Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Sebastiano Toffaletti

Tagesspiegel Background @tspbackground.bsky.social · Jun 17

Die Fähigkeit Europas, die Kontrolle der angebotenen & genutzten digitalen Produkte & Infrastrukturen wiederzuerlangen, setzt voraus, dass die massive #Abhängigkeit von ausländischen Anbietern beendet wird, so @sebastianobxl.bsky.social, @kzenner.bsky.social & Francesco Bonfiglio 👉 is.gd/ZWE2g5

Titel des Standpunkts von Sebastiano Toffaletti (European DIGITAL SME Alliance), Kai Zenner (Berater beim Europaabgeordneten Axel Voss) und Francesco Bonfiglio (Dynamo): "Warum die europäische Souveränität auch vom Ausbau eigener digitaler Kompetenzen abhängt." aus dem aktuellen Briefing Digitalisierung & KI.

3 6

Sebastiano Toffaletti @sebastianobxl.bsky.social · May 28

US tech companies ultimately act as agents of the US government. Tech dependency is no longer an acceptable risk for the EU. As in the #Eurostack strategy, Europe urgently needs an autonomous tech stack for its sovereignty, security, and strategic interests
www.binnenlandsbestuur.nl/digitaal/mic...

Microsoft: ‘Geen diensten aan ICC-organisatie gestopt’

Het contact tussen Microsoft en het Internationaal Strafhof (ICC) sinds februari heeft geleid tot het loskoppelen van de Britse hoofdaanklager Karim Khan van Microsoft-diensten. Dat bevestigt een woor...

www.binnenlandsbestuur.nl

1

Sebastiano Toffaletti @sebastianobxl.bsky.social · May 19

Are there EU solutions to replace foreign #digitaltools?

@digitalsme.eu kicks off first webinar of « Tech Solutions Made in Europe »
featuring @proton.me, @nextcloud.bsky.social & @whereby-api.bsky.social , moderated by #EuroStack initiator @robin.berjon.com

www.digitalsme.eu/events/tech-...

Tech solutions made in Europe: Building a sovereign digital workplace

www.digitalsme.eu

2 6

Sebastiano Toffaletti @sebastianobxl.bsky.social · Apr 23

These fines signal the EC is willing to enforce EU laws despite US pressure. But are they enough? They fall far short of the 10% annual turnover mark & come over a year after the law took effect. For BigTech, this is just a small cost of doing highly profitable business in the EU
shorturl.at/mg58S

EU fines Apple €500M and Meta €200M for breaking Europe’s digital rules

The highly anticipated penalties are the first to be issued under the bloc’s Digital Markets Act.

www.politico.eu

2 4

Sebastiano Toffaletti @sebastianobxl.bsky.social · Apr 10

My interview on #Euractiv. I talk about #techsovereignity, #SME power and #EuroStack

www.euractiv.com/section/tech...

Unlocking EU tech sovereignty through SME power, EuroStack, and new finance - Euractiv

Empowering Europe’s tech SMEs is essential for digital sovereignty. Nicole Verbeeck talks EuroStacks with Sebastiano Toffaletti, Secretary-General of the European DIGITAL SME Alliance.

www.euractiv.com

1 2

Reposted by Sebastiano Toffaletti

Marco Incerti @marcoinbxl.bsky.social · Apr 10

The new German coalition's stance on #tech seems very much in line with the @ec.europa.eu s #AI Continent Action Plan presented yesterday. Plus #Eurostack!

h/t @guybanim.bsky.social @robin.berjon.com

2 6

Reposted by Sebastiano Toffaletti

Mark Boyd @markboyd.bsky.social · Apr 8

“Europe can gain control of the critical infrastructures that underpin digital ecosystems by creating market demand for EU sovereign services and by supporting the federation of our SMEs around open APIs and interoperability standards.” @sebastianobxl.bsky.social in www.euractiv.com/section/tech...

