⚡ News update on VDL's secret texts: The European Commission openly defies the European Ombudsman's call to stop auto-deleting the Commission president's text messages with EU leaders. It claims deleting texts was a "necessary cybersecurity measure". New scoop by @ftm.eu: www.ftm.eu/articles/eur...

EU executive will keep deleting von der Leyen’s texts, despite watchdog warnings

Follow the Money - Platform for investigative journalism

ftm.eu

Glückspielartige Mechanismen in Videospielen locken Gamer, darunter viele Minderjährige, Geld für virtuelle Objekte auszugaben. Die EU möchte der Spielebranche das Geschäft vermiesen - doch dagegen gibt es Lobbydruck in Brüssel. Koop @ftm.eu und @zeit.de: www.zeit.de/digital/game...

Lootboxen: Für einen Fußballstar wie Messi sparte sie sogar am Essen

Sie kaufen digitale Sammelkarten und verpulvern Tausende Euro. Viele Gamer verfallen den glücksspielartigen Mechanismen in Videospielen. Jetzt will die EU durchgreifen.

zeit.de

You might not know what a loot box is, but there's teenagers out there who will spent thousands of euros on them from their parent's credit card. Welcome to the fiercest Brussels lobbying battle you have never heard about, but which could completely re-shape the world of online gaming. 🧵

The EU is working on a law to curb some of the video gaming industry’s most controversial practices. But the sector’s lobbyists are fighting back against the proposed rules, and have found an influential ally within Brussels. New story with Yannic Hannebohn/Die Zeit: www.ftm.eu/articles/tec...

Tech giants fight EU crackdown on video games that push children to spend

The EU is working on a law to curb some of the video gaming industry’s most controversial practices. Campaigners warn that children are especially vulnerable to gambling-like features designed to enco...

ftm.eu

From today's FTM newsletter: www.ftm.eu/newsletters/...

She's been called "Israel’s most outspoken European ally". Now an EU watchdog is investigating the secrecy over Swedish MEP Alice Teodorescu Måwe's mystery donor after Follow the Money made a complaint. Full story (free to read): www.ftm.eu/newsletters/...

EU watchdog probes secret donor behind pro-Israel MEP

Follow the Money - Platform for investigative journalism

ftm.eu

Nur noch eine Woche! Hier wird das erste Jahr der Informationsfreiheit in Österreich von Expert*innen besprochen, Input aus dem Publikum ausdrücklich erwünscht, wird sicher sehr spannend. Kommt zahlreich!

Aufmacher@deraufmacher.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Klappt das mit der Transparenz, Markus Hametner? ⁩01.09.26 / 19:00 / Fischerstiege 1-7 SEE YOU THERE

Laut dem ungarischen Magyar-Medium "Kontroll" hat Sebastian Kurz 10.000 Euro pro Monat von der Modul Uni bekommen, die dem Fidesz-nahen MCC gehört. Kurz' Sprecher bestätigt eine "Kooperation mit dem MCC". www.falter.at/zeitung/2026...

Geld aus Budapest für Sebastian Kurz: Wo woar sei’ Leistung?

Ein ungarisches Parteimedium berichtet von Honorarnoten, die Ex-Kanzler Sebastian Kurz über Umwege an ein Institut von Viktor Orbáns Fidesz-Partei gelegt haben soll. Was ist dran an der Info?

falter.at

Die andere Frage, etwas schelmisch, wäre, ob nicht jegliche Aufzeichnungen mit dieser Brille unter das Informationsfreiheitsgesetz fallen.

Peter Bußjäger@peterbussjaeger.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Teile die Kritik von Matthias Kettemann an der Smartbrille Anzengrubers vollständig: unfassbar, wie kurzsichtig politische Funktionsträger agieren, nur um cool zu sein. tirol.orf.at/stories/3363...

Glasnost in Brussels? Last week, the Commission presented ideas to reform the EU's civil service, including the long-ailing transparency regime. But, while the paper acknowledged problems, it also made wild claims and used wrong figures: www.ftm.eu/articles/the...

