Latest news with #StageOlsen
Euronews
17-07-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Tech giants can easily check age of child users, says Danish minister
The largest online platforms should not have any issues implementing looming age verification solutions, Denmark's digital minister told Euronews in response to heavy lobbying around online child protection measures by the tech industry. 'They are the biggest companies in the world, with a bigger economy than most of our countries could ever dream of. I think they will manage to find a solution,' Caroline Stage Olsen said. On Monday, Stage Olsen together with the EU Technology Commissioner Henna Virkkunen, said five EU countries – Denmark, France, Greece, Italy and Spain – plan work on a customised national age verification application in a bid to shield children from harmful content online. This app should allow users to easily prove they are over 18 when accessing restricted adult content online. In the long term, the Commission hopes to integrate age verification functionalities within digital identification tools, European Digital Identity Wallets (eID), which will be rolled-out next year. Big tech companies face increasing pressure to implement age verification tools to combat the spread of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The CSAM regulation, proposed in 2022 and currently under debate in the Council of the EU, also relies heavily on identifying minors online to shield them from predators. Some companies have now implemented AI powered solutions to tackle the problem, but Stage Olsen said that she is confident online platforms will find the money to work on the tools. 'I'm sure that they will manage to have hired some of the brightest heads in the world concerning technology,' she said. US tech giant Meta last year proposed a harmonised age verification and safety standard system for apps and online services to the Commission. If an underaged child wants to download an app, app stores would be required to notify their parents under Meta's proposal. The 27 EU member states are currently free to set their own rules for age verification and there are no EU standards, although some of the EU rules foresee improved age verification to protect minors including the Digital Services Act (DSA) and Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD). Denmark, which started chairing meetings of EU ministers this month, said it has put several child protection measures on top of the agenda during the country's chairmanship. 'I will use the presidency to put this on top of the agenda and set a clear, political ambition that can shape EU policy in the years to come,' Stage Olsen said. One way of making the tools mandatory would be introducing these measures in a planned Digital Fairness Act, rules the Commission will put forward early next year to protect consumers online.
Euronews
16-07-2025
- Business
- Euronews
EU should simplify its AI Act and digital rulebook: Danish minister
A European Commission proposal to simplify digital rules affecting the digital sector, slated for publication in December, should also cover the recently adopted AI Act and Digital Services Act (DSA), Danish digital affairs minister Caroline Stage Olsen told Euronews in an interview. 'I think it's important to underline that there are no sacred cows here. We should look through all of our digital regulations and we should all, all 27 member states, look into where we can simplify [them],' Stage Olsen said. Denmark took the helm of the rotating chairmanship of the meetings of the EU ministers this month, and will have to find compromises on legislation including all digital files until December. EU Technology Commissioner Henna Virkkunen previously announced that the Commission is carrying out a digital fitness check, which will result in an 'omnibus' simplification package set to be presented on 10 December. The EU executive aims to identify reporting obligations in existing digital legislation that can be cut to ease pressure on enterprises, particularly SMEs. The question remains whether that simplification package will also cover the Digital Markets Act (DMA), DSA and the AI Act, since the rules entered into force less than two years ago, and haven't yet fully come into effect. Stage Olsen said that it's important to consider where the AI Act may be imposing unnecessary burdens on companies. The Act aims to regulate artificial intelligence systems according to the risk they pose to society. It entered into force in August 2024, but will only fully apply in 2027. 'If there are certain aspects where there is room for simplification, or for making interpretations easier for companies, or to make fewer reporting demands, it would be stupid not to do so,' she said, adding that it's better that companies don't spend lots of money on unnecessary implementation. AI Act The AI Act and its Code of Practice – voluntary guidelines for providers of AI models such as ChatGPT and Claude AI – were subject to lobbying efforts as companies tried to get the 'simplest possible rules'. Earlier this month, CEOs from more than 40 European companies including ASML, Philips, Siemens and Mistral, asked for a 'two-year clock-stop' on the AI Act before key obligations enter into force this August, claiming they have only a short timeframe to comply. In addition, the US government as well as American big tech companies expressed criticism saying the rules hinder innovation. Stage Olsen denied that the idea of reviewing the AI Act had anything to do with the US position. 'It is about our ability to stand on our own feet. And then indirectly, of course, it has something to do with the US, because we have to keep up with them. If we want to lead in any technology race, we really need to wake up from our sleep and start doing something. We need to simplify the rules for our own sake, not for others,' she said, adding that everyone that operates in Europe needs to play by the European rules. On Tuesday the minister told lawmakers in the European Parliament about Danish priorities for this half year and said protecting minors online is on top of the list. 'I will use the presidency to put this on top of the agenda and set a clear, political ambition that can shape EU policy in the years to come,' she said, adding that Denmark seeks to make age verification tools mandatory. At the same time, the Danish Minister of Culture, Jakob Engel-Schmidt, announced on Wednesday that he aims to get support across Europe to introduce stronger protection against deepfakes after Denmark adopted a bill that will make it illegal to share digital imitations of people's personal characteristics.
