ban

has decided to ban its next-generation humanoid robots

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The US knows what it feels like when China controls a critical resource and decides to use it as leverage at the negotiating table. It has happened with rare earths and other strategic minerals, and he does not want it to be repeated either with robotics or with power electronics that sustains your data centers of artificial intelligence (AI). This is the scenario in which the Government led by Donald Trump has decided to act before this dependency becomes a vulnerability. The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) yesterday announced new restrictions that prohibit the import of new-generation Chinese humanoid robots and quadruped robots, as well as connected power inverters. The latter are the equipment that links renewable energy sources and batteries with the electrical grid and data centers. This measure only affects new and not yet authorized models, but the FCC reserves the power to revoke authorizations that have already been granted. The underlying fear is not only economic. The US Administration wants to avoid a cyberespionage campaign linked to the Chinese Government similar to the operation Volt Typhoon 2023, after several agencies have concluded that connected robotics and inverters represent vulnerabilities capable of exposing critical infrastructure to espionage or a blackout. Manufacturers, however, will be able to request conditional approval through an FCC process overseen by the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security, in a scheme modeled on that which already exists for drones. The US fears the mass adoption of Chinese robots John Moolenaar, a Republican congressman who chairs the House Select Committee on China, has celebrated this decision: “Protect our country and strengthen our nation’s robotics industry.” China is by far the world’s largest manufacturer of power inverters, with Sungrow Power Supply and Huawei leading the way (the latter already strongly sanctioned by the US), and has been gaining share in the Western market with a very aggressive strategy of lowering prices. Some analysts foresee mass adoption of humanoid robots equipped with AI-based “brains” On the other hand, some analysts foresee a mass adoption of humanoid robots equipped with AI-based “brains”, while the accelerated construction of data centers in the US will depend on a reliable supply of inverters. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent I had already warned separately that Chinese AI companies could face US sanctions for intellectual property theft. After yesterday’s measures, the FCC is expected to exempt numerous non-Chinese suppliers from these restrictions, as it already did with the recent bans on drones and routers foreigners. The logic is always the same: close the door to Beijing without also closing it to its own industrial allies. We will see what impact these measures have on the trade conflict between the US and China. Image | UBTech Robotics More information | Nikkei Asia In Xataka | US robot manufacturers have asked their government for help. If they don’t get it, China will win this race

France becomes the first European country to ban networks for children under 15 years of age. September will be the litmus test

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For years, opening an account on a social network has been as simple as writing an email, choosing a password and declaring a date of birth. In France, this routine is scheduled to change on September 1 for those under 15 years of age. The ban has already passed Parliamentbut turning it into something that works will require answering much more difficult questions: how to verify the age of users, what information they will be asked to prove it, and what will happen with services that do not only serve to publish photos or videos. That’s where the real test begins. An overwhelming majority. The decision was supported this Tuesday by the two French chambers: 243 senators voted in favor and only 2 againstwhile the National Assembly approved the text by 279 votes to 81. Emmanuel Macron, one of its main promoters, celebrated that France has become the first European country to approve a ban of this scope. The deployment is divided into two periods: new accounts will be banned from September 1 and the restriction will apply to existing ones from January 2027. Of course, the calendar may still be conditioned by the Constitutional Council. A ban without a closed list. The text does not list the affected platforms one by one, but refers to the European definitions of “online platform” and “online social networking service.” TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat appear as the clearest cases, but the border becomes less evident in YouTube, WhatsApp, Reddit or Roblox, where social functions coexist with other uses. As explained by representative Laure Millerin some cases the control will only reach certain tools. Digital encyclopedias and educational or scientific directories are expressly excluded. Platforms will take over. The text does not provide for fines or other sanctions for minors or their parents. The responsibility will fall on the companies, which must verify the age of their users, prevent new registrations that violate the limit and close the affected accounts when the transitional period ends. The Minister of Digital Affairs, Anne Le Hénanff, maintains that The deadline is realistic because verification tools already exist and others continue to be developed. September will be the litmus test. The date leaves the platforms just a few weeks of summer to convert the legal obligation into controls that work from the beginning of the course. The difficulty lies not only in detecting minors, but also in verifying that the rest of the users exceed the limit without creating a process that is impossible to manage. During the debate, several parliamentarians questioned that a system of this complexity could be operational so quickly and warned of possible ways to avoid it, taking the case of Australia as an example. Privacy is also at stake. Checking whether a person has turned 15 should not necessarily require them to reveal their entire identity. One of the alternatives proposed by the sector consists in transferring the verification to the phone itself, instead of requesting documents separately in each application. The approach seeks to reduce the circulation of personal information between different services, although the sources do not detail how it would work or what data each actor would keep. France must prevent access by minors without turning the solution into a new source of sensitive data. Spain prepares its own ban. Pedro Sánchez announced on February 3, 2026 that his Government would promote the prohibition of access to social networks for those under 16 years of age and would require effective age verification systems. The Executive explained earlier this month that had presented amendments to incorporate the measure into the Organic Law Project for the protection of minors in digital environments. At the time of writing this article, the initiative is still in the Congressional Justice Commission, in the report phase. Approving the text was just the beginning. France has been the first European country to bring such a ban to parliamentary approval, after Australia led the way on a global scale. Spain is in a different phase and its proposal can still change during processing, but the underlying problem is shared: transforming a minimum age into an effective control that is proportionate to privacy. Images | Pixabay | Mohamed Jamil Latrach In Xataka | The EU has hit AliExpress with a record fine. And make it clear that the next one could be even bigger.

