Tech

Greece Warns of Rising Cyber Threats as Digital Tensions Escalate Across Europe

Published

5 months ago

December 6, 2025

Greece’s National Cyber Security Authority has warned that the country is facing mounting digital threats at a time when global cyber tensions between East and West are intensifying. Speaking to Euronews Next, Michael Bletsas, who heads the authority, said Greece occupies a vulnerable position at Europe’s southeastern frontier and must manage risks that many of its European partners underestimate.

“Athens has an additional aggressive neighbour, which our European partners do not perceive as hostile,” Bletsas said, noting that Greece’s challenges differ sharply from those confronting northern European states.

Positioned at the crossroads of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, Greece has become a frontline state in the expanding arena of cyber conflict. Bletsas said that while countries around the Baltic Sea face incidents that resemble hybrid warfare — including attacks on critical infrastructure — Greece so far has not experienced sabotage of that kind. Instead, it is grappling with a surge in digital criminal activity.

“What is most visible right now is cybercrime. We have too much activism, cyberactivism, vandalism and denial-of-service attacks,” he said. These incidents, he added, typically do not leave lasting damage and can be resolved quickly, but their frequency is increasing.

The rise in cybercrime, he noted, is being accelerated by artificial intelligence, which is giving criminal networks new tools and capabilities. “We are seeing a big increase in attacks, and of course, we have a lot of espionage,” he said, describing a landscape where hostile actors exploit Greece’s strategic location and digital vulnerabilities.

Bletsas also cautioned that Greece cannot claim neutrality in the geopolitical struggle playing out in cyberspace. “We have lost it here and too much,” he said, pointing out that Athens must manage threats from an assertive neighbour to the east—threats he believes other European governments do not always acknowledge or fully assess.

He stressed that cyber defence must be treated with the same seriousness as physical security. “Separating the physical from the digital world is one and the same. The nervous system is more extensive than what we have in the real world. We should think of security in the same terms,” he said.

As cyberattacks grow more sophisticated and more frequent, Greece finds itself on the front line of a conflict unfolding largely out of public view. Digital warfare, Bletsas warned, is not a distant threat but an active battle. For Greece, the challenge now is to determine the alliances, strategy and preparedness needed to withstand an evolving and increasingly complex cyber landscape.

Tech

EU Accuses Meta of Failing to Keep Under-13s Off Facebook and Instagram

Published

3 days ago

April 29, 2026

Web Reporter

European Union regulators have issued preliminary findings against Meta Platforms, saying the company has failed to effectively prevent children under the age of 13 from using Facebook and Instagram.

The European Commission said its investigation found that Meta’s current safeguards do not meet the requirements of the Digital Services Act, the bloc’s landmark online safety law.

Although Meta’s terms of service require users to be at least 13 years old, regulators said the company’s age-verification systems are insufficient. Children can reportedly create accounts simply by entering a false date of birth, with no effective mechanism in place to confirm their real age.

According to the Commission, between 10% and 12% of children under 13 in the European Union are using Facebook or Instagram. That figure is significantly higher than Meta’s own internal estimates.

Regulators also said Meta failed to adequately consider established scientific research showing that younger children are particularly vulnerable to potential harms associated with social media use, including exposure to inappropriate content and risks to mental well-being.

Meta has rejected the Commission’s preliminary conclusions. In a statement, the company said both Facebook and Instagram are intended only for users aged 13 and older and that it already has systems in place to identify and remove underage accounts.

The company added that it continues to invest in technologies designed to detect younger users and indicated that additional safety measures will be announced in the coming days.

Meta also argued that determining a user’s true age remains a challenge across the technology industry and said a broader, industry-wide solution is needed. The company pledged to continue working with European regulators on the issue.

The findings come as several EU member states consider introducing wider restrictions on children’s access to social media, including proposals to ban use by those under 15.

To address the problem, the European Union is preparing to launch its own age-verification app. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said earlier this month that the technology is ready for rollout, although no official launch date has been announced.

Meta now has the opportunity to review the Commission’s findings and submit a formal response.

If the preliminary conclusions are upheld, the Commission could issue a binding non-compliance ruling. Under the Digital Services Act, penalties can reach up to 6% of a company’s global annual revenue, potentially exposing Meta to fines worth billions of euros.

