"The purpose of this conference [28 January, Brussels, organized by Cristina Caffarra] is to make, insistently, one concrete point. That Europe needs to BUILD BUILD BUILD - aggressively, uncompromisingly, without more pensive hesitation and languid self-indulgence."

Conference site The conference, which is free, will be livestreamed (registration required)

"The purpose of this conference [28 January, Brussels, organized by Cristina Caffarra] is to make, insistently, one concrete point. That Europe needs to BUILD BUILD BUILD - aggressively, uncompromisingly, without more pensive hesitation and languid self-indulgence."

Conference site The conference, which is free, will be livestreamed (registration required)

The Bilanz article that cybernews refers to is quite insightful. Here is a Deepl translation:

W Social wants to compete with Twitter

A new social network aims to make Europe more independent. In the leading role: Anna Zeiter from Zurich.

Marc Kowalsky, Bilanz, 19 January 2026

For eleven and a half years, she was a key figure at eBay, responsible for all non-American business and, as Chief Privacy Officer, also responsible for data protection worldwide at the internet auction house. Now Anna Zeiter (46), a resident of Zurich, is taking a career step that could have geopolitical consequences: Zeiter is to build a European response to X, formerly Twitter. This is another step in the efforts to free Europe, at least to some extent, from its technological dependence on the US. Because if the conflict over Greenland escalates, Elon Musk will flood X with US propaganda. The new network is called W Social. ‘The W stands for “We” and the big questions in investigative journalism: Who, how, what, when, where and why?’ says Zeiter. And in English, the first V that makes up the W stands for Values, the second for Verified. The fact that W comes before X in the alphabet is certainly also welcome.

Zeiter describes the new network as a ‘better version of Twitter’: ‘Positive, respectful communication should be encouraged.’ Users must identify themselves as human beings. This prevents fake accounts and excludes bots that serve as multipliers of false reports or propaganda. W Social also wants to address the filter bubble problem: if desired, a certain number of posts for each user can come specifically from a different opinion bubble. All data is hosted decentrally in Europe by European companies. And, of course, W Social is subject to strict EU data protection laws. The beta version is scheduled to go live in February at the latest, and W plans to open up to the general public at the end of the year.

Right from the start, W has had prominent supporters: its advisory board includes former German Vice-Chancellor and Swiss citizen Philipp Rösler, Sandrine Dixson-Declève, Chair of the Club of Rome, Cristina Caffara, Chair of EuroStack, the association of the 300 most important tech CEOs, and two former Swedish ministers. ‘If the political establishment in Brussels posts on W instead of X, we will have already achieved a great deal,’ says Zeiter. ‘And with EuroStack, we will bring the tech world on board.’ The initial funding comes mainly from Swedish tech investors, including Ingmar Rentzhog, CEO and founder of ‘We don't have Time,’ a climate policy media and activism platform based in Stockholm. W plans to conduct a larger financing round later this year.

W will legally be a subsidiary of ‘We don't have Time’ and thus also based in Sweden, but the team is spread across Europe: Chief Commercial Officer Johan Sundstrand, a successful serial entrepreneur, is based in London, the tech team is in Ukraine, and offices in Berlin and Paris are planned. Zeiter herself will remain in Zurich. After all, the German-born entrepreneur has already passed the Swiss naturalisation test. Now she is just waiting for the green light from the federal authorities.

The Gaza Executive Board of the Board of Peace has three European members: Sigrid Kaag, Tony Blair and Nickolay Mladenov.

As a former diplomat (career at the United Nations) and politician (deputy prime minister of the Netherlands from 2022-2024 and leader of a centrist liberal party from 2020-2023), Sigrid Kaag's decision has de facto brought a semblance of respectability to this Board that makes it now easier for other European countries to join.

Am I the only one who is perplexed by this decision by Sigrid Kaag?

Very relevant to Europe, as Hungary will join and Italy is also very likely to do so (Meloni today: "I think Italy can play a leading role.").

Key phrase in this article"If [leaders of the 60 countries invited] "take part in the initiative, they will be personally responsible for participating in the destruction of the old world order."

Full article:

Dilemma of world leaders: To join or not Liza Rozovsky, Haaretz, 18 January 2026

On the night between Friday and Saturday, with a timing that showed total indifference toward Israel and its prime minister’s schedule, the White House released the composition of the executive board of the Board of Peace it has established, which is meant to manage the Gaza Strip. On Saturday night, an unusual response came from Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. For the first time, Israel’s prime minister declared that his position and that of his friend and patron Donald Trump are separated not by insignificant cracks but by an abyss. This was an official protest, a public and vociferous one, against the composition of the Board’s executive body. This body includes Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and none other than the senior adviser to Qatar’s prime minister, Ali al-Thawadi, who witnessed Netanyahu’s humiliation in the Oval Office last year, when he had to apologize to al-Thawadi’s boss, Mohammed al-Thani.