A heat wave is about to “scorch” all of Europe. So France has been the first to open a melon: ban alcohol

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The summer of 2026 has started in a big way, with much of Europe charredthermometers climbing to record values and governments wondering how on earth to tackle the risks that the heatwave has for the health of the population. In France they have been clear: declaring war on alcohol. With dozens of regions On red alert due to extreme heat, the French authorities have decided to put limits on the consumption of beer, wine and cocktails. It may seem shocking in a world that usually goes for beers (or drinks) to cool off, but it makes all the sense in the world. And for several reasons. Europe is burning. It may sound exaggerated, but if at any time it is justified to talk about temperatures scorching in Europe it is now. In Spain the first heat wave of the summer has sent the mercury skyrocketing above 40º in several parts of the country and the situation is not much better in other parts of Europe, such as Germany, Italy, United Kingdom or Belgium, where thermometers have reached (or easily exceeded) 30 degrees. Beyond the weather reports, the heat has already forced sports events to be cancelled, interrupt rail services or launch alerts. The objective: avoid episodes like the one in the summer of 2023, when another extreme heat wave left more than 62,000 dead in Europe. This same Sunday, Madrid decided, for example, to suspend the broadcast of the match with Saudi Arabia on the XXL screen in the Plaza de Colón. The reason: the forecast before 39ºC was reached. Like a ‘frying pan’. Another country that has not been spared from the heatwave is France. Over there 53 million people They were yesterday in areas with first or second level heat alerts. In fact, the country left an unpublished image: 35 of its 96 continental departments were on red alert and another 45 on orange. Faced with such a panorama, the authorities have decided to close at least 845 schools and adapt the schedules of hundreds of other centers to avoid the hottest hours. And that is just one of the measures activated by the Government. In Paris, for example, the Prefecture asked to the organizers of outdoor sporting events to cancel their tests in order to avoid unnecessary risks. An “explosive” mix. In France the Government encountered more than just heat. The dog days coincided there, among other events, with the Fête de la Musiquea festive day during which open-air concerts are organized and thousands of people celebrate in style in the streets, squares and parks. “Heat wave and Music Festival: an explosive combination that worries law enforcement agencies,” titled yesterday one of his chronicles on the BFM channel before remembering that Météo-France has extended the red alert to 49 departments. Stop alcohol. That parks are opened, classes suspended or races postponed to combat the heat wave is hardly surprising. What is most striking is another of the measures adopted in France: restrict the alcohol. As reports the France24 networkthe French authorities decided to ban drinking in public spaces in certain departments of the country, especially affected by the extreme heat wave. The sales restrictions lasted between early Sunday and Mondaywith the sight set especially at the Fête de la Musique and other celebrations planned throughout the country. Closed bars. “The prefects will issue decrees prohibiting the consumption of alcohol in public spaces in the departments on red alert,” the Government warned in a statementin which it also warned that events organized by the State itself and its agencies would close their bars. As if the message were not strong enough, the mayor of Paris warned to his neighbors about the risks of excessive drinking: “The combination of alcohol, heat and proximity of water are three factors that do not mix.” But… Why? The decision may seem shocking, but it makes perfect sense. And for several reasons. To begin with, by restricting alcohol consumption, especially during a day marked by street parties and concerts, the Government has wanted “preserve emergency services and medical care” and that “health personnel focus on caring for the most vulnerable.” In short: fewer drinking-related emergencies (falls, drownings, comas, fights…) so as not to neglect the real priority: the heatwave. In Paris, where the alert was activated, consumption was banned of strong drinks, such as high-proof beers, liqueurs or fortified wines, on the banks of the Seine and the Canal Saint-Martin precisely to avoid ‘scares’. Those who wanted to drink had to go to licensed bars, pubs or cafes. “Without realizing it”. There is another reason why the decision of the French authorities is totally logical. As explained on Saturday in France Info the Minister of Health, Stéphanie Rist, by drinking a beer or a glass of wine we may have the impression that we are cooling off, but we are really boycotting the mechanisms our body uses to self-regulate. “You become dehydrated three to four times faster without even realizing it.” Alcohol has a diuretic effect and blocks vasopressin, remember from RFIwhich means that the ‘normal’ functioning of our body is altered. We go to the bathroom more, we sweat less, our body temperature rises and we become dehydrated, something that is not particularly advisable when we live in a region on alert for high temperatures and the thermometer exceeds 35º. “The body’s internal thermostat stops reacting correctly to overheating signals; our body no longer knows when to sweat and dilate blood vessels,” insist the French Institute of Health (Inserm). Images | DAT VO (Unsplash) and Venus Major (Unsplash) In Xataka | We are at 44 degrees and AEMET says that the worst is yet to come. The good news is that we already know when thermal relief arrives.