Euronews
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Denmark seeks stronger platform rules to protect minors online
Denmark wants stricter enforcement of the EU Digital Services Act (DSA) as part of a range of proposed measures to better protect children online as it started chairing meetings of EU ministers this month. Caroline Stage Olsen, the country's digital minister, told the European Parliament's Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) committee on Tuesday that Denmark has put several child protection measures on top of the agenda during the country's chairmanship. 'I will use the presidency to put this on top of the agenda and set a clear, political ambition that can shape EU policy in the years to come,' Stage Olsen said. 'We will try to facilitate discussions to have a stronger legal framework to protect children online, for example related to the upcoming Digital Fairness Act,' she said, adding that this framework can help make age verification tools mandatory. Denmark will also push for EU countries to adopt a joint declaration on the protection of minors online during the informal telecom ministers meeting in October. 'The aim is to provide political guidance on this important theme,' Stage Olsen said. Another workshop held in Brussels by the end of the year will follow up on the political guidance and is aimed to contribute to the work the European Commission has done on online safety for minors. On Monday, the Commission presented further guidance to online platforms on how to protect minors, addressing issues such as addictive design, cyber bullying and harmful content. The guidelines under the DSA, EU-wide legislation that aims to combat illegal content and products, come after the EU executive opened a number of investigations into potential breaches of the DSA in areas related to child protection. Last year, it began investigating Meta's Facebook and Instagram because it suspects that their algorithms may stimulate behavioural addictions in children, as well as create so-called "rabbit-hole effects".
Arabian Post
25-06-2025
- Business
- Arabian Post
Denmark Takes Bold Stand on Digital Sovereignty
Denmark's Ministry for Digital Affairs has begun replacing Microsoft Office 365 with LibreOffice and is exploring wider adoption of Linux, citing a strategic imperative to reduce dependency on foreign software providers. Caroline Stage Olsen, Minister for Digital Affairs, stated that nearly half the ministry's staff will complete the switch this summer, with full implementation scheduled by autumn. While Windows remains in use, Office products are being phased out to reinforce national autonomy over critical digital infrastructure. The move follows similar local actions in Copenhagen and Aarhus, where municipal administrations initiated transitions to open‑source solutions to avoid potential disruptions linked to political tensions with the United States. Licensing costs for Microsoft Office rose by approximately 72 per cent over the past five years in Denmark, underscoring both the financial and strategic dimensions of the shift. Denmark joins a growing European movement toward digital sovereignty. Germany's state of Schleswig‑Holstein, for instance, plans to migrate some 30,000 public‑sector PCs from Windows and Office to Linux and LibreOffice by 2026. France has promoted 'cloud de confiance' models, while the EU actively develops initiatives like Gaia‑X and France's Bleu cloud to reduce reliance on US tech firms. ADVERTISEMENT Denmark's strategy goes beyond cost cutting. Its leaders emphasise 'digital sovereignty'—the capacity to preserve operational control amid geopolitical uncertainties. The migration aims to pre-empt scenarios where a foreign vendor might withdraw services over political disagreements, as occurred when Microsoft temporarily restricted access to the ICC prosecutor's email during US sanctions. Stage Olsen pointed out the need for resilience: 'We must never make ourselves so dependent on so few that we can no longer act freely'. The migration path combines caution with contingency. LibreOffice is being embraced initially; full Windows replacement with Linux is under consideration, but will depend on technical readiness. Stage Olsen confirmed the ministry will revert to Microsoft tools if disruptions occur. This pragmatic stance aims to balance innovation with continuity. Open‑source alternatives are being deployed across various digital functions. Alongside LibreOffice, Denmark is evaluating NextCloud for secure self‑hosted email, calendar, and file‑sharing services as a replacement for Outlook and OneDrive. Such tools empower users with direct control over data without dependence on hyperscalers. Implementation challenges remain, particularly around software compatibility, user training, and migrating legacy systems such as Excel spreadsheets utilising VBA macros. LibreOffice's support for advanced mathematical and data‑driven Excel functions remains a concern for many users, especially in finance and technical fields. Experiences from previous migrations—most notably Munich's rollback—underscore the importance of careful planning and staged rollouts. Microsoft is responding to these developments by introducing its 'Sovereign Cloud' offering across Europe, promising data residency, European-only administrative access, and encryption controls fully managed by customers. These services demonstrate the growing pressure on major tech vendors to align with national digital policy frameworks. Denmark's strategy fits within a four‑year digitalisation plan that prioritises autonomy, transparency, and resilience. The shift is expected to yield cost savings on licensing over time while ensuring readiness for evolving geopolitical circumstances. It reflects a broader EU ambition to rebalance technological power and foster homegrown digital capacities. Yet the outcome remains uncertain. Technical compatibility and user adoption will determine whether this effort succeeds or stalls. If Denmark navigates these hurdles effectively, it may provide a template for other nations seeking to assert control over their digital ecosystems and reduce strategic vulnerabilities tied to global tech dependencies.