Unlocking EU tech sovereignty through SME power, EuroStack, and new finance - Euractiv

Empowering Europe’s tech SMEs is essential for digital sovereignty. Nicole Verbeeck talks EuroStacks with Sebastiano Toffaletti, Secretary-General of the European DIGITAL SME Alliance.

www.euractiv.com

1 1 7

Reposted by Sebastiano Toffaletti

AmPhoenixTrade @amphoenixtrade.bsky.social · Mar 25

I did a new blogpost about the growing Buy European movement. In response to questions from non-trade people interested in the issue, I’ve described how to think through litigation risk at the World Trade Organization. americanphoenixpllc.com/buy-european... A short thread:

Buy European, Buy Democracy | American Phoenix

In the wake of the realization that Europe must now provide its own security, the EU is launching a Buy European regime to support the effort. For those familiar with EU trade policy, the public discu...

americanphoenixpllc.com

1 2 2

Sebastiano Toffaletti @sebastianobxl.bsky.social · Mar 22

Excellent job by MEP @alexandrageese.bsky.social in the EU Parliament. She is an outstanding advocate of the #EuroStack movement.
Tech #sovereignty and #competitiveness are two sides of the same coin. One reinforces the other!

Read more www.linkedin.com/posts/alexan...

1 4

Sebastiano Toffaletti @sebastianobxl.bsky.social · Mar 18

Do we want Meta and X to stop manipulating voters in Europe? Here is how they would take the DSA seriously. Let’s amend the law.

1 2

Sebastiano Toffaletti @sebastianobxl.bsky.social · Mar 17

To address the imbalances and the dependency, European companies are asking for a bold industrial policy strategy. This does not mean that EU industry wants subsidies. On the contrary, our companies have the industrial capacity and they only ask the public sector to collaborate towards the same goal

Sebastiano Toffaletti @sebastianobxl.bsky.social · Mar 17

Let’s not read in this letter things that do not exist. The DMA is a great thing and all European companies I know support it. What is wrong is just the narrative that the DMA alone can solve the imbalances from US companies that own the critical assets in the tech stack, both hardware and software

2 1 1

Sebastiano Toffaletti @sebastianobxl.bsky.social · Mar 17

We gathered nearly 100 CEOs in a letter to the Commssion calling for bold action on the #EuroStack initiative

www.digitalsme.eu/european-ind...

European industry demands Eurostack to power EU competitiveness

www.digitalsme.eu

5 20

Reposted by Sebastiano Toffaletti

Pieter Haeck @pieterhaeck.bsky.social · Mar 17

Up to 100 European companies and lobby groups including heavyweights Airbus and Dassault are pressing the European Commission to force more home-made technology into the bloc's digital infrastructure.

First in Morning Tech, now free to read:
www.politico.eu/article/airb...

Defense giants want von der Leyen to boost made-in-Europe tech

European industrial and tech firms want the EU’s backing to reduce reliance on the U.S.

www.politico.eu

5 10

Sebastiano Toffaletti @sebastianobxl.bsky.social · Mar 11

Was quoted in an insightful article by #Euractiv on lobbying surrounding the implementation of #AIAct.
#BigTech are pushing to "transfer obligations down the supply chain" to #SMEs and #startups and "avoid passing on information about the AI model they design".

www.euractiv.com/section/tech...

Latest GPAI Code of Practice draft kicks off lobbying fight - Euractiv

The Code can't be killed, but could reinforce AI Act obligations or offer a way around them.

www.euractiv.com

1

Reposted by Sebastiano Toffaletti

Pieter Haeck @pieterhaeck.bsky.social · Mar 10

The European Union is under pressure to step up its tech game and wean itself off a heavy reliance on United States digital infrastructure and services as transatlantic ties hit a new low.

My latest for POLITICO:

www.politico.eu/article/push...

EU-US rift triggers call for made-in-Europe tech

Transatlantic tensions are fueling calls for the EU to wean itself off its U.S. tech addiction. It won’t be cheap.

www.politico.eu

6 7 20

Sebastiano Toffaletti @sebastianobxl.bsky.social · Mar 10

Thank you, Pieter. As many other EU tech companies, I am convinced that #EuroStack does not require the €trillion public investment that #BigTech and their proxies are claiming. The EU just needs to set the right priorities and use the existing money accordingly.