ban them from social networks. Now it is a mirror for Spain

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After a not so long deliberation, the United Kingdom has just announce which prohibits minors under 16 years of age from accessing social networks. TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat are some of the networks that are banned for minors in a measure to tighten children’s online safety and make young people “happier.” according to Keir Starmer, British Prime Minister. This is a radical change that goes beyond child safety itself: it is a gesture of rejection of the power of large technology companies. And it is also a mirror in which France and Spain they have one eye on. “Designed to bedictative“. Last Monday, Starmer already advanced who would soon announce a ban so that younger people cannot access “harmful” social networks. In March, the Government launched a national consultation on the matter to see if they would join countries like Australia, which on December 10, 2025 became the first country to prohibit access to minors under 16 years of age to networks, which also included YouTube. “It will make our children safer, happier, and have more time and freedom to grow” – Keir Starmer A week after the notice, Starmer has reappeared to announce the measure and put forward a series of arguments that justify it. “Is there a situation in the world outside the networks where you would simply let your child pair up with a stranger, an adult stranger that you know nothing about? No, then we must take action on it,” commented the prime minister, who went on to affirm that the right choice is a complete ban on the networks. Not only networks. Thus, those under 16 will not be able to access the most well-known social networks, but they are not the only measures that Starmer has advanced. Although we will have all the details in a statement in July, the boss warns that there will be limits on the hours of use and another series of restrictions (which, again, we will learn about later). Networks like WhatsApp are left out of the list of prohibitions, where video games are not found either, but they will announce a series of measures and restrictions such as blocking conversations with strangers and live streaming. Regarding artificial intelligence, anyone under 18 years of age will not be able to legally access sexual conversations with chatbots. 90% support. As we say, after the application in Australia, other countries have been moving to see how they can limit the use of social networks among minors, with Great Britain being one of the most active. In March, a consultation began between teachers, parents and young people with a series of measures to adopt to restrict apps that, according to the Government, are designed with addictive characteristics. Reuters states that the survey received More than 116,000 responses from both parents, industry and youth and more than 83% of parents who responded stated that the risks of networking outweighed the benefits. But not only that: 90% supported the minimum age of 16 to access social networks. “This is about fighting for what we believe is right” – Keir Starmer What if Trump gets angry? In his speech, Starmer stated that the technology giants have had the opportunity to take measures to protect young people and help parents, but they have failed and that is why governments must come in to regulate. It is a direct blow to the big American technology companies and, as they point out in The Diarya journalist asked what she thinks about possible anger from Donald Trump, who has already been very vocal when a European country did something against American technology companies. Starmer’s response is that this “is about fighting for what we believe is right. I’m not going to accept that you can’t be in favor of artificial intelligence and technology and say that you want to protect our children.” The mirror of Spain. As we say, there are still details to know, such as seeing those time restrictions for other applications that have not been prohibited for minors and, also, seeing how they manage to apply the measures. But what is clear is that, if the world was already watching closely the measures taken by Australia, they will soon have the British example. Spain, France, Denmark and Poland are in that boat and Greece announced in April that it will prohibit access to networks for minors under 15 years of age starting in January 2027. A few months ago, Pedro Sánchez already detailed a package of measures that were going in this direction, drawing the ire of people like the CEO of Telegram, who broke into the mobile phones of all its users saying that Spain’s was a measure against privacy. Business for VPNs. In the background there is a very interesting conversation: whether prohibitions are useful for anything. It has happened with porn and with Australia and the United Kingdom itself with a previous measure seeing a VPN boom to bypass restrictions. Because it is difficult to put doors into the field and, although it is true that these applications have been designed with algorithms carefully controlled to retain the user, that underlying conversation is about whether what is really useful is awareness and education about the use of networks… and whether a ban will not encourage, precisely, the opposite: a greater desire to enter. But of course, there is also the fact that sexual predators They roam freely through some video gamessexualization on social networks with platforms like X and Grok giving wings to the almost unlimited creation of images and the use of images of young people by these sexual predators, who now they have more tools thanks to AI. In any case, there are many countries looking at this carefully, and if that 90% support that Starmer points out from parents corresponds to reality, it is evident that there is a desire there. Those who are not going to be so happy are the children. Image | Pexels (edited) In Xataka … Read more

