June 2021 - Dialogues on European Digital Transition

Digitalisation in Health: more than a technological change

European Association for Digital Transition Rights and freedom June 10, 2021June 10, 2021health

The post-pandemic economic agenda is focused on the opportunities that might arise from NextGenerationEU funds. These are aimed at driving the transformation of production organisations and of services, with the goal of gaining competitiveness and efficiency. Moreover, the funds should be used to improve the quality and accessibility of public services, increasing the decision-making capacity of the citizens. The health sector can be one of the great beneficiaries of this digitalisation in health process financed from Europe.

Historic G7 agreement: En-route to fairer taxes on big tech

European Association for Digital Transition Economic future June 8, 2021June 9, 2021Amazon, Apple, Fiscal policy, G7

The seven most powerful economies in the world, assembled in the Group of 7 (G7), have reached an historic agreement on taxes on big tech: multinationals with a profit margin above 10% will have to pay at least 20% of their taxes where they produce profits and not, as many do, in countries with low tax rates where they base their operating headquarters. Moreover, these powers have agreed to set 15% as the minimum tax rate, lowering the proposal from the United States, which was 21%. France was also hoping for a higher common rate.

Unchecked technology, democracies in danger: Beyond fake news

European Association for Digital Transition Democratic quality June 7, 2021June 9, 2021Digital Services Act, Digital sovereignty, Fake news, Regulation

Since the U.S. presidential election and the Brexit referendum, both in 2016, the risk to Western democracies from fake news has been part of the global political debate. But in the twenty-first century, five years of technology is a long time. And the dangers have grown, becoming more sophisticated. While platforms and the authorities barely manage to lessen the spread of fake news on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp, new risks are starting to be tangible within the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI). In 2021, we should no longer trust a video with inflammatory statements from a political leader: it might have been created with AI. And these deep fakes are just one of the manifestations of the phenomenon we find ourselves in.