This week, the European Commission is expected to share its newly revised European Cybersecurity Strategy – nearly five years after the first edition was released. Five years is a long time in the digital world. As technology has matured to offer even greater opportunities for human progress and social transformation, the challenges of maintaining an ‘open, safe and secure cyberspace’ have evolved too. In this time we have witnessed a … Read more »
Niall Dennehy is the Chief Operations Officer at AID:Tech, which uses tamper-proof blockchain technology running in the Microsoft Cloud to make sure aid reaches those who need it most. AID:Tech delivers digital entitlements such as aid, welfare, remittances and donations transparently and efficiently via digital identity based on blockchain technology. If you’ve ever given money to a good cause, you might have wondered who exactly your donation is going to … Read more »
When it comes to deciding whether to hear an appeal by the U.S. government in the so-called “New York Warrant Case”, issues of privacy and data protection will be central to the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court expected this October. This particular case, also referred to as the “Irish case”, positions the U.S. government against Microsoft, in relation to a warrant issued during an investigation demanding cross-border access to … Read more »
Chinenye Ezeakor is an electronic engineering graduate working at Microsoft Nigeria, who has set up her own non-profit organization mentoring young girls in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Earlier this year she was selected for the European Development Days Young Leaders Program. To mark International Youth Day 2017, she shares her thoughts on how digital education can empower the next generation. I’ve wanted to be an engineer since I … Read more »
Somewhat surprisingly, the discussion about the #marriageforall has been refueled this week – which is a good thing. After all, the protection against discrimination for reasons of sexual orientation and identity is firmly established in the charter of fundamental rights of the European Union. Now is the time for Germany to put an end to the discrimination of same-sex partnerships and enable marriage for all. Because the success of our … Read more »
Skype represents a remarkable European success story. Founded in Estonia by a Swede and a Dane, it unlocked free and low-cost communications for the entire world. It is a perfect demonstration of what Europe hopes to achieve; a true digital single market player. Today, 500 million Europeans from Poland to Portugal can enjoy how Skype, and other Internet-based messaging services, allow them to send messages, make video and voice calls, … Read more »
When it comes to cybersecurity, issues such as data protection or data localization tend to dominate the headlines, as well as regulators’ attention. But a number of other developments are unfolding which have significant repercussions for the sector, even if they have gone largely unnoticed. These relate to two different sets of export control regulations. Last week, governments met in Vienna to once again discuss proposed multilateral export controls on … Read more »
Artificial intelligence and big data have the potential to revolutionize and democratize healthcare across societies. However, their use carries significant ethical implications. We must ensure that the right frameworks are in place so that new technologies help rather than harm, human welfare, and that we avoid missing opportunities to improve living standards. When it comes to technology, we have already seen successful applications of AI and big data in healthcare, … Read more »
How to create confidence in the digital world? We at Microsoft have joined the G20’s business dialogue process (B20) and will discuss concerns and responses to this question at the G20 Conference on “Digitalization: Policies for a Digital Future” taking place in Düsseldorf today, before the meeting of the G20 digital ministers. Digitalization and its impacts are high on the G20’s list of priorities for 2017. Digital transformation has become … Read more »