Its severity threatens a total ban on its GPUs in China

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What is happening with Super Micro and NVIDIA comes from afar. The US Government has suspected for several years that Chinese companies and research centers dedicated to artificial intelligence (IA) acquire NVIDIA’s most advanced GPUs through Singapore and Malaysia intermediary companies. Early March 2025 The Singapore Government confirmed that had identified those responsible for diverting servers containing the high-performance GPUs produced by NVIDIA to China. One of the companies that had presumably acquired those servers was High-Flyer, the parent company DeepSeek. And the companies that had manufactured those machines were two American customers of NVIDIA very important: Dell Technologies and Super Micro Computer. Now we know much more. According to Reutersfour Chinese universities purchased Super Micro servers equipped with GPUs restricted by the US Government over the last year. And two of these universities are linked to the People’s Liberation Army. Super Micro is the last straw for US senators In 2022, the US Government decided to ban the sale to China of the most powerful AI GPUs designed by NVIDIA, AMD and other US companies. Since then, the US and Chinese Administrations have maintained a constant pulse that not only affects the integrated circuit industry; It permeates everything to the extent that AI chips support a critical technology for both nations. Be that as it may, Super Micro, whose headquarters reside in San José (California), He is currently facing very serious charges.. Two US senators have asked Howard Lutnick, the Secretary of Commerce, to suspend all export licenses And, again according to Reutersthree employees of this company (one of them is its co-founder), have been accused of facilitating the smuggling of cutting-edge American AI technology to China worth at least 2.5 billion dollars. Super Micro has defended itself by claiming that those responsible for the company were not aware of the plot orchestrated by these employees, but this conflict has set off alarms on Capitol Hill. And there is probably no turning back. Two US senators have asked Howard Lutnick, the Secretary of Commerce, to suspend all export licenses that allow the shipment of advanced NVIDIA GPUs and servers to China and its intermediaries in Southeast Asia, such as Singapore or Malaysia. For NVIDIA, this scenario is very dangerous, which is why its spokespersons have confirmed that they are working closely with the US Government to fully comply with current and future export regulations. Whatever the future of NVIDIA in China is uncertain. If the two senators’ proposal finally goes ahead, their presence in the market of the country led by Xi Jinping will be threatened. Additionally, at the beginning of October 2024 the Chinese Administration sent to its AI companies a recommendation in which it asked them to, to the extent possible, They used chips produced in China. Ten months later this recommendation became a requirement. And the Chinese Government forced state-owned data centers throughout the country to use at least 50% Chinese integrated circuits in their servers. Image | Generated by Xataka with Gemini More information | Reuters | Tom’s Hardware In Xataka | We can forget about AI without hallucinations for now. NVIDIA CEO explains why

Tuk tuks have become the symbol of the excesses of tourism in Madrid. There are those who are already asking to ban them

