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Towards Planet Proof Computing: Law and Policy of Data Centre Sustainability in the European Union download
Abstract
Our society’s growing reliance on digital technologies such as AI incurs an ever-growing ecological footprint. The EU regulation of the data centre sector aims to achieve climate-neutral, energy-efficient and sustainable data centres by no later than 2030. This article unpacks the EU law and policy which aims on improving energy efficiency, recycling equipment and increasing reporting and transparency obligations. In 2025 the Commission will present a report based on information reported by data centre operators and in light of the new evidence review its policy. Further regulation should aim to translate reporting requirements into binding sustainability targets to contain rebound effects of the data centre industry while strengthening the public value orientation of the industry.
Artificial intelligence, digitalisation, EU law
RIS
Bibtex
Media concentration 2.0: Regulating platform opinion power in a concentrated digital media ecosystem external link
Abstract
This dissertation examines how regulation addresses the evolving challenges of opinion power and media concentration, with platforms becoming increasingly dominant actors in the media. Through an interdisciplinary approach, it explores regulatory strategies aimed at tackling media concentration, focusing on the central research question: How should and could platform opinion power and digital media concentration be regulated in Europe? The research identifies a shift in opinion power from legacy media to platforms across three levels—individual citizens, institutional newsrooms, and the broader media ecosystem—each impacted by platforms' economic, technological, and political power. Based on a thorough normative assessment of the constitutional foundations of media concentration laws, the dissertation analyses the legal challenges related to such power shifts in the media. At the individual level, platforms' algorithmic control over content raises concerns about autonomy, privacy, and freedom of expression. At the institutional level, platforms’ influence within news organisations—particularly through the provision of technologies and digital infrastructure—affects editorial independence and the economic sustainability of journalism. Finally, at the ecosystem level, platforms exert systemic opinion power, enabling the creation of dependencies and influence over other democratic actors. This poses significant risks to media pluralism and the democratic distribution power. The dissertation finds that traditional media concentration laws inadequately address these shifts. While the new EU regulatory framework offers valuable provisions in filling these gaps, it falls short of addressing the root causes of digital media concentration. The dissertation calls for a rethinking of regulatory strategies to better align with public interest values, media pluralism, and the evolving role of platforms in the digital landscape, providing insights for future policy development.
media concentration, Media law, platform regulation
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Digital piracy in times of Covid-19
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the consumption patterns of cultural goods. Using novel data from a consumer survey conducted in January 2022 across 14 countries, we address two key issues. First, we provide a descriptive analysis of changes in the consumption of four cultural goods—music, films and series, games, and books—focusing on shifts between legal and illegal consumption. Second, we reassess the relationship between digital piracy and legal sales, with a particular emphasis on age differences. Our findings reveal that among those who engaged in illegal consumption during the pandemic, 6–8% were new pirates, primarily individuals who experienced income reductions and increased time at home due to the shift to remote work or schooling. Among adults, these disruptions were linked to a decline in legal sales of music and games. In contrast, the displacement of legal audiovisual consumption was observed only among adults who continued working in person. Minors displayed different patterns: for them, illegal consumption was negatively associated with legal book consumption but positively linked to legal audiovisual consumption.
Links
piracy
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Copyright’s critical mess: music metadata external link
Annotatie bij Landgericht Hamburg 27 september 2024 (Kneschke / LAION) download
Abstract
Eerste vonnis in Europa over de TDM-beperkingen in art. 3 en 4 DSM-richtlijn. Het downloaden door LAION van een op een website aangetroffen foto voor het samenstellen van een dataset die gebruikt kan worden voor AItrainingsdoeleinden is op grond van (de Duitse implementatie van) art. 3 DSM-Rl toegestaan, omdat LAION als onderzoeksinstelling zonder winstoogmerk kwalificeert en het downloaden ertoe dient om de gegevens in de dataset te verifiëren. Daarbij is aan de driestappentoets voldaan. In obiter dictum overweegt het Landgericht dat een voorbehoud als bedoeld in art. 4 lid 3 DSM-Rl door een licentiehouder rechtsgeldig kan worden gemaakt, en dat – afhankelijk van de stand van de techniek – een
in natuurlijke taal gestelde gebruiksbeperking op een site als een “machine-leesbaar” voorbehoud zou kunnen gelden.
Case notes
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Annotatie bij Hof van Justitie van de Europese Unie 4 oktober 2024 (ND / DR) download
Annotatie bij Hof van Justitie van de Europese Unie 4 juli 2023 (Meta Platforms / Bundeskartellamt) download
The rise of technology courts, or: How technology companies re-invent adjudication for a digital world
Abstract
The article “The Rise of Technology Courts” explores the evolving role of courts in the digital world, where technological advancements and artificial intelligence (AI) are transforming traditional adjudication processes. It argues that traditional courts are undergoing a significant transition due to digitization and the increasing influence of technology companies. The paper frames this transformation through the concept of the “sphere of the digital,” which explains how digital technology and AI redefine societal expectations of what courts should be and how they function.
The article highlights that technology is not only changing the materiality of courts—moving from physical buildings to digital portals—but also affecting their symbolic function as public institutions. It discusses the emergence of AI-powered judicial services, online dispute resolution (ODR), and technology-driven alternative adjudication bodies like the Meta Oversight Board. These developments challenge the traditional notions of judicial authority, jurisdiction, and legal expertise.
The paper concludes that while these technology-driven solutions offer increased efficiency and accessibility, they also raise fundamental questions about the legitimacy, transparency, and independence of adjudicatory bodies. As technology companies continue to shape digital justice, the article also argues that there are lessons to learn for the role and structure of traditional courts to ensure that human rights and public values are upheld.
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Artificial intelligence, big tech, digital transformation, digitisation, justice, values
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The paradox of lawful text and data mining? Some experiences from the research sector and where we (should) go from here external link
Abstract
Scientific research can be tricky business. This paper critically explores the 'lawful access' requirement in European copyright law which applies to text and data mining (TDM) carried out for the purpose of scientific research. Whereas TDM is essential for data analysis, artificial intelligence (AI) and innovation, the paper argues that the 'lawful access' requirement in Article 3 CDSM Directive may actually restrict research by complicating the applicability of the TDM provision or even rendering it inoperable. Although the requirement is intended to ensure that researchers act in good faith before deploying TMD tools for purposes such as machine learning, it forces them to ask for permission to access data, for example by taking out a subscription to a service, and for that reason provides the opportunity for copyright holders to apply all sorts of commercial strategies to set the legal and technological parameters of access and potentially even circumvent the mandatory character of the provision. The paper concludes by drawing on insights from the recent European Commission study 'Improving access to and reuse of research results, publications and data for scientific purposes' that offer essential perspectives for the future of TDM, and by suggesting a number of paths forward that EU Member States can take already now in order to support a more predictable and reliable legal regime for scientific TDM and potentially code mining to foster innovation.
Links
Artificial intelligence, CDSM Directive, Copyright, Text and Data Mining (TDM)