According to sources familiar with the details, Netanyahu was well aware of the bitter pill he would have to swallow. The composition of the executive board was coordinated with him. Moreover, Washington made clear its intent to declare a transition to Phase 2 of the cease-fire in Gaza and to the administration’s tight ties with Turkey and Qatar. Everything was reported and declared, nothing was concealed. And yet, it appears that the White House’s move embarrassed Netanyahu, catching him unprepared, both mentally and in terms of the media. This was a moment in which the absence of Ron Dermer, his White House whisperer, was greatly felt.

At the same time, it turned out, as reported in Haaretz, that Gaza is in fact just a speck – or a cornerstone – in the colossal edifice Trump is trying to erect: a coalition of world notables that will answer to him and handle problems and conflicts across the globe in its own way. As has been blatantly hinted in a charter document disseminated to leaders who were invited, this new way will be totally different than the bad way conflicts and problems around the world have been dealt with up to now.

It’s hard to argue with the fact that the last few decades, and mainly the last four years, since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, have proved that the regulations-based world order that was constructed after World War II has developed cracks. “Cracks” may be too weak a term. This edifice, which has been rattled repeatedly, is now like a ruin after a bombing raid, one which barely offers a few displaced people some refuge from the storm raging outside or from other tremors. Trump, of one mind with his emissaries and confidants, is now determined to flatten this edifice for good. Gaza as a parable.

The Board of Peace’s founding document includes some phrases indicating that it will operate according to international law, but when it comes to an administration that has imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court and its judges, and to a president who has not hesitated to take control of a Nobel Prize that’s not his, it’s clear that this is not even lip service, but an empty turn of phrase devoid of any meaning. The only law expected to prevail in the Board of Peace will be the wish of its chairman, Donald Trump.

The question now is which of the 60 countries whose leaders have been invited to join the board – according to a few sources that have talked with Haaretz – will indeed accept the invitation. Their leaders face a clear dilemma. On one hand, if they take part in the initiative, they will be personally responsible for participating in the destruction of the old world order. Moreover, they will in fact agree to subjugate the new world to Trump and his whims. Any decision taken by the Board of Peace and even its agenda will be subject to the ratification of its chairman. If he wishes to, he could set up other bodies that are subordinate to the board. He will be able to “fire” members of the board or extend their tenure. Those pulling the purse strings will also be pulling the board’s strings. This has been stated openly. Anyone contributing $1 billion to the board’s needs will have their tenure extended automatically.

Such a move means a high risk to the image of Western leaders. For countries belonging to the “global South,” which enjoy, even if only ostensibly, some equality with large and powerful states at the UN General Assembly, the attempt to construct a “competing UN” is akin to sawing off the branch on which they sit. Furthermore, at least for now, the U.S. is still a democracy. According to its constitution, the president is expected to retire after two terms in office. What will Trump’s megalomaniac Board of Peace be worth once he stops leading the strongest country in the world?

On the other hand, it’s reasonable to assume that there are some countries that will not be able to or want to refuse Trump’s offer. Examples of such countries are the three mediators who are guarantors of the agreement between Israel and Hamas – Turkey, Qatar and Egypt,each one for its own reasons, but mainly because none of them will want to relinquish having maximal influence on the situation in Gaza and on the conflict in the Middle East. Their official representatives, as well as that of the United Arab Emirates, are already on the Gaza Executive Board, but that may not be enough. On the other hand, there are those who assume that Saudi Arabia, whose Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was declared by Trump as the possible first member of the executive board, will forgo the pleasure.

Western states will also have to decide which is more important: respect (for themselves and the law), and possibly some elusive legacy, or short-term impact. Britain and France will in practice have to relinquish their heft at the UN Security Council if they join Trump’s board. But what in fact does their veto right give them in an institution that cannot pass any significant resolution due to the paralyzing balance with Russia and China? In any case, as of the time of writing there was no clear information as to whether France was even invited to join the board. Britain was invited, according to some sources, and, according to reports in The Times, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer intends to join. A Western source who spoke to Haaretz also predicted that if Starmer was invited, he would join.

The board’s charter contains an interesting clause, according to which no qualifications can be made with regard to the document. In simple Trumpese, invitees to the board can take it or leave it. They can make some additions to the document with the approval of a supermajority and with Trump’s ratification but only after they agree to join. It’s possible that the establishment of the board was announced on the eve of the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos in an attempt to increase pressure on the invitees. They will all be locked in one room in the Swiss Alps, where they will feel that they have to decide, the sooner the better.

