Meta has been banned from launching features on Facebook and Instagram that would have collected data on voters in Spain using the social networks ahead of next month’s European Elections. The local data protection authority, the AEPD, has used emergency powers to protect local users’ privacy. Meta confirmed to TechCrunch it has complied with the […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only ..read more

Battery recycling startups have emerged in Europe in a bid to tap into the next big opportunity in the EV market: battery waste.  Among them is Cylib, a German-based startup with a pitch automakers may find financially compelling. The company says it can extract pure forms of all materials in a battery using a fraction […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only ..read more

Agritech company Iyris helps growers across eleven countries globally increase crop yields, reduce input costs, and extend growing seasons. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only ..read more

After the Wirecard scandal, Germany’s financial regulator BaFin started to look more closely at young fintech startups that wanted to grow at a rapid pace — it’s better to be safe than sorry. In particular, N26, a Berlin-based banking startup that raised hundreds of millions of euros and quickly became a unicorn, has had a […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only ..read more

Spotify has hiked its premium subscription in France by an eye-watering €0.13, in response to a new music-streaming tax. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only ..read more

The European Union has taken the wraps off the structure of the new AI Office, the ecosystem-building and oversight body that’s being established under the bloc’s AI Act. The risk-based regulatory framework for artificial intelligence is expected to enter into force before the end of July — following the regulation’s final approval by EU lawmakers […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only ..read more

The deal will give LumApps a big nest egg to make acquisitions and scale its business. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only ..read more

Ledger, a French startup mostly known for its secure crypto hardware wallets, has started shipping new wallets nearly 18 months after announcing the latest Ledger Stax devices. The updated wallet features an E-Ink display and has been designed in partnership with Tony Fadell, one of the main designers behind the iPod. E-Ink technology is generally […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only ..read more

A data protection taskforce that’s spent over a year considering how the European Union’s data protection rulebook applies to OpenAI’s viral chatbot, ChatGPT, reported preliminary conclusions Friday. The top-line takeaway is that the working group of privacy enforcers remains undecided on crux legal issues, such as the lawfulness and fairness of OpenAI’s processing. The issue […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only ..read more

Venture investment into Spanish startups also held up quite well, with €2.2 billion raised across some 850 funding rounds. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only ..read more