Google fined
France has fined tech giant Google €50m for granting advertisers access to users’ personal data in breach of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The national commission on IT and freedom (CNIL) slapped Google with the fine on Monday for “lack of transparency, inadequate information and lack of valid consent regarding advert personalisation”. Google said it was studying the decision to determine its next steps. More on this from euronews, The Guardian and politico.
Plan b
The Brexit bus remains stalled in the UK where on Monday prime minister Theresa May made concessions in a new version of the withdrawal agreement. The new proposal would scrap settlement fees for EU citizens in the UK, according to euronews. Opposition party Labour, meanwhile, has called for a vote that could spark a second referendum, reports Bloomberg. May rejected this idea, saying it would threaten Britain’s “social cohesion”, writes The Guardian.
Clouds over global economy
The International Monetary Fund has warned that escalating trade tensions between the US and China could undermine global economic growth. In its report it predicts 3.5% world growth in 2019, revised down from 3.7% last October. Other uncertainties include Brexit, China’s slowdown and Iran sanctions. More on this from BBC news.
European elections
With the deadline for registering to vote in this year’s European elections approaching, politico offers a snapshot of what’s changed in the past five years. Based on polls and its expertise, it lists the new kids on the block, which in the Czech Republic include the national Pirate Party. Politico also considers the risks of the next European elections being hacked in this interesting story.
Oil pipeline deaths
The number of people killed following Friday’s fuel pipeline explosion in central Mexico rose to 91 on Monday, Reuters reports. The pipeline had been ruptured by suspected oil thieves, who struck after severe fuel shortages in Mexico. The leak prompted hundreds of people to rush to collect fuel who were then caught in the explosion. Petroleos Mexicanos said its team followed protocol.
Ship fires
11 people have died in a fire on two cargo vessels in the Black Sea near Crimea. BBC news reports that the fire broke out when one vessel was transferring fuel to another, forcing crew members to jump overboard. It said the two boats appeared on a US Treasury list as possible targets for sanctions over petroleum shipments to Syria. More on this from The Guardian.