The Commission’s transparency problem, in its own words

Follow the Money - Platform for investigative journalism

ftm.eu

The new Secrecy Tracker newsletter is out! 📄 Commission hides reports about Gaza destruction of EU-funded aid projects 👩‍⚖️ EU judges hide potential conflicts of interest 📱 Von der Leyen's texting under scrutiny - again! HT @investigate-europe.eu @euobserver.com Read: www.ftm.eu/newsletters/...

Commission buries Gaza audits as EU top court faces transparency backlash

Follow the Money - Platform for investigative journalism

ftm.eu

Just out! Our investigation on the CJEU: more than 40% of judges have declared interests in big companies (such as Total, Boeing, Merck, etc.) Some have worked on cases involving sectors, sometimes even companies, where they hold interest. More here 👇 #CJEU www.investigate-europe.eu/posts/top-eu...

News alert: Ursula von der Leyen’s in hot water over text messages once again! Just earlier this month, the European Ombudsman told her not to auto-delete texts. Today, the watchdog is opening an inquiry into how VDL handled a confidential group chat with Starmer, Zelensky, Macron and other leaders.

This move baffled quite a few people, as there appears doubt as to whether W is really all that open source. I asked the Commission to explain their decision to join a new social network without significant usership (effectively an endorsement): www.asktheeu.org/request/deci...

Decision to join W social network - a Freedom of Information request to Communication

https://bsky.app/profile/vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu/post/3moiosz24yk2j I wish to obtain any document that explains this decision, such as internal communication explaining the advantages of W, or conta...

asktheeu.org

Ursula von der Leyen@vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu · 3mo ago

Warm Welcome to all followers on W 👌 User friendly 🔓 Open source AT Protocol 🔒 Privacy preserving 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Humans only / No bots And 🇪🇺 European!

The big news of today's #Huaweigate vote was NOT that @europarl.europa.eu lifted the immunity of Fulvio #Martusciello ⚡ but that it refused to waive the immunity of 3 other MEPs, saying there could be "fumus persecutionis" meaning Belgian prosecutors would've tried to politically damage MEPs 🧵 ⤵️

Ursula von der Leyen and her fellow commissioners shouldn’t auto-delete text messages, the European Ombudswoman has decided. Even after Pfizergate, the EC President kept using the disappearing messages function on Signal to communicate with EU leaders like Emmanuel Macron. And that needs to change.

EU watchdog says von der Leyen must not auto-delete texts

Follow the Money - Platform for investigative journalism

ftm.eu

⚡ EU watchdog warns against mass deletion of leaders' texts📱 Ursula von der Leyen is under fire once again over her texting. This time, the European Ombudsman told the Commission chief to stop auto-deleting her texts with EU leaders. Read the scoop (gift link): www.ftm.eu/articles/eu-...

EU watchdog says von der Leyen must not auto-delete texts

Follow the Money - Platform for investigative journalism

ftm.eu

Tony Blair, who once led Britain into Iraq, is quietly trying to sell Trump’s Gaza to European governments. Here's how that is going (🎁 link): www.ftm.eu/articles/ton...

This is how Tony Blair became Trump’s Gaza salesman in Europe

Former UK leader Tony Blair has become a key player in Donald Trump’s plans for post-war Gaza. Blair is using his contacts and his non-profit to lobby European policymakers in a bid to build support for the US president’s Board of Peace, FTM has found.

ftm.eu

In case you missed our article about Manfred Weber’s (big fat Greek) raid on the European People’s Party, I just discussed it with @emmaduchatinier.bsky.social for the @ftm.eu podcast ⤵️

Follow the Money EU@ftm.eu · 4mo ago

Manfred Weber is one of the most powerful lawmakers in Brussels. Under his leadership, Europe’s top political family hired two consultants, and paid them more than €500,000 in six months. Journalist Simon Van Dorpe discovered this affair, and discusses it in our latest podcast episode.

