The U.S.-European Union Trade and Technology Council shouldn't be seen as a prelude to reentering talks for a comprehensive trade agreement, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai told the Institute of International and European Affairs webinar Wednesday. Though Tai said she would never say never about a new U.S.-EU trade agreement, she thinks the TTC "is quite a comprehensive approach to the most pressing issues," and said she's enthusiastic about its responsiveness to current trade challenges. The TTC held its inaugural meeting Sept. 29 in Pittsburgh, where it agreed to set in motion 10 working groups to address specific tasks before it meets again in the spring (see 2110010037).

Expanding manufacturing capacities with a “focus on end-sector needs” leads a list of Semi “recommendations” for bolstering semiconductor supply chain resilience in Europe, said the association Wednesday. Expanding Europe’s growth of semiconductor production capacities “must be guided by a clear, future-oriented approach,” said Semi. Amid the increasing demand for “advanced semiconductor components” in automotive, health, telecom and other sectors, Europe’s “mid-term strategy” to increase production capacity should be focused on end-user sectors “with strong presence in Europe,” it said. This will let European chipmakers “identify technological shortcomings,” and drive production of advanced semiconductors “in line with technological progress and evolving needs of industries in Europe and globally,” it said: The long-term goal is for European chipmakers “to secure 20% of global production capacities by 2030,” with a focus on promoting the manufacturing of “advanced technology nodes.”

As part of its increased economic initiatives in the Indo-Pacific, the Biden administration “should pursue agreements with binding commitments on digital trade,” while recognizing the region’s significance as “a hub of vital economic trade partners and a rule-maker in its own right,” blogged Michaela Wong, Information Technology Industry Council senior policy manager-Asia. “A more traditional digital trade agreement would enable the U.S. to secure those binding commitments, while serving as one of the most effective foreign policy tools for the administration to balance against China’s economic, diplomatic, and strategic influence,” said Wong Monday. “If the U.S. continues to lurk around the edges without initiating negotiations and enshrining strong digital trade norms, Beijing will certainly fill the void in discussions on trade, investment, and digital infrastructure.”

A European Commission proposal on semiconductors could emerge shortly, Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said Monday in an online Politico interview. The European Chips Act is needed because Europe must be able to produce more on its soil and export more chips, he said. The EC wants to ensure the right level of R&D and have the appropriate level of cooperation between Europe and its partners, he said. It makes sense for the EU to spread its chip investment across the continent, but boosting chip manufacturing requires capacity, a good level of stable energy and other elements, so ramping up production must be done where those factors exist, he said. The EC announced an industrial alliance on microchips, and Breton was asked whether that alliance would welcome companies like Intel from outside Europe. Europe must first establish its own strategy, he said: Once that's done, players from elsewhere will be welcome. On the Digital Services Act (DSA) and Digital Markets Act (DMA), Breton hopes to conclude the measures under the current EU French presidency, which ends July 1. Three recent developments are worrying European telcos, said European Telecommunications Network Operators Association Director General Lise Fuhr, who hosted the event. They're starting to grasp the effects of global technical turmoil, which will affect Europe more than the U.S.; American companies have launched a new initiative to conquer the "metaverse"; and operators more clearly recognize how today's tech power becomes unrivaled economic power, as shown by Apple's revenue. But telcos have reasons for confidence in the EU, she said: It changed its approach to new technologies and is less naive about big tech, as shown by the DMA/DSA; it has started to see the correlation between big tech and green issues; and policymakers are starting to view the tech sector as a growth industry rather than something to squeeze for revenue. Nevertheless, she warned, ETNO's reasons to be confident don't relieve its concerns.

Google and Facebook breached French data protection laws on cookies, the Commission Nationale de l'Informatique et des Libertes (CNIL) said Thursday. It fined Google 150 million euros ($170.2 million), Facebook 60 million euros ($68.1 million). The data protection authority said it received "many complaints" from users about the difficulty of refusing cookies on the companies' websites. Investigations found google.fr, youtube.com and facebook.com offered buttons allowing users immediately to accept cookies, but the process for refusing them required several clicks. Making the refusal mechanism more complex discourages cookie refusals and encourages users to opt into them, negatively affecting users' freedom to consent, CNIL said. Google emailed that it understands its responsibility to protect users' trust and is "committing to further changes and active work with the CNIL "in light of the decision. Facebook parent Meta emailed it's reviewing the decision and remains "committed to working with relevant authorities" to improve its cookie controls. Data protection is among key priorities of the EU French Presidency, which took office Jan.1. Its work program for the six-month term includes several digital technology areas, including personal data protection in electronic communications that will complement the general data protection regulation. Other priorities: Development of "human-centred artificial intelligence," boosting cybersecurity, and beginning work on a data act as part of a framework to enable data exchange while ensuring secure sharing mechanisms.

Europe's AI policy should be clearer on what uses are barred, said the Computer & Communications Industry Association Tuesday. The European Commission's proposed Artificial Intelligence Act (see 2108070001) is a "good starting point," but several provisions need tweaking, a CCIA position paper said. Among other concerns is that the definition of AI system is too broad and could encompass almost all modern software systems: "This broad definition, in conjunction with the vague categorization of 'high risk' AI, will overburden companies with compliance measures." Other criticisms included: AI use case prohibitions must be "very targeted" to ensure they don't inadvertently sweep in other uses; and the ban on remote biometric identification systems must clarify that it doesn't cover identity verification technology (facial recognition) used for such things as verifying customers when processing mobile payments. CCIA also criticized the way the draft law predetermines "high-risk" AI uses, saying that could hamper innovation and create a burdensome preapproval process for already heavily regulated systems or processes. Whether an AI use qualifies as high risk should be "based on its foreseeable impact" on people, and its capacity to make final decisions that materially risk their fundamental rights or health and safety, the paper said. It urged the EC to avoid imposing too many mandatory requirements for trustworthy AI on companies seeking to place systems on the European market.

The FCC World Radiocommunication Conference Advisory Committee will meet virtually at 11 a.m. EST Feb. 15, says Tuesday's Federal Register. It's the fifth meeting of the group, which coordinates industry input into U.S. proposals and positions for the 2023 conference.

The FCC Media Bureau granted iHeartMedia’s request for permission to be up to 14.99% foreign-owned, said a declaratory ruling Wednesday in docket 21-141. The Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the U.S. Telecom Services Sector gave iHeart’s request the nod in October. The radio broadcaster’s ownership request was triggered by the discovery that Bahamas and U.K.-based investor Global Media & Entertainment Investment had increased its stake. GMEI asked the FCC to allow it to own an even larger share of iHeart over iHeart’s objections but withdrew that request in November (see 2111040057). That left iHeart’s request unopposed, the Media Bureau said. The approval is subject to conditions requested by the foreign-ownership committee that are standard for broadcasters requesting such approvals, including a requirement to notify DOJ about collection of personal data.

Russia's launch of an anti-satellite missile last month (see 2111160063) was a demo -- not a test -- of its military capabilities, blogged Larry Press, a professor of information systems at California State University, Dominguez Hills, Sunday. The debris from the satellite's destruction won't have cataclysmic effects in orbit, "but it reflects a defiant, irrational attitude that threatens the space commons," he said.

ICANN shortened its ICANN73 virtual community forum to four days "to support better working hours for attendees and encourage greater participation," it announced Friday. Originally slated to begin March 5, it will now run March 7-10. The prep week schedule for the meeting was changed to Feb. 22-24.