1

Sebastiano Toffaletti @sebastianobxl.bsky.social · Mar 5

Great exchange on #EuroStack at the #MWC in Barcelona with
#DimitrisPapastergiou, the Greek minister of digital transformation

Sebastiano Toffaletti @sebastianobxl.bsky.social · Feb 12

Good question! I agree that the basic DPI frameworks in the EU and India are quite comparable, but India Stack enables a series of applications and protocols that go much beyond, like #beckn. These include e-commerce, energy, mobility and more. becknprotocol.io/all-projects/

All Projects - Beckn protocol

Build better digital economies, ecosystems and societies based on efficient, inclusive, transparent and sustainable open networks

becknprotocol.io

Sebastiano Toffaletti @sebastianobxl.bsky.social · Feb 11

My opinion proposing convergence in tech policies between the #EU and #India. Both are pursuing their own #techsovereignty. #IndiaStack is a successful initiative with adoption among 1,2 billion people. Europe should learn from it and have our own #eurostack!

www.digitalsme.eu/eu-india-tra...

EU-India Trade and Technology Council: A chance to join forces for a “Euro-India Stack”

www.digitalsme.eu

1 1

Reposted by Sebastiano Toffaletti

Robin Berjon @robin.berjon.com · Jan 31

See euro-stack.eu/a-pitch-paper/ for an overall strategy.

It's a lot to cover, but we can break it down into manageable chunks and prioritise. Every step away from the tech broligarchy is a step towards freedom.

1 1 7

Reposted by Sebastiano Toffaletti

Robin Berjon @robin.berjon.com · Jan 31

Good times were had at the Brux Conference yesterday 🤭

Indeed, I've been hearing talk of tech sovereignty for years but with very little in terms of concrete actions to match.

Captured infrastructure is as incompatible with democracy as it is with an open market — it's high time for change.

DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE
FROM SOVEREIGN TALK TO SOVEREIGN TECH: “Infrastructure is power,” Robin Berjon, one of the people behind the Eurostack initiative, told the Brux Conference — aka antitrust economist Cristina Caffarra’s conference — on Thursday, lamenting over the fact that “sovereign talk” has long been overshadowing “sovereign tech.”

“When you control the infrastructure, you control the future,” which is not a matter that regulation can solve, Berjon said. He lashed out at a recent study by the Chamber of Progress (a group with U.S. Big T ech members such as Meta, Google and Apple) which put a €5 trillion price tag on a potential Eurostack. “It’s nonsense,” he argued, stressing
that Europe has many “pieces of the puzzle” already and this is just about bringing them together.

Europe’s poor decision-making: For the founder of German AI lab Aleph Alpha, Jonas Andrulis, Europe has been making bad choices.
“We make decisions while ignoring strategic externalities,” he said, meaning “we are choosing the short-term cheapest options” which allows tech giants to have a foot in the door, own the data, and drive
innovation until they can leverage their monopoly to sideline promising rivals. “The only path towards sovereignty is value creation, ” Andrulis claimed.

3 9 27

Sebastiano Toffaletti @sebastianobxl.bsky.social · Jan 13

How can Europe regain its #sovereignty and #competitiveness?
Here is a pitch on #eurostack: Europe’s best chance to build its own technology.
I contributed to this paper with @cristinacaffarra.bsky.social @robin.berjon.com, V. Bertola, F. Bonfiglio and K. Zenner.

euro-stack.eu/a-pitch-paper/

5 10

Sebastiano Toffaletti @sebastianobxl.bsky.social · Jan 8

What to expect from the year 2025? Early signs are alarming.
⛔️#ElonMusk mingling with elections in UK & Germany.
⛔️#Zuckerberg cancelling content moderation opening up all sorts of misuse of social media.
#Techbillionaires are the new world overlords.
Where is Europe’s political leadership?

1

Sebastiano Toffaletti @sebastianobxl.bsky.social · Dec 27

Are you looking for a #job with a #purpose in 2025?
✅ The European DIGITAL SME Alliance stands for a different technology ecosystem, where companies win not because they are dominant, but because their technologies suit the #people and the #planet.
Check out www.digitalsme.eu/about/vacanc...

1