Global internet companies move to Ireland for many reasons. For one it has some of the EUs lowest corporate tax-rates and all kinds of legal tricks to lower them even further. Ireland benefits immensely from these companies. Apple recently won an appeal against the European commission that would have forced it to pay Ireland almost 13€billion in back taxes. What was so bizarre about this ruling is that Ireland was very happy to have lost this windfall, because it makes more money by companies moving to its jurisdiction with the knowledge that they will save billions in taxes. Equally, it boasts a well-educated English-speaking population and one unbeatable advantage, the Irish Data Protection Commission (IDPC).

Lying and distorting facts to gain personal or political advantage has characterized human history at least since classical antiquity. While we do not possess evidence that early societies engaged in these practices as well, it is safe to assume that some individuals may have spread disinformation and rumours to secure support or damage the opponents since the dawn of mankind.

Freedom flourishes in nations where governments are held accountable by its people through the guarantee of basic rights and strong democratic institutions. Such democratic states are in decline for the 13th consecutive year. The reasons for this are manifold and complex. Technology, however, is one major cause that can turn a democracy, with a functioning opposition; a civil society and basic rights and freedoms into a hellish autocracy.

Monday’s leaders meeting between China and the EU was a lose-lose deal for the European Union.

Dear Mr.Borrell,

“[You] possess superior knowledge and skills that uniquely qualify [you] to act independently and make decisions on behalf of [your] fellow citizens, without any oversight or review.”

The latest report by the University of Oxford on social media disinformation and manipulation reveals that Facebook still holds the record as the social network where most disinformation campaigns take place.

Which of the following movies you find most interesting?

A) “A Single Man” (by Tom Ford, 2009)

B) “Three Women” (by Robert Altman, 1977)

C) “Anna” (by Luc Besson, 2019)

Today’s decision is the continuation of long legal battle between European privacy law and United States surveillance law. The scope of the verdict is narrowed to personal data that is being voluntarily outsourced to the US from the European Union. Nonetheless, today’s ruling will have consequences for EU businesses and will change the transfer of vast amounts of personal European data outside of its legal protection and thus provide safeguards against misuse.

Honorable Representatives of the United States Senate,