Victoria Fox's Blog, page 136

Censorship on the Internet: Federal Government adopts international digital strategy

The federal government has decided on a strategy for international digital policy. It should aim to protect human rights on the Internet and ensure access to a free Internet without censorship. To achieve this, Germany should in future be more strongly represented than before in international specialist committees that promote these values. In this way, the federal government hopes to be able to help shape future standards and norms for regulating the Internet, for example in the design of the sixth generation of mobile communications (6G).

With this strategy, the traffic light coalition is reacting to the actions of other countries, especially China , which are using the work on international standardization to implement their own political interests. “The free Internet is in danger,” said Volker Wissing (FDP), who as Federal Transport Minister is also responsible for the digital sector. Authoritarian states are increasingly cutting off access to the Internet in order to censor unpleasant opinions and cut people off from information.

“Network blocks are attacks on human rights that we will not stand idly by,” said Wissing. “The Internet thrives on protected communication and uncensored access to information.” Currently, representatives of China in particular are represented above average in international committees that deal with Internet regulation, said Digital State Secretary Stefan Schnorr ( FDP ).

WTO trade rules as a model for standards on the Internet

To compensate for this, according to the Digital Ministry, the federal government wants to work more closely with other democratic countries in the technology sector. “We promote the exchange of knowledge on key technological fields, regulation and the economic, social and ecological effects of digital technologies,” writes the Digital Ministry. The partnership with the USA and neighboring European countries as well as partner countries in Africa is particularly important.

According to the strategy, the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO) could serve as a role model for the international standardization of norms and rules: “Transparency, openness, impartiality and consensus” are among them, as are “the inclusion of the development dimension”. The WTO rules are considered central to global trade in protecting the interests of small or poor countries against large trading powers.

In the strategy paper, the ministry cites, among others, the G7, the Freedom Online Coalition (FOC) of the Council of Europe and the so-called Internet Governance Forum (IGF) as examples of international organizations and committees in which the federal government wants to work more closely on internet issues in the future. The Internet is founded on open standards and the seamless collaboration of different systems.

Germany wants more of its own top staff in specialist committees

“As the federal government, we continue to advocate for the central role and future-proof development of established institutions of technical Internet governance,” the ministry writes in the document. For example, at the G20 level, according to the plan, Germany should advocate for innovation-friendly and people-centered rules in the digital space.

So far, filling corresponding positions in international committees has failed. State Secretary Schnorr admitted that Germany did not manage to appoint the director of technology and security in the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) in 2022. “This was also the first time that Germany had ever taken up such a leadership position in an international organization that is responsible for norms and standards in the telecommunications sector.”

The federal government will soon try to “place a person in a leading position” for a position in the area of frequency policy. The ITU is responsible, among other things, for standards for the use of frequencies.

The federal government has decided on a strategy for international digital policy. It should aim to protect human rights on the Internet and ensure access to a free Internet without censorship. To achieve this, Germany should in future be more strongly represented than before in international specialist committees that promote these values. In this way, the federal government hopes to be able to help shape future standards and norms for regulating the Internet, for example in the design of the sixth generation of mobile communications (6G).

SOURCE

Movistar, Orange and Vodafone launch Open Gateway in Spain today

Movistar, Orange and Vodafone will announce today the launch in Spain of the sale of APIs (small software programs that allow activating specific functions in 5G networks). The initiative is part of the Open Gateway initiative promoted by the GSMA, the global telecom employer’s association.

The goal is to allow companies that are developing applications and services that run on their mobile networks to adjust the functions of those networks to suit their needs.

It is about providing developers of services that operate on networks (cloud services, banks, TV streaming , video games, e-commerce, utilities or Public Administration services, among others) with a toolbox that is standard in everyone. And that these tools, the APIs, can be incorporated by those who develop these services to configure the functions and characteristics of the telecom networks, so that they better fit their needs.

To market these APIs, Telefónica, Orange, Vodafone and many other telecom operators are negotiating with large technology companies that offer services for third parties and that have thousands or hundreds of thousands of certified service developers, such as large public cloud companies, such as Amazon Web Services or Microsoft Azure or also Vonage, a subsidiary of Ericsson .

Before MWC

The idea is to launch the actual marketing of these services to Spanish clients – what is called exposing the APIs as on a digital counter so that they can be acquired by third parties – to show the viability of the API market at the Mobile World Congress ( MWC) of Barcelona, which will be held from the 26th to the 29th of this month.