Some sources say that Trump did not hesitate to invite to the board leaders of countries which are not known to be that influential, such as Salvador and Paraguay.

The one not invited yet is Benjamin Netanyahu. The move – which began on Wednesday with Steve Witkoff’s announcement of a technocratic committee, continued on Thursday with a tweet by Trump about the Board of Peace and culminated in the White House’s official declaration on the night between Friday and Saturday – garnered sweeping and almost enthusiastic support by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, as well as other Palestinian factions. Netanyahu let drop some statement about a “declarative move” on Wednesday. He later remained silent for three days.

On Saturday night he was already protesting. It seems that the role of Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar (and by implication that of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio) in this show is mainly ceremonial. Netanyahu’s protest, delivered through Sa’ar, was meant to minimize the event and not turn it into a head-on collision with Trump. Whether this is an attempt to rebuild Gaza or an attempt to disrupt the global order, Trump’s train is rushing ahead and all Netanyahu can do is wave from the platform.

Who is behind BuyfromEU?

Brandwise it is a complete mess.

They are everywhere but with a proliferation of names (e.g. BuyfromEU, BuyEuropean), websites, logos and instances on social (X, Bluesky, Reddit, Lemmy, digg).

Merel Reiniers wrote in Dutch newspaper NRC today about how Dutch media are starting to join Reddit as "one of the few platforms where you can still have substantive discussions". DeepL translation below 👇

Original article

On 3 January Michael Savage wrote in the Guardian about how Reddit has become the fourth largest UK social media site and a month ago I wrote about how European news sites are using social media [Reddit was not listed]. The Dutch are definitely at the vanguard.

#Reddit is still relevant after 20 years#

Discussion platform Reddit is built on anonymity and input from individual users, but is also attracting increasing attention from traditional media brands. ‘Reddit is in a transitional phase.’

Merel Reiniers, NRC, 13 January 2026

From users who voluntarily expose themselves (r/RoastMe) to people who explain complex topics to each other in child-friendly language (r/explainlikeimfive). Since 2005, the discussion platform Reddit has been a place on the internet where users can discuss all kinds of different topics, and it is currently one of the most visited platforms. It is built on anonymity and input from individual users, but at the same time it is also attracting increasing attention from traditional (news) media brands.

With Reddit pages for the programmes De Marker, Boos, Zembla and De Rode Draad (formerly De Nieuws BV), the broadcaster BNNVARA is looking for new ways to interact with its audience. Since May, the broadcaster has been exploring the platform as a place for “public discussions” and accountability. But BNNVARA is not the only one exploring the platform. NRC is also placing advertisements on the platform in the hope of reaching a new audience.

‘We feel that it is one of the few platforms where you can still have substantive discussions,’ BNNVARA innovation strategist Dennis van Brouwershaven told Villamedia last week. With their presence on the platform, the broadcaster would no longer be ‘just broadcasting from a stage, but would be among the audience’. This is important for building a new relationship with the audience, according to Van Brouwershaven. Reddit, which has long been known for the absence of traditional media, public figures and visible central moderation (this is often done by the Reddit communities themselves), claims to have around 116 million daily users and is among the top five most visited social media websites in both the US and the UK. The platform, which derives most of its revenue from advertising, is particularly valued by its community for the equal conversation between users. The fact that each user has a randomly generated name by default, avatars fill in the profile photos and personal characteristics are often not found on the accounts contributes to this.

‘Because most users are anonymous, people aren't afraid to be very open,’ says frequent Reddit user Robin Vos (39), who created his account 12 years ago. ‘You sometimes learn people's deepest secrets. In addition, all information is public, so there are no private groups, but there are very close-knit communities of like-minded people. But you can find people from across the political spectrum on the platform.’ Mark Deuze, professor of Media Studies at the University of Amsterdam, also sees the platform's openness as one of the reasons why it remains relevant after 20 years. ‘Where other platforms have relied heavily on advertising and other revenue models, Reddit has remained fairly committed to its community focus,’ says Deuze. ‘Reddit is also a social media platform, a knowledge platform and a kind of search engine due to its many functions.’

According to Deuze, it is the latter in particular that is driving traditional media towards the platform. ‘Reddit is very easy to find on Google, which increases the visibility and findability of media brands. In addition, the platform's own content is very easy to control, because media outlets can manage their own pages.’