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If the City Hall data are correct, last year Madrid received a little more 11 million of tourists. A very intense flow of visitors left billions of euros in the capital, also giving wings to an industry that is looking for new ways to expand. His mark has been visible for a long time in the real estate sector through vacation rentals, but it is increasingly also visible on the street thanks to a figure who has been gaining prominence: tuk tuks. Their fleet has expanded so much, so quickly and so uncontrollably that they have slipped into the center of the municipal debate. And there is already someone wants to ban them. What has happened? Tourism is a huge economic engine. Madrid knows this well, estimating that last year foreign visitors left close to 17.9 billion euros11% more than in 2024. This enormous flow of income irrigates accommodation, hospitality, commerce and transportation, but also encourages new businesses, such as tours aboard tuk tuks. In Spain they are relatively common. They began to become popular around 2016. In a matter of a decade, however, their number has skyrocketed exponentially. In 2023 there was talk of around 50 vehiclesthe SER assures that they are already a hundred and just a year ago the Madrid City Council revealed that he was aware of at least six companies with tuk tuks. What’s more, in 2024 mobility agents reported “901 vehicles.” The problem is not only its accelerated increase, it is also the impact that they have in the city. What impact do they have? In words According to the Consistory, the increase in these light three-wheeled vehicles (with motor or pedal) causes “increasing congestion problems” in certain areas of the center frequented by tourists. The reason? The City Council talks about its accumulation in hot spots where they hope to attract customers, such as the San Miguel Market or the Royal Palace, sometimes ignoring the signs installed precisely to keep them away. The result is an increase in complaints from neighbors, merchants, tour guides and taxi drivers, who have already demanded a solution to what consider a clear case of “intrusion and unfair competition.” You don’t have to search the media to find them. There are those who have made evident their discomfort on the networks. Why’s that? “The accumulation of what are known as tuk tuks at certain points generates traffic problems, but also congestion at different stops that have been improvised as parking spaces for collecting tourists,” the City Council acknowledged a year ago, coinciding with the start of a surveillance campaign precisely to prevent irregular parking. The SER assures that in one week they imposed 148 sanctions. Click on the image to go to the tweet. What to do then? Improve local regulations. That is what at least the City Council has proposed, which in January acknowledged that it was working on a regulation that would allow the tuk tuk challenge to be faced more clearly. The advertisement he did it during Fitur the mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, who also launched a notice to navigators: as long as the City Council does not adopt a new rule, urban mobility agents will continue to sanction. “We will continue to pursue a phenomenon that harms not only the image of the city, but also its own functioning. I don’t think it does any good for tourism either when things are not done properly,” insisted. This is not the first time that the local government has spoken out on the issue. Nor does it speak of a new regulation. In the past the Almeida team has already warned that tuk tuks must circulate respecting the regulations, which means stopping parking at points such as the Royal Palace or the San Miguel market. Debate settled? Not at all. Proof that the controversy is still alive in Madrid is that these days it has been revived again with proposals (and reproaches) crossed between the municipal government and the opposition. The reason? Which institution has the power to solve the problem. Madrid Current inform that the head of the Mobility area, Borja Carabante, has demanded that the central government modify the General Traffic Regulations to solve the problem. The PSOE however insist in that it must be the Consistory that acts via ordinance. What do they propose? The socialists have presented an amendment to the new Sustainable Mobility Ordinance, raising arguments to veto this type of vehicle on the streets, including the use they make of sidewalks and other pedestrian areas or the competition they exercise over other transportation services that are regulated and are required to meet requirements. Its approach goes beyond that maintained by the Council, which works to “regulate and order”. Although in other countries they have been circulating for years and also operate in more localities from Spaintuk tuks are situated in a complicated regulatory framework, such as recognized last year the Tourism area of ​​the Madrid City Council to The Spanish. He approach The starting point is simple: tuk tuks can circulate through the city, but they cannot bypass the bullfighting regulations and, therefore, occupy spaces where they now usually park to hunt tourists. Images | Madrid City Council and Caesar (Flickr) In Xataka | In its accelerated touristification, Madrid began to convert commercial premises into paid bathrooms. It turned out as expected

ban octopus farms worldwide

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On February 25, Mexico presented a reform of federal law of fishing to prohibit cephalopod farms throughout the national territory. It may seem strange, but when Maki Esther Ortiz Dominguez stood in front of the Senate of the Republic and defended the moratorium on aquaculture farming of octopuses, squid and cuttlefish, what she said made sense. Not only is it that they are a terribly difficult business, it is that there is more than firm evidence (always according to the senator) about the enormous problems of cannibalism and risks to public health that these farms bring. So much so that Mexico is not alone. Chili approved a similar ban in October 2025 and seven US states also have it. And it’s curious because what is being banned, in reality, doesn’t even exist on a commercial scale. The world (also Spain) is trying to prohibit something that is not being done. Which does not mean that it is not being tried. In fact, the Mexican initiative to prohibit “the reproduction, pre-fattening and fattening of cephalopods” in captivity is based on data from the Sisal facilities (Yucatán)the only farm of this type that is operational on the entire American continent. There, with the collaboration of UNAM, they have been trying to make octopus fish farms viable for 12 years. AND the data is terrible: mortality rates higher than 52%, 30% of deaths attributable to cannibalism, extremely inefficient conversion rates (three kilos of fish are needed to produce one kilo of octopus) and systematic mistreatment of these species that, if that were not enough, are considered especially intelligent. Especially intelligent? And ‘sentient’: in recent years, there has been no shortage of statements on the subject (Cambridge, 2012 and New York, 2024); but there is also extensive bibliographical reviews which point out that when we talk about cephalopods, we are talking about animals that are cognitively much closer to us. And that, of course, has generated consequences. In the same way as the publication of ‘Animal Liberation‘ contributed to creating the animal rights movement, all this research on octopuses has led to an unprecedented legislative trend. “Unprecedented” because, perhaps for the first time, the legislation comes before farms are a reality beyond experimental centers. And it’s coming very quickly: this regulatory wave has come together in a couple of years. And who would want farmed octopus? The simple answer is everyone. If the resulting problems are not made visible and affordable cephalopods are available, everyone will eat farmed octopus in a few years. Above all, because they are running out. At least in Spain, there is a whole combination of factors that They have made the octopus migrate north. In Spain, in fact, a proposal in this regard was already presented in the summer of 2025 and the European Parliament discussed the issue in December of the same year. It’s a matter of time, it seems. And, for now, Mexico and Chile are in the lead. Image | Milada Vigerova In Xataka | England is experiencing an unprecedented invasion. The problem is that they are octopuses, and they are devouring everything they can find.