This business niche is one of the hopes of telecom companies to achieve additional income to compensate for their declines in billing. Telefónica expects that it will generate revenues of 4,000 million euros in the countries in which the Spanish telecom company is present.

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Parlem achieves positive ebitda and reverses its diversification

The operator, which has put the renewable energy business up for sale, closes 2023 with record revenues of 49 million and the first positive gross operating result in its history.

Parlem yesterday presented an unaudited preview of its 2023 results. For the first time in the company’s history, the figures show a positive gross operating profit (ebitda), which exceeds two million euros , compared to losses o

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Spotify lost 532 million euros in 2023

The company beats forecasts for user and subscriber growth in the last quarter.

Spotify has beaten its forecasts for user and subscriber growth in the fourth quarter of 2023, in which it has returned to the red. The Swedish music streaming company expects to reach profitability this year, after recording the year

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Heura's 'vegetable meat' closes a round of 40 million and adds the owner of Flora

Heura Foods , one of the main Spanish companies of vegetable alternatives to meat, has closed a series B financing round of 40 million euros , the highest figure raised by a firm in its category in the last year. The op

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Vodafone Spain reduces its workforce by 10% by transferring 374 people to the parent company

Vodafone Spain announced yesterday internally a reduction of 374 employees in its workforce, which is equivalent to a 10% cut in the total workforce, which was around 3,800 workers and will now be made up of around 3,42

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Telefónica, Orange and Vodafone launch to sell network software

Movistar, Orange and Vodafone announced yesterday the launch in Spain of the market for software tools (called APIs) that will allow the network’s functionalities to be adjusted to the needs of application developers. This market

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IT security: Nancy Faeser opens new center for cybersecurity in Bonn

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In Bonn , Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) opened the new IT situation center of the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI). Specialists from various disciplines will monitor Germany’s cybersecurity situation around the clock and exchange information with national and international security actors, the Interior Ministry said.

At the opening, Faeser emphasized that the threat to cybersecurity was high. Cyber attacks by hackers and state actors are increasing, and there is also a risk of disinformation, manipulation and forgeries generated by artificial intelligence. “We are arming ourselves against these threats,” said Faeser.

The new cybersecurity system has ten workstations in regular operation and, according to the BSI, is expected to evaluate around 2,800 reports of IT security incidents and security gaps per year. In addition, it will become a national IT crisis response center in the event of special incidents or IT crises. In an emergency, up to 100 security specialists could work together in an orchestrated manner, the Interior Ministry said. In addition, depending on the threat situation, other bodies could also be involved, such as the National Cyber Defense Center.

Faeser calls for more cooperation on cybersecurity

“With the new National IT Situation Center, we have created the infrastructure we need to substantially increase cybersecurity in Germany,” said BSI boss Claudia Plattner. Next, the cybersecurity architecture in Germany must be improved, for which the BSI should serve as the central office. This means that a uniform and precise assessment of threat situations can finally be achieved.

Faeser also supported the BSI’s plans and called for better cooperation between the federal and state governments in the fight against cyber attacks. The BSI, as the central office, described it as an “indispensable component for our cybersecurity”. The Federal Ministry of the Interior and BSI have presented a concept to the states and are preparing the necessary changes to the law.

The BSI recently discovered around 70 new IT vulnerabilities every day. The greatest danger therefore comes from attacks with so-called ransomware. Data is encrypted and only released again after a ransom is paid.

In Bonn , Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) opened the new IT situation center of the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI). Specialists from various disciplines will monitor Germany’s cybersecurity situation around the clock and exchange information with national and international security actors, the Interior Ministry said.

At the opening, Faeser emphasized that the threat to cybersecurity was high. Cyber attacks by hackers and state actors are increasing, and there is also a risk of disinformation, manipulation and forgeries generated by artificial intelligence. “We are arming ourselves against these threats,” said Faeser.

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MásMóvil partners with SingTel to offer advanced 5G services

The telec or MásMóvil, which is finalizing its merger with Orange in Spain, has partnered with the operator Singtel (Singapore Telecom) , to launch an advanced 5G services platform called Paragon . The platform, developed by Singtel , offers

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Vodafone improves trend in the third quarter, before the sale to Zegona

The telecom operator Vodafone Spain improved the commercial trend of recent quarters in the results of the October-December 2023 period, the third quarter of its fiscal year that ends next March. Total income

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