Tech

Europe Emerges as Rising Hub in Global Race for AI Talent

Published

3 days ago

April 29, 2026

Web Reporter

Europe is strengthening its position in the global competition for artificial intelligence talent, as stricter U.S. immigration rules and shifting international workforce trends encourage more professionals to consider careers across the continent.

A new study by the Germany-based think tank Interface found that countries including Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands are increasingly attracting AI specialists, helping Europe establish itself as a major global market for skilled technology workers.

The research, based on data from workforce intelligence firm Revelio Labs, analysed 1.6 million AI professionals worldwide. It found that while the United States and India remain the dominant players, Europe is emerging as a strong third centre for AI expertise.

The United States continues to lead in advanced AI engineering and research roles, while India remains particularly competitive in software development and non-technical positions. Both countries have close to one million AI professionals.

Within Europe, the United Kingdom ranks as the world’s third-largest AI labour market, with around 145,000 professionals. Germany has become one of the continent’s standout performers, boasting approximately 17,000 AI engineers, the fourth-highest total globally.

Several other European nations, including Italy, France and the Netherlands, also rank among the world’s top 10 markets by total AI workforce.

On a per-capita basis, however, smaller countries are proving especially competitive. Ireland ranks second globally behind Singapore, with 4.19 AI professionals for every 1,000 residents. Switzerland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Denmark also place among the world’s leading markets by population.

The Netherlands has become an increasingly attractive destination for American AI professionals relocating to Europe. It now has the highest number of AI engineers within the European Union, although investment in Dutch AI start-ups remains below the European average.

European cities are also gaining prominence. Munich, Amsterdam and Berlin are the only cities in Europe to rank among the world’s top 25 for concentration of AI professionals.

The study also highlighted the growing importance of Indian talent to Europe’s AI ambitions. Indians now account for more than 16% of the global AI workforce, with an increasing number choosing Europe for education and employment.

Across the European Union, the share of Indian AI professionals rose from 7.7% in 2024 to 8.3% in 2025. Ireland has seen particularly strong growth, with Indian professionals now making up nearly 30% of its AI workforce.

Researchers said Europe’s ability to develop domestic talent while continuing to attract skilled workers from abroad will be critical to maintaining its growing role in the rapidly evolving AI sector.

Tech

Study Finds Chatbots Can Mirror Hostility in Heated Exchanges

Published

1 week ago

April 23, 2026

Web Reporter

A new academic study has found that ChatGPT can produce abusive language when exposed to escalating human conflict, raising fresh concerns about how artificial intelligence behaves in tense interactions.

The research, published in the Journal of Pragmatics, examined how the chatbot responded to arguments that gradually became more hostile. Researchers presented the system with a sequence of five increasingly heated exchanges and asked it to generate what it considered the most plausible reply.

According to the findings, the AI’s tone shifted as the conversations intensified. While early responses remained measured, later replies began to mirror the aggression in the prompts. In some cases, the chatbot produced insults, profanity and even threats.

Examples cited in the study included statements such as “you should be ashamed of yourself” and more explicit language involving personal threats. The researchers said this pattern suggests that prolonged exposure to hostile input can push the system beyond its usual safeguards.

The study was co-authored by Vittorio Tantucci and Jonathan Culpeper at Lancaster University. Tantucci said the results show that AI can “escalate” alongside human users, potentially overriding built-in mechanisms designed to limit harmful responses.

“When humans escalate, AI can escalate too,” he said, noting that this behavior raises questions about how such systems should be deployed in sensitive environments.

Despite the concerning examples, the researchers found that the chatbot was generally less aggressive than human participants in similar scenarios. In some cases, it attempted to defuse tension through sarcasm or indirect responses rather than direct confrontation.

For instance, when faced with a threat during a simulated dispute, the AI responded with a sarcastic remark rather than escalating the situation further. This suggests that while the system can adopt hostile language, it may also attempt to manage conflict in less direct ways.

The findings add to ongoing debates about the role of artificial intelligence in areas such as mediation, customer service and online communication, where systems may encounter emotionally charged interactions.

Experts say the research highlights the importance of continued testing and refinement of AI safety measures, particularly as such tools are increasingly used in real-world settings involving human conflict.

OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, had not issued a public response to the study at the time of publication.