Madrid was going to ban cars without a label forever. Now they will be able to circulate (almost) always

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After two years extending a measure that had been scheduled for 2022, the Madrid City Council has confirmed that cars without a label that pay their taxes in the city will be able to circulate throughout (almost) the entire city. In these moments, They can do it under certain conditions but it is nothing more than an extension in the application of a measure that should have been activated in 2024. Now they want this to be forever. What has happened? Borja Carabante, head of the mobility area of ​​the Madrid City Council, has confirmed that the city will allow cars without a label to circulate in the city. In a press release that can be read at Europa Pressthe Popular Group of Madrid points out that the measure has to be approved with a modification of the Mobility Ordinance in which an amendment from this political group will be included. The modification has to be supported by more political groups but Vox’s support seems guaranteed. With this change, cars without a label that pay the circulation tax in the city will be able to move without restrictions except in the special protection zones, applied in Plaza Elíptica and the most central part of the city, what was once Madrid Central. But does this already apply? Yes and no. Right now, cars without a label cannot circulate in Madrid unless they are registered and pay their taxes in the city. Since 2024, cameras monitor all entrances to the city and only cars with DGT A badges (without label) those who pay the tax in Madrid can circulate. This measure should have been extended to all vehicles, without exception, without DGT labeling in 2024. That is, regardless of where their owners lived or where taxes were paid, these cars would be prohibited from circulating. What we want now is to give them free rein without the need for extensions. Extensions? Yes, extensions. December 12, 2024the Madrid City Council confirmed that the total ban on cars without a label was not going to apply. He then assured that the measure had a great impact on citizens and that since the air quality limits had been met, one more year unlabeled cars could circulate in Madrid as long as they paid their taxes in the capital. Therefore, in 2025 there was a free pass for these cars and 2026 should be the year in which the ban was confirmed. But as happened last year, On December 11, 2025, the message was repeated: Cars without a label will be able to circulate for another year. This time, however, it was pointed out that the impact of these cars was minimal because they were only counted about 14,000 vehicles who found themselves in this situation. From 1.2 million to a few. The controversy over the extensions has flown over the months of December 2024 and 2025. In August 2024, Associated European Motorists (AEA) had been warning that the measure left 1.2 million cars outside the city. As we tell you in Xatakathe figure was inaccurate and was due to errors in the vehicle count. In reality, we were talking about 246,000 cars. Last year, the doubt was raised again in the last days of the year and on December 11 it was confirmed: a new extension until 2026. This time the excuse was that the affected cars had a minimal impact on the city’s air quality. Now the mobility area amounts to just over 11,000 cars those that do not have a DGT label. This means that, in anticipation of the ban, tens of thousands of drivers had sold their cars to get one with at least a B label. Those same drivers have seen that those who did not sell and keep the car have ended up getting away with it. a detail. That is, if you want driving around Madrid with a car without a labelright now you can if the car pays its taxes in Madrid. But, yes, it has to be in your name and you must pay this tax in the city from 2022, an exceptional measure that was included so that thousands of drivers did not register their car in the city and circulated normally despite living outside of it. In the press release sent by the city’s mobility area this detail is not mentioned. In Xataka We have tried to contact this working group to confirm whether this restriction will remain in place or not but, at the time of writing, we have not received a response. Yes, but. In addition, there are two other vicissitudes to take into account. The first is that the information sent states that vehicles without a label will only be able to park in the regulated parking zones (Zona SER) of the neighborhoods where their owner lives. Therefore, if you want to travel to another neighborhood with Zona SER you will have to park in a public or private parking lot but off the streets. The other detail to take into account is that the passage will be allowed as long as the stations that monitor air quality levels do not exceed the maximum allowed of 40 micrograms per cubic meter of NOx that would activate the anti-pollution protocol that begins to restrict the circulation of vehicles and that with Manuela Carmena at the helm came to limit circulation by license plate number. Madrid has been complying with the established air quality limits for four years and with Martínez-Almeida at the helm, this protocol has never been activated, so its activation, if it occurs, would be exceptional. Photo | NuKi Chikhladze and Quique Olivar In Xataka | The icing on the cake for Madrid’s works: the city has become a gymkhana of reforms, cuts and annoyances