Transition period

BNNVARA is still one of the few Dutch broadcasters with an official page on the Reddit platform, but Deuze believes that this will change soon. ‘Reddit is in a moment of transition, with more and more brands, celebrities and companies seeking out the platform. But having a presence on Reddit requires a certain tone or attitude, which can change over time along with the community. Brands therefore need to be flexible with their conventions and formats.’

Reddit user Vos has also noticed this transition. ‘I'm seeing more and more traditional media becoming active on Reddit. Some American newspapers are giving free newspaper articles to Reddit users. I'm also seeing Dutch newspapers posting more and more topics.’ Vos himself has no objection to this: ‘I would find it interesting if more journalists were active on Reddit, because journalists have the latest knowledge when it comes to current affairs. I remember the question being asked on Reddit before, and at the time it was fifty-fifty among users. The opponents mainly wanted to prevent large media brands from exerting any influence.’

Reddit is also not exactly the ideal place for media brands that mainly want to promote their content. The platform is not a fan of so-called reposted content, which makes it difficult for media brands to attract audiences to their own sites. Van Brouwershaven therefore tells Villamedia that the community remains their main goal: ‘The platform must offer added value for the broadcaster. That's why we ask for input on topics, for example, or why we are accountable for our journalism.’ Thijs Rösken, editor-in-chief of NUjij (the interactive platform of NU.nl), says he has no intention of appearing on Reddit. ‘With NUjij, we have our own unique platform with many active readers, which already fits in well with our interaction with the public, so we have no plans to follow BNNVARA for the time being.’

Deuze also hopes that media brands will primarily use Reddit as an interactive platform. ‘Reddit is a good idea if you want to take a slightly more edgy approach with your content, if you are truly open to the community aspect, and if you actively contribute yourself. However, Reddit is also becoming increasingly commercialised, so “enshittification” is also a risk here!’

As X could soon be banned in the UK amid sexualised AI images concerns, the obvious beneficiary will be Bluesky (a US public benefit corporation) and not Mastodon (whose software is owned by the German non-profit Mastodon gGmbH, now in the process of moving the project to a new foundation.)

The privacy approach of the microblogging service Bluesky risks being confused with that of the instant messaging app Signal (also based in the US, but run by a Foundation), as they are both led by outspoken women (Jay Graber and Meredith Whittaker) who are frequently covered in the media.

But they are really quite different: direct messages on Bluesky are unencrypted (as they are on Mastodon unfortunately) and the service collects quite a lot of personal data (see section 8B in their privacy policy), uses these data for marketing and “other purposes” (section 10), and shares them with “third-party services” and “business partners” (section 11).

As a European-based service, what is Mastodon doing to be seen (and chosen) as a valid alternative?

This would have quite an impact, not just on the UK but also on the EU. Is Mastodon ready for the flood? Or will it be Bluesky benefiting most?

In particular:

• Education Cannot Wait (Geneva, Switzerland)
• European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats (Helsinki, Finland)
• Forum of European National Highway Research Laboratories (Brussels, Belgium)
• Freedom Online Coalition (The Hague, The Netherlands)
• Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (Geneva, Switzerland)
• Global Counterterrorism Forum (The Hague, The Netherlands)
• Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (The Hague, The Netherlands)
• Global Forum on Migration and Development (Geneva, Switzerland)
• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (Geneva, Switzerland)
• Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (Bonn, Germany)
• International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (Rome, Italy)
• International Development Law Organization (Rome, Italy)
• International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (Stockholm, Sweden)
• International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (Malta)
• International Lead and Zinc Study Group (Lisbon, Portugal)
• International Solar Alliance (Paris, France)
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (Gland, Switzerland)
• Regional Cooperation Council (Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina)
• Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (Paris, France)
• Science and Technology Center in Ukraine (Kyiv, Ukraine)
• Venice Commission of the Council of Europe (Strasbourg, France)
• International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (The Hague, The Netherlands)
• International Trade Centre (Geneva, Switzerland)
• UN Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries (part of FAO, Rome, Italy)
• UN Conference on Trade and Development (Geneva, Switzerland)
• UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (Bonn, Germany)
• UN Institute for Training and Research (Geneva, Switzerland)
• UN System Staff College (Turin, Italy)
• UN Water (Geneva, Switzerland)

Europe readies digital infrastructure push in 2026

The European Commission plans to roll out a series of digital infrastructure laws in 2026 which aim at a single objective: reducing the EU’s reliance on foreign – chiefly American – technology companies.

Euractiv, 6 January 2026

Video presentation by Meredith Whittaker and Udbhav Tiwari of Signal on the dangers and risks of AI Agents.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ANECpNdt-4