NEWS

The European Commission has committed to an open internet, alleviating fears raised by some following the net neutrality debates in the US. Neelie Kroes, EC vice president for the Digital Agenda, set out the view in a speech on Thursday in which she spoke of the need for a "healthy competitive environment".

Obama's administration, in a break from previous governments that relied on the Internet industry's self-regulation, will take a more hands-on approach to online privacy, an issue that has embroiled Internet giants Google and Facebook in recent months.