Idaho has been embroiled in a debate over a flag ban. And he has the ikurriña in his sights

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An unexpected protagonist has slipped into the (convulsive) public debate in the US: the ikurriña. glancingly and for those hazards of history that raise eyebrows, the flag of Euskadi has become a headache for the legislators of the country led by Trump. To be more precise, the controversy has jumped in boise (the capital of Idaho), where a active diaspora which explains why the city has its own Basque ‘neighborhood’, Basque Block. There you can find traditional bars, a museum… and ikurriñas. Now, in full debate Regarding which flags can or cannot be raised on their masts, there are those who believe that red, green and white banners have no place. What has happened? That Idaho has plunged into a nasty fight about what flags they can fly in their streets, at least from public buildings. So far, nothing strange in a nation whose public debate (already tense) is taking place pending a key date: November 3House of Representatives election day. What is striking is the drift that this discussion has taken and how it has ended up focusing the focus on the ikurriñas. Question of flags. To understand it, you must first understand the convoluted political board of Boise. On one side we have its mayor, the Democrat Lauren McLean. In the other Ted HillRepublican MP from Idaho. Some time ago the first, McLean, earned the anger of Hill and the rest of the conservative bench by keeping the LGTBIQ+ flag hanging on the façade of City Hall beyond the Pride Month‘Pride Month’. That decision I didn’t like it in Donald Trump’s party, which began to legislate so that only official emblems can be hoisted. At least in public buildings. The measure went ahead and the issue seemed to be settled. At least for a while. Wasn’t it like that? No. McLaren was not willing to give in. In a clever twist, Boise declared the LGTBIQ+ flag official in the city, continuing to fly it without violating Republican law. Was the fight over at that point? No. Hill reacted by launching the legislative machinery so that the only flags ‘able’ on the Government’s flagpoles are those prior to 2023, the year in which Boise assumed the rainbow banner as its own. What does all this have to do with Euskadi? Initially the republican norm included certain exceptions (flags other than the Stars and Stripes that could be displayed on public buildings), but as time went by, their proposal became more rigid. And that affected one of Boise’s most popular groups: the Basque diaspora. As strange as it may sound, in the city of Ada County it is not only possible to see flags of the USA, the state of Idaho or LGTBIQ+. It is also not unusual to find ikurriñas waving in the wind. Why’s that? Although Bouse is thousands of kilometers from Euskadi, it hosts an active Basque community whose history can go back to the 19th century, when a group of Biscayan emigrants decided to find a life in the United States. The passage of time (and generations) did not erase its identity and today in Boise, recognizes the Hispanic Council itselfit is possible to find “an entire block dedicated to Basque culture”, with restaurants, frontons, a museum and even an education center. The greatest emblem of the diaspora in Idaho (with permission from the ikurriña) is the Jaialdia festival that moves thousands of people and which in 2025 even had a visit of Lehendakari Imanol Pradales. On festival days it is even easier to come across the Basque flag. “It flies during Jaialdi, when the Basque delegation comes to our state and we honor that deep heritage in Idaho. To me, it is a very appropriate way, reason and occasion to fly the autonomous flag of the Basque community. I wonder how it is different from flying the flag of another country for a special occasion,” I questioned recently Democratic Representative Anne Haws. And the storm broke out. The ikurriña was not the trigger for the controversy over the Idaho flags, but over the months it has ended up becoming (almost suddenly) one of its main protagonists. To understand it, we must review the legislative debates around the new rule, in which Hill did not hesitate to explain why his party wants to restrict the use of the Basque flag. The problem has not been so much the veto itself, but rather its confusing (and thorny) argument. The Republican alleged that the ikurriña is not officially “recognized”, it is “a revolutionary flag”, he related it to ETA and even stated that it is “illegal” to fly it in Spain. “It would be crossing the line, and then the Palestinian flag would have to be allowed too,” Hill concluded. A few days ago, fellow Republican Bret Crane tried to tone downalthough without getting out of the puddle. During a public intervention he acknowledged that in the future some formula could be found that would allow the ikurriña to be hoisted, but he did not renounce the substance of the republican message. In fact, he asked his colleagues if they should also allow “Muslim or similar flags” that represent “people who have also had difficulties in Idaho.” What is the situation now? There are two fronts, the administrative and the political. In the first, the new rule (House Bill 561) continues to advance. On Tuesday the newspaper Idaho Capital Sun echoed how a group of opponents waved LGTBIQ+ flags in the Boise Capitol in the middle of the debate on the measure, which goes gradually overcoming its processing. Once completed, the prosecutor will be able to enforce the veto on unofficial flags and those who ignore it will risk a considerable fine: 2,000 dollars a day for every ‘wrong’ banner hung from a public building. “The right to wave it”. In the political field, the debate about flags has crossed the pond to reach this side of the Atlantic. The president of the PNV, Aitor Esteban, has … Read more

