Agri Tech at CES

 Was asked to report on this and implications.  Seems a broad and deep look at data use.  Good idea. 

Tech at CES Shows How Farmers Can Save Time, Money, Environment

France24 (France), January 8, 2023

Farmers can better protect the environment while reducing costs and saving time through data-collecting technologies unveiled at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2023). French startup Brad has created a sensor that supplies real-time temperature, moisture, and light data in fields to help growers make more accurate and timely decisions on irrigation, pesticide use, and soil treatment. Meanwhile, South Korean startup AimbeLab offers a system for monitoring the volume and condition of grain and feed stored in silos. U.S. company Simple Labs' sensor can read the temperature, humidity, pH value, and phenolic content of wine in a barrel or vat to facilitate more precise control over aging. French company Meropy's rolling wheel device is equipped with cameras to inspect crops for weeds, pests, or disease.

Full Article

Microsoft at Odds with EU

 Much more to follow.  

Microsoft Faces Antitrust Complaint in Europe About Its Cloud Services in WSJ excerpt

France’s OVHcloud has filed a complaint that Microsoft is abusing its position to hurt competition

A French cloud-computing company has filed an antitrust complaint in Europe against Microsoft Corp., MSFT 0.01% ▲ adding to recent criticism of the competitive practices at a company that has largely avoided the recent regulatory scrutiny aimed at rival tech giants.   ....  ' 

And from Microsoft. their view on EU license policy. 

France Starts Nationwide Facial Recognition

To do personal identification apparently.   China is also underway.  Note the linking to 'biometric identity databases'.  Challenges are starting.   Though they make a point of using it for Identifying, not monitoring.    But how might it be legally deliverable.   In places like the UK, where camera systems are very common, it would seem the capture and conversion of such data would be even easier, and quality standards could be increased as cameras were updated.

France Set to Roll Out Nationwide Facial Recognition ID Program
Bloomberg by Helene Fouquet

France is set to become the first European country to use facial recognition technology to provide its citizens secure digital identities. The French government is moving forward with plans to roll out an ID program called Alicem in November, with the goal of making the state more efficient. However, a privacy group is challenging the initiative in France's highest administrative court, and the country's data regulator says the program breaches the European rule of consent. In addition, a hacker was able to break into a "secure" government messaging app earlier this year, raising concerns about the state's security standards. French officials claim the ID system will not be used to monitor residents, and will not integrate facial recognition biometric data into citizens' identity databases. ....