks-ai-data-centres Fri, 14 Aug 2026 13:11:05 +0200 protests-in-lombardy-as-italy-fast-tracks-ai-data-centres The EU's tech chief called on Meta and TikTok to "act decisively" to stem disinformation at times of crisis, saying the European Commission held talks with both platforms Friday following last week's Ceuta migrant surge. https://www.thelocal.it/20260808/eu-tells-meta-tiktok-to-boost-monitoring-fact-checking Sat, 08 Aug 2026 18:00:28 +0200 eu-tells-meta-tiktok-to-boost-monitoring-fact-checking AI watermarking and deepfake labelling will soon be required by law in the EU as the transparency part of the bloc’s sweeping AI Act comes into force on August 2nd. https://www.thelocal.it/20260727/explained-eus-new-rules-on-ai-deepfakes-and-chatbots Mon, 27 Jul 2026 13:38:09 +0200 explained-eus-new-rules-on-ai-deepfakes-and-chatbots The European Union will from Sunday have the power to enforce landmark artificial intelligence rules and hit any companies breaking the law with fines. https://www.thelocal.it/20260801/eu-gets-new-powers-over-powerful-ai-from-sunday Sat, 01 Aug 2026 18:30:47 +0200 eu-gets-new-powers-over-powerful-ai-from-sunday Lawmakers in France are scheduled to vote on Tuesday to ban social media for under-15s -- one of 20 countries worldwide to have proposed or introduced such measures, with many of them in Europe. https://www.thelocal.it/20260713/eu-to-limit-childrens-access-to-social-media Mon, 13 Jul 2026 14:02:47 +0200 eu-to-limit-childrens-access-to-social-media The European Union demanded Thursday that Google share data with other search engines and open up its Android system to rival AI services, but the US giant said the measures would put privacy at risk. https://www.thelocal.it/20260716/google-accuses-eu-of-undermining-privacy-of-millions-of-europeans Thu, 16 Jul 2026 18:10:36 +0200 google-accuses-eu-of-undermining-privacy-of-millions-of-europeans The European Union is moving closer to creating a digital euro as an alternative payment system for Europeans. But why are lawmakers so keen to create a virtual currency and how would it work for EU residents? https://www.thelocal.it/20260623/europeans-are-fully-awake-why-the-eu-is-pushing-for-a-new-digital-euro Tue, 23 Jun 2026 11:28:04 +0200 europeans-are-fully-awake-why-the-eu-is-pushing-for-a-new-digital-euro As Europe pushes for more tech sovereignty, social network W believes it has the X-factor to win users away from other platforms: it's European. https://www.thelocal.it/20260618/forget-x-heres-w-the-new-european-social-network-to-take-on-musk Thu, 18 Jun 2026 13:50:29 +0200 forget-x-heres-w-the-new-european-social-network-to-take-on-musk The European Court of Justice sided on Tuesday with Italy against technology giant Meta in defending the rights of online publishers, saying they could negotiate compensation with digital platforms. https://www.thelocal.it/20260512/eu-court-sides-with-italy-over-meta-on-publishers-compensation-rights Tue, 12 May 2026 15:36:32 +0200 eu-court-sides-with-italy-over-meta-on-publishers-compensation-rights After standardising chargers for mobile phones, from Tuesday new computers sold in EU countries must also use the USB-C charging point, as the latest phase of EU anti-waste legislation comes into force. https://www.thelocal.it/20260428/eu-anti-waste-law-new-laptops-sold-in-europe-must-now-use-usb-c-chargers Tue, 28 Apr 2026 14:16:33 +0200 eu-anti-waste-law-new-laptops-sold-in-europe-must-now-use-usb-c-chargers From commuting to paying taxes and shopping for groceries, mobile apps can make many of your daily tasks in Italy much simpler and quicker. https://www.thelocal.it/20250909/14-essential-apps-to-make-your-life-in-italy-easier Tue, 09 Sep 2025 14:56:14 +0200 14-essential-apps-to-make-your-life-in-italy-easier Supporters say it would let Europeans make online payments without relying on US payment system, but critics fear it would allow governments to surveil citizens' payments. How would the digital euro work? https://www.thelocal.it/20260211/replacement-for-cash-how-the-new-digital-euro-would-work-for-europeans Wed, 11 Feb 2026 14:58:55 +0100 replacement-for-cash-how-the-new-digital-euro-would-work-for-europeans