Australia has decided to ban social media for those under 16 years of age. The mystery is how they are going to achieve it

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December 10 was the date marked on the Australian calendar for prohibit social networks for minors under 16 years of age. Australia becomes the first country to implement a measure of this type, although there are others that also want to do it like Denmark or France. The ban is already in force, however there are still many doubts about how the measure will be enforced and how effective it will be. What exactly does it prohibit? The Online Safety Amendment establishes 16 years as the minimum age to have a social media account. This means that minors can access networks without logging into an account, which will allow them to consult public posts on social networks, watch YouTube or read Reddit threads. Without an account, they will not be able to access personalized feeds, receive notifications or communicate with other users. Currently, the amendment includes eleven services prohibited for minors: Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, X (Twitter), Reddit, YouTube, Twitch, Kick, Threads and Lemon8. It is not ruled out that the list will change in the future. How are they going to verify the age? The million-dollar question and the one that leaves us with the biggest doubt of all. The amendment details the prohibitions, but leaves it up to the platforms to do the work of verifying the age of their users. It does not say how they should do it, it only specifies that they will not be able to do it just by asking for the DNI and they will not be able to save data related to age verification. Although they do not establish rules on how to carry it out, the Australian Government published a report in which they concluded that age verification technologies were technically viable. In the report they analyze several methods: Checking documents and identity records. Age estimation using biometrics and facial recognition. Age estimation from the user’s behavior or fingerprint. Parental control mechanisms. Image: Wikipedia The doubts about the effectiveness We have the recent case of United Kingdom when it banned porn for those under 18. They also proposed various age verification methods such as those mentioned in the Australian report. The reality has proven to be more complex and, after the blockade, there were a brutal spike in downloads of VPN serviceswhich means that many users fake their location to bypass the block. The law is made, the trap is made. Furthermore, the system is not perfect. They count in NYTimes that some teenagers have used the facial recognition option in some apps and it has incorrectly estimated their ages. And there is also the issue of privacy. Although the law says that platforms cannot collect data from the age verification process, there is no standardization in this regard and if we have learned something after decades on the internet, it is that leaks happen. What are the platforms doing? Instagram, Facebook and Threads Meta has already done his homework. On November 20, it notified users minors under 16 that their accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Threads were going to be deleted. Regarding age verification, in September 2024 already announced “accounts for teenagers”which restrict certain features, such as making the account private by default and limited messages. To detect age, since April they have been using AI tools to detect users who lie about their age. In statements to Vergea representative of Meta has assured that the regulations “isolate adolescents from online communities and information, while providing inconsistent protection in the numerous applications they use.” TikTok and Lemon8 Bytedance apps have confirmed that from its entry into force, they will deactivate the existing accounts of those users under 16 years of age and will not allow them to create new accounts. Additionally, content from underage Australian users will be hidden. Regarding facial recognition, they offer several methods such as age estimation through facial recognition, credit card authorization, and verification of official identification documents. reddit Reddit has also started suspending the accounts of those under 16, but gives them the option to download their data first. In a post on the platformthey say that age verification will be done through “a prediction system.” The platform has taken a stand against this decision and states that the law “undermines everyone’s right to freedom of expression and privacy.” YouTube YouTube communicated that as of December 10, it would begin to suspend the accounts of those under 16, although they will be able to continue watching YouTube without being logged in since the law does allow it. They do not say how the age verification will be done, what they do say is that the new law is a mistake and that it will have a counterproductive effect since, by deleting the account, the possibility for parents to control what their children see will be lost, so minors will be even more insecure. snapchat In one publication on your website, Snapchat confirms that from December 10 it will block all accounts of those under 16. They will keep the account blocked for three years and if users turn 16 during that time, they will be able to recover it using age verification. Verification will be done in three ways: connecting the app with an Australian bank account, scanning the ID document and using the age estimation through a selfie. Twitch The streaming platform will prevent users under 16 from creating an account. For this they will use their verification system through facial recognition. Existing accounts will be deactivated starting January 9. Kick In the case of Kick, as published Guardianthey will use the same age verification system that Snapchat uses. X (Twitter) Elon Musk’s social network requested last September that the entry into force of the new regulations be delayed, as published Guardian. From X they expressed “serious doubts” about the legality of the regulations. What happens if the platforms do not comply? The law does not say how they should ensure that minors create an account, but it does say the consequences … Read more

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