Wrongly imprisoned – when facial recognition decides people’s fate
An AI error cost an innocent woman nearly six months in jail for a crime she did not commit. Facial recognition identified her as …
Author
Peter Winnemöller
The Linux community clashes with new state rules
Politicians with little understanding of technology are putting free software at risk and unsettling open-source communities with …
Europe responds to soaring energy costs
Governments across Europe are taking action on high energy costs, though their approaches differ widely, with some opting for swif…
German chemical industry stuck in prolonged crisis
The German chemical industry, long a pillar of the country’s economy, remains under mounting pressure. New figures from the German…
‘We need more energy now – not only in 2040’
The U-turn by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on nuclear energy raises questions as Germany insists its nuclear…
Fewer church members do not mean fewer Christians
Every year Germany’s Catholic Church and Protestant churches publish new figures showing membership losses. The numbers make headl…
Child protection turns into digital ID checks in Florida
US states are following a global trend of restricting children’s access to social media. Yet the understandable aim of protecting …
Qatar arrests citizens over videos of rocket attacks
Qatar has arrested hundreds of people for filming missile attacks on the country, as authorities seek to retain control over infor…
Votes in the British House of Lords raise fears of a surveillance state
The upper house has backed measures that could turn the driving licence database into a facial recognition tool, prompting warning…
New UK internet laws raise fears of digital ID by the backdoor
Britain is pushing ahead with new internet rules that could require users to prove their identity online. Privacy advocates warn …
Germany left behind in nuclear power
In Paris, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen signalled a major shift back towards nuclear energy in Europe. German…
The rise of de-Googling smartphones
Alongside Meta and Apple, Google is one of the world’s largest collectors of personal data. Most smartphones run Android, tying us…
Chile moves to ban surrogacy
A few weeks after Pope Leo XIV condemned surrogacy as a violation of human dignity, Chile has taken a major step towards banning t…
Chats can now be manipulated in real time
The online platform Roblox is introducing a system that alters undesirable expressions in chats in real time. What recipients read…
How to lose a supposedly safe election
Manuel Hagel lost the election – and rightly so. Lacking a clear profile, he treated his strongest rival with kid gloves while rul…
UK government tracks millions of phones to identify electric-car drivers
Britain’s Department for Transport secretly monitored smartphone movements with the help of network operators to identify potentia…
In California, your computer wants to know your age
Once again the protection of minors is being used to introduce new mechanisms of control. California plans to embed age verificati…
Mexico turns the smartphone into a glass telephone booth
Identifying and locating anyone who makes a phone call has long been the dream of every totalitarian system. Mexico is now moving …
Germany’s growing reliance on foreign doctors raises concerns
A quarter of doctors in Germany do not hold a German passport. Language barriers and questionable qualifications are only part of …
Iran war hits global supply chains
Air strikes on Iran and the response of the mullah regime are disrupting transport routes around the Persian Gulf, a region vital …
Climate lawsuit against Mercedes and BMW
In a civil action against German carmakers, the environmental NGO Deutsche Umwelthilfe is seeking to ban the production of interna…
Two rulings in favour of free speech
In recent years, courts have repeatedly sought to treat statements protected by freedom of expression as criminal offences. German…
Where is the Church in Germany heading?
The German Church stands perilously close to division. Deep rifts divide bishops and laity. The newly elected chairman of the Germ…
Treasurers outline proposals to curb bureaucracy
Bureaucracy has become an intolerable burden on the economy. Reporting and compliance obligations dominate the daily routine of bu…
A Catholic guide to Christian–Muslim dialogue in Germany
The German bishops have published a handbook intended to support dialogue with Muslims. The new brochure offers foundational insig…
Heiner Wilmer is new chairman of the German Bishops' Conference
A member of the Priests of the Sacred Heart has been elected chairman of the German Bishops’ Conference. Bishop Heiner Wilmer has …
Legal aftermath of a cold night on a plane
Several hundred passengers were forced to spend the night in Munich last week in unheated aircraft without food or blankets. The i…
European Parliament recognises anti-Christian hostility in the EU
Persecution of Christians in Europe has largely been ignored. The European Parliament is now, for the first time, acknowledging ‘C…
No recovery in sight for German mid-sized businesses
The German economy is in the midst of a long-term structural crisis. Data from tax advisers confirm the trend and paint a bleak pi…
Ramadan lighting in several German cities
Ramadan is publicly recognised not only by church representatives but also by politicians. This year, Ash Wednesday fell on the sa…
One in five households in Germany does not speak German
German as a confidently spoken language is under pressure in Germany. One indicator is the language used at home: in half of Germa…
The victims of rape gangs are finally allowed to speak out
Reports of grooming gangs in England have been circulating for some time. Authorities and politicians had played down and covered …
President Macron wants more children
In France, more people died than were born last year. The Macron government has responded with a letter to young people. Other Eur…
The UN could run out of money as early as July
The finances of the United Nations are a constant topic of discussion. The global institution is once again facing de facto insolv…