Wer braucht noch Magazinjournalismus, @christinapausackl.bsky.social? ⁩28.05.26 / 18:00 / Fischerstiege 1-7 SEE YOU THERE

News update: As our story published, xAI quietly changed its contact address again, to another office in Estonia. I'm taking bets on whether, this time, their "office" is for real.

Alexander Fanta@alexfanta.bsky.social · 4mo ago

PHANTOM OFFICE: Elon Musk’s AI company xAI that runs X chatbot Grok has quietly moved its official European point of contact for users to Estonia – to a building whose owner says it has no contract with the company or its representatives. Gift link: www.ftm.eu/articles/elo...

PHANTOM OFFICE: Elon Musk’s AI company xAI that runs X chatbot Grok has quietly moved its official European point of contact for users to Estonia – to a building whose owner says it has no contract with the company or its representatives. Gift link: www.ftm.eu/articles/elo...

Elon Musk’s AI firm directs complaints to dodgy address in Estonia

Follow the Money - Platform for investigative journalism

ftm.eu

SNEAKY - on 5 June the Council of the EU is holding a non-public event at its Brussels headquarters to mark the 25th anniversary of the EU’s transparency law, Regulation 1049/2001. Yes, you heard that right – there’s a closed-door event to celebrate transparency.

In der Signal-Chatgruppe der EU-Außenminister*innen werden laut der EU-Außenbeauftragen Kaja Kallas wichtige Dokumente ausgetauscht und hochrangige Treffen vorbereitet. Auf eine IFG-Anfrage hieß es, diese Chats seien keine Nachrichten im Sinne des Gesetzes. /1

Wir suchen juristische Unterstützung bei der Bekämpfung einer mühsamen Entscheidung der Erstinstanz, die selbst jegliche teilweise Informationserteilung bei diesen wichtigen Kaufverträgen ausschließt.

Forum Informationsfreiheit@infofreiheit.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Da wir nicht erkennen können, warum die Leonardogeschäfte geheimer sein sollten, als die Eurofightergeschäfte wollen wir in Revision gehen. Sie sind Juristin oder Rechtsanwalt und haben Interesse, uns dabei zu unterstützen? Wir freuen uns über ihre Kontaktaufnahme: office@informationsfreiheit.at /3

Foreign interference online continues to be an issue for election integrity and it is not clear if social media platforms are better equipped now than they have been in the past. Happy to have contributed some comments for this article by @alexfanta.bsky.social on the upcoming Hungarian elections⬇️

Follow the Money EU@ftm.eu · 5mo ago

Ahead of Hungary’s elections, interference concerns echo Romania’s 2024 fiasco, where suspected Russian TikTok meddling canceled a vote. The Commission promised action, but critics say little has changed. Has the EU done enough to stop Big Tech from shaping Hungary’s future?

After reports about Russian meddling during the Romanian presidential elections, the EU Commission launched an investigation into TikTok. But more than a year later, and just days from a crucial vote in Hungary, the EU's probe is still open. What's taking so long? www.ftm.eu/articles/bru...

Slow EU TikTok probe raises fears of foreign meddling ahead of Hungary vote

As Hungary heads to the polls on Sunday, reports about Russia interfering in the elections are gaining urgency – and so does a European Commission probe into whether social media platforms are doing e...

ftm.eu

The whole social media ban for kids debate will become so much more fun when the kids realise that gaming platforms such as Roblox are likely classed as social networks (for instance, under the EU's Digital Services Act), and thus banned for them.

Correction: I got this yesterday, unfortunately. The agreement on the procedure is not certain, might even be rejected. Apologies, I made a wrong assumption.

Alexander Fanta@alexfanta.bsky.social · 6mo ago

🚨 News alert on the long-stalled battle to pick the EU's next privacy chief, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS). Sources tell me the Council and the EP's LIBE committee agreed on breaking the gridlock through a voting procedure also used for picking a seat for the EU Customs Agency.

🚨 News alert on the long-stalled battle to pick the EU's next privacy chief, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS). Sources tell me the Council and the EP's LIBE committee agreed on breaking the gridlock through a voting procedure also used for picking a seat for the EU Customs Agency.