this post was submitted on 06 Jun 2026
54 points (93.5% liked)

Europe

11287 readers
682 users here now

News and information from Europe πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Ί

(Current banner: La Mancha, Spain. Feel free to post submissions for banner images.)

Rules (2024-08-30)

  1. This is an English-language community. Comments should be in English. Posts can link to non-English news sources when providing a full-text translation in the post description. Automated translations are fine, as long as they don't overly distort the content.
  2. No links to misinformation or commercial advertising. When you post outdated/historic articles, add the year of publication to the post title. Infographics must include a source and a year of creation; if possible, also provide a link to the source.
  3. Be kind to each other, and argue in good faith. Don't post direct insults nor disrespectful and condescending comments. Don't troll nor incite hatred. Don't look for novel argumentation strategies at Wikipedia's List of fallacies.
  4. No bigotry, sexism, racism, antisemitism, islamophobia, dehumanization of minorities, or glorification of National Socialism. We follow German law; don't question the statehood of Israel.
  5. Be the signal, not the noise: Strive to post insightful comments. Add "/s" when you're being sarcastic (and don't use it to break rule no. 3).
  6. If you link to paywalled information, please provide also a link to a freely available archived version. Alternatively, try to find a different source.
  7. Light-hearted content, memes, and posts about your European everyday belong in other communities.
  8. Don't evade bans. If we notice ban evasion, that will result in a permanent ban for all the accounts we can associate with you.
  9. No posts linking to speculative reporting about ongoing events with unclear backgrounds. Please wait at least 12 hours. (E.g., do not post breathless reporting on an ongoing terror attack.)
  10. Always provide context with posts: Don't post uncontextualized images or videos, and don't start discussions without giving some context first.

(This list may get expanded as necessary.)

Posts that link to the following sources will be removed

Unless they're the only sources, please also avoid The Sun, Daily Mail, any "thinktank" type organization, and non-Lemmy social media (incl. Substack). Don't link to Twitter directly, instead use xcancel.com. For Reddit, use old:reddit:com

(Lists may get expanded as necessary.)

Ban lengths, etc.

We will use some leeway to decide whether to remove a comment.

If need be, there are also bans: 3 days for lighter offenses, 7 or 14 days for bigger offenses, and permanent bans for people who don't show any willingness to participate productively. If we think the ban reason is obvious, we may not specifically write to you.

If you want to protest a removal or ban, feel free to write privately to the admin that applied the rule (check modlog first to find who was it.)

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
all 40 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] Ooops@feddit.org 8 points 15 hours ago (1 children)

"The biggest hurdle in the negotiations was likely whether the new means of payment should function exclusively online or also independently of an active internet connection."

How can this even be a question? As long as governments don't give me free internet access and the minimum of required hardware making it online only would be rediculous. Either it's a working system for all citizens not just those who can afford it or it's a conceptional stillbirth.

[–] Mubelotix@jlai.lu 2 points 9 hours ago (2 children)

It is technically impossible to make it function without the internet. It's called the double spending problem and it can only be solved with some sort of global consensus state

[–] Ooops@feddit.org 1 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

How do banks work then? Transfers in cash? Or does that global consensus state in fact not rely on realtime communication?

[–] Mubelotix@jlai.lu 1 points 6 hours ago

Banks form a network. Information is easier to copy than raw materials. Optic fiber is fast you know

[–] colourlessidea@sopuli.xyz 1 points 8 hours ago (2 children)

How do payments on planes work?

[–] wizzor@sopuli.xyz 1 points 6 hours ago

Poorly. The transactions clear when the plane lands, and this is a significant headache for airlines. More modern airlines have satellite internet onboard for this purpose, but it costs a lot to install on an airframe.

Source: worked in payments and asked an airline head pilot.

[–] Mubelotix@jlai.lu 1 points 6 hours ago

You can scam the company, but if you do they know who you are and come after you. Which is not compatible with privacy

[–] KurtVonnegut@mander.xyz 11 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago) (2 children)

There is no "reject all" option for the cookies on this website?

[–] oats@piefed.zip 10 points 18 hours ago (2 children)

In Germany its legal to demand payment for reject all, that's what you're seeing at heise 🀑

[–] dubak@feddit.org 21 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 17 hours ago) (1 children)

It's illegal in EU. There is an ongoing complaint against Heise submitted to Data protection authority in North Rhine-Westphalia. Just because the responsible authority has been dragging out the decision for four years, doesn't make it legal.

[–] oats@piefed.zip 9 points 17 hours ago

Thought heise already won in lower courts. Tbh I dont care too much, I trust ublock way more than any reject button anyways

[–] dubak@feddit.org 4 points 17 hours ago

Heise.de is a crap source. Just downvote it. Barrier-free sources will be posted throughout weekend as they become available.

