eu, eu commission, eu data protection, gdpr, u.s., u.s. big tech

EU Data Overhaul: A Mixed Bag of Concerns for U.S. Tech Giants

The European Union’s plan to regulate data management is the latest blow for U.S. tech giants. The data localization initiative means that companies collecting critical data must store and process them within the borders of the EU. This will significantly increase the infrastructural costs of U.S.-based companies operating within the EU.  Local data spaces that ...

Michael Segarty

The EU flag.

EU Gives Thumbs Up to COVID-19 Vaccines

The European Union (EU) gives a thumbs up to COVID-19 vaccines. The recently approved COVID-19 vaccine jointly developed by Pfizer and BioNTech is to be used in its 27 member states. The approval was granted just a few hours after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) had green-lighted the vaccine stating that it meets the safety ...

Michael Segarty

A COVID-19 vaccination shot sitting on a map of Europe.

Uncovering Chinese ‘Friendship’ Groups in Europe

Europe has emerged as the new focus for the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) global campaign of political influence. It has in more recent years beefed up the use of its so-called “friendship groups” (youxie) to extend and deepen its influence in Europe. The latest example is the pro-China policy of Jan Zahradil,  vice-chair of the ...

Michael Segarty

The European parliament.

German Official Suppresses Negative Report on China

An official from Germany who occupies a high-ranking post has been identified as having suppressed an intelligence report that warned about China’s rising influence in the European nation. The German official was apparently afraid of causing damage to German-China business ties should the report be made public. China influence The report was prepared in 2018 ...

Nspirement Staff

The Reichstag building in Berlin, Germany.

How the EU Is Countering China’s Influence in Europe

In the past few years, the EU has had a complicated relationship with China. While the EU has been looking to strengthen its business relationship with the Asian nation so as to ensure that its own economy keeps growing at a steady pace, these efforts have not produced the desired results as China continues to ...

Nspirement Staff

The EU flag.

How the World Reacted to Hong Kong’s National Security Law

On June 30, Hong Kong’s National Security Law came into effect. The law, carefully designed by Beijing, completely erodes the autonomy of Hong Kong, basically putting an end to the open, democratic nature of the city. Unsurprisingly, world governments were not happy with the Chinese Communist Party’s intrusion into Hong Kong. How countries reacted to ...

Max Lu

Hong Kong on the waterfront..

EU Beats China in Electric Vehicle Investments

When it comes to the electric vehicle (EV) industry, headlines have always been dominated by Chinese companies, their rapid technological progress, market dominance, and so on. As such, it might come as a surprise to many that it isn’t China that’s attracted the most electric vehicle investments in 2019, but Europe. Last year, China only ...

Armin Auctor

Electric vehicle charging station.

China Forces EU to Accept Domestic Censorship

The fact that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has implemented a strict censorship policy in the country is a well-known truth. Chinese censorship aims to restrict any independent opinion, which is completely contradictory to the West’s support for individual liberty and freedom of the press. The only voice allowed in China is what the communist ...

Jack Roberts

Shenzhen Daily newspaper.

Canada Decides to Ban Single-Use Plastics

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that his country will ban single-use plastics by 2021. Referring to the plastic pollution problem plaguing our planet, Trudeau reminded us that we can no longer continue to ignore it. Banning single-use plastics In the announcement, Trudeau did not specifically mention which items will be banned. The government ...

Armin Auctor

Single-use plastics.

Iran Accuses U.S. of Using the Dollar as a Weapon

An Iranian official has accused the U.S. of challenging European Union sovereignty by using the dollar as a weapon. Iran is currently in conflict with the United States, unwilling to comply with America’s demands of a stronger commitment to prevent the Islamic country from developing nuclear weapons. The U.S. had pulled out from the Joint ...

Nspirement Staff