Tech World, Cybersecurity, Surveillance
(DigWatch) California (USA) lawmakers have passed a package of bills aimed at strengthening protections for children online and setting new rules for the use of artificial intelligence. For child online safety, AB 1709 would restrict social media platforms from offering certain addictive features, such as endless feeds, autoplay, and recommendation systems, to users under 16. It would also require age-assurance measures. A related bill, AB 2, would allow significant financial penalties where social media platforms negligently cause harm to children. – California advances child online safety and AI safeguards | Digital Watch Observatory
(DigWatch) Egypt has launched the Integrated Digital Environmental Impact Assessment (IDEIA) platform to digitise the environmental assessment and approval process. The system was launched by Egypt’s Minister of Local Development and Environment, Manal Awad, and Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade, Mohamed Farid Saleh, as part of the digital transformation component of the Green Sustainable Industry (GSI) programme. The platform enables project developers and consulting firms to submit environmental studies and supporting data online, track the progress of applications, communicate with environmental specialists, and receive environmental approvals electronically. The Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) is responsible for reviewing applications through the system. – Egypt launches digital environmental impact assessment system | Digital Watch Observatory
(DigWatch) President Donald Trump has urged communities across the United States to support the development of data centres, arguing that they can bring investment, jobs, and lower taxes. In a social media post, he said opposition to data centre development risked leaving communities ‘backwards and poor’ and framed the issue partly as a matter of economic competition with China, suggesting that restrictions in the United States could shift investment and business towards the world’s second-largest economy. – US President Donald Trump urges communities to embrace data centres | Digital Watch Observatory