[–] HumbleExaggeration@feddit.org 6 points 18 hours ago (2 children)

Puh, the roadmap reads like a 5 year plan. I thought the digital euro was way closer to being introduced. Wasn't there news about it starting in early 2027 a few month back?

[–] HenriVolney@sh.itjust.works 5 points 16 hours ago

That would be Wero, a private alternative of some sort

[–] EatingOnions@lemmy.world 6 points 17 hours ago

As far as I know it was always meant to be launched in 2029

[–] leagman1@feddit.org 9 points 20 hours ago (4 children)

Looking forward to the digital euro

[–] comrade_twisty@feddit.org 16 points 19 hours ago (1 children)

I'll celebrate when I finally can ditch VISA and Mastercard. I already don't use them anymore domestically thanks to Twint, but as soon as I cross the border they are currently my only option (even for getting cash).

[–] leagman1@feddit.org 8 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago) (1 children)

Had to google Twint. It's a Swiss payment app, right?

If I got this right, the recent Wero should be its €-equivalent (edit: eurozone, not € per se).

The digital euro on the other hand - again, if I understand it correctly - is digital cash. So to pay with it, you'd have to have a specific digital pocket for it and then exchange Swiss franc for euro/digital euro.

[–] comrade_twisty@feddit.org 6 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

Yup, it's our home grown payment app that is widely accepted, from your local butcher and farm store to Mediamarkt and all major grocery stores.

Most of us have Euro accounts too, so exchanging money to use the digital euro abroad is no real issue. I go shopping for groceries and personal hygiene products in Germany once or twice per week.

[–] FlowerFan@piefed.blahaj.zone 1 points 16 hours ago (1 children)
[–] comrade_twisty@feddit.org 1 points 16 hours ago

Wow no, just no!

I am nowhere near that ugly town.

[–] iammike@programming.dev 11 points 19 hours ago (2 children)

I'm afraid this is just an excuse for mass surveillance. At least, getting rid of American services is definitely a win.

[–] john_t@piefed.ee 7 points 18 hours ago (3 children)

The EU is not the bad guy you are looking for. You are already being mass surveilled by Visa and Mastercard.

[–] HereIAm@lemmy.world 9 points 15 hours ago (2 children)

The EU are absolutely the bad guys if not kept on a short leash. I'm not very confident Chat Control would be stopped unless for the massive campaigning to educate them. They already want to weaken GDPR. Are we the US yet? No, but we all need to be very wary of the power creep. They are also looking into age-verification laws to protect the kids. Not all things EU are benevolent.

[–] Barbarian@sh.itjust.works 5 points 15 hours ago

Completely agree. I'm hugely supportive of the EU, the things it has accomplished and the future potential. However, blindly agreeing with everything it does with black and white thinking is how we sleepwalk into our own authoritarian dystopia.

[–] john_t@piefed.ee 1 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago) (1 children)

They are also looking into age-verification laws
They should! Call me old fashioned but kids really shouldn't be on Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, etc. It's just turning them into sociopaths manipulated by billionaires.

[–] HereIAm@lemmy.world 1 points 8 hours ago

Sure, I do partially agree with that. But give parents better tools to monitor or restrict what their kids can access. Don't make every citizens online activity trackable. Just look at Texas what "nothing to hide" logic gets you; arrested for seeking abortion.

[–] Ooops@feddit.org 1 points 15 hours ago

Oh, they are absolutely the bad guy we are looking for. Constantly working on undermining our privacy rights on behalf of lobbyists from US companies and organisations competing against those US companies now mostly in control of our data, is neither good nor pro EU souvereignity.

[–] dieTasse@feddit.org 1 points 18 hours ago

They are not... Today... I bet Americans said the same years ago.

[–] leagman1@feddit.org 1 points 18 hours ago* (last edited 18 hours ago)

Same. But if we somehow manage to make it not go to shit, it'd be just very strong and convenient imo. That's a big if ofc.

[–] HenriVolney@sh.itjust.works 2 points 16 hours ago

Well, the rollout is a bit sketchy but it looks like it could really work

[–] oats@piefed.zip 1 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Hopefully its not such a shit show like wero is now

[–] leagman1@feddit.org 1 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

Is it a shitshow? Afaik it's "just" super lackluster, missing vital functionality

[–] oats@piefed.zip 3 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

I have four accounts that support were. For each, its baked into the banking app. Each is totally different. While one can even generate qr codes for payment, the other only supports phone numbers from my address book, cant even input a number.

Oh, and it leaks my Iban if I actually pay with it.

[–] FiskFisk33@startrek.website 3 points 18 hours ago

Lol I can't get past the german cookie-wall