Overview

• A recent failure in PayPal’s anti-fraud systems led several German banks to block direct debits forwarded by the firm’s Luxembourg unit.
• Microsoft will end free Windows 10 support on October 14, with paid security updates for one year and Windows 11 hardware requirements prompting concerns about forced device replacements.
• Bitkom reports 68% of Germans see AI dependence on the U.S. and China as excessive, while 67% use generative AI at least occasionally, mostly from OpenAI, Microsoft and Google.
• European payment alternative Wero now offers a standalone app in Germany, France and Belgium, supports real-time transfers to phone numbers or emails, and is integrated by ING and Revolut, with further market and merchant rollout planned.
• Germany’s BSI urges consumers to assess providers’ data practices and incident transparency, and France, Germany and the European Commission will hold a digital sovereignty summit on November 18 in Berlin.