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Cyprus: Harnessing €1.8 Billion EU Funds for Ambitious Development by 2029

by News Editor

Cyprus has embarked on an ambitious journey with the THALIA 2021-2027 programme, securing a record €1.8 billion, the largest since joining the EU in 2004.

With the European Commission’s approval in July 2022, €969 million in EU funds will complement the rest from Cyprus’ national budget. Already, €600 million has been put to work in over 100 projects, either completed or in progress.

Projections are promising with a potential 6% GDP boost and 8,500 new jobs by 2029, concentrating on green, digital, local development, job creation, and social inclusion initiatives.

Building on the momentum from the 2014-2020 period, Cyprus led the EU in fund absorption, channeling €880 million for public investment, fueling 24,000 jobs and 6% GDP growth.

In Nicosia, projects have revitalized Eleftheria Square, upgraded Aglantzia Avenue, and restored the Municipal Theatre. Larnaca has seen new municipal markets and cultural spaces.

Paphos projects include the Ibrahim Khan restoration and Kennedy Square upgrades. Limassol focuses on port enhancements.

Key undertakings include the Stelios Ioannou Library and the Green Points network across Cyprus. Future THALIA projects aim at energy efficiency, local growth, youth entrepreneurship, and social inclusion.

With 160 projects expected by 2029, Cyprus is set to make a transformative leap forward.

Meta’s $18 Billion Settlement Limits State Claims Over Children’s Data

by News Editor

Meta’s $18 billion settlement with attorneys general from 29 U.S. states includes a provision limiting future state claims over the company’s use of children’s data for age-assurance systems.

Under the agreement, Meta must develop, train and begin testing a system to identify users under 13 within a year of the settlement taking effect. The company already uses AI-based age-detection tools, although the agreement does not require the new system to use AI.

States Agree To Limits On Future Claims

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) generally restricts the collection and retention of personal data from children under 13. Under the settlement, the 29 state attorneys general agreed not to bring past, present or future claims under COPPA or similar state laws over the specified use of children’s data.

Meta will not be permitted to use information from users under 13 for advertising, marketing or algorithmic optimisation.

Federal Enforcement Remains Unclear

COPPA is primarily enforced by the Federal Trade Commission, which is not a party to the agreement. That leaves open the possibility of separate federal action over how Meta collects or uses children’s data.

Another issue is whether Meta can keep age-assurance data isolated from its other systems. An independent auditor will monitor compliance, but the settlement does not fully specify what data Meta can retain for training, how long it can be stored or whether derived insights can be used elsewhere.

Legal Risks Remain

Joshua Wurtzel, a partner at Schlam Stone & Dolan, said states could still pursue claims if Meta uses the data outside the settlement’s limits. Such cases could depend on how those limits are interpreted.

Peter Jackson, a data and intellectual property attorney at Greenberg Glusker, said the provision could “disincentivize future enforcement actions.”

The agreement gives Meta greater legal certainty around using children’s data for age assurance, but questions remain over federal enforcement, data retention and secondary use.

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