Axelle Van Wynsberghe
@axelle-vw.bsky.social
Advocacy & engagement specialist in Brussels. Currently at @financewatch.bsky.social and running the Anthropology & Art AC at @easainfo.bsky.social.
Communities across Scotland are demanding their needs be put above the corporate greed of hyperscalers - citing economic drain, overinflated promises of new jobs, and profits at their expense.
"Meaningful economic growth must offer a better quality of life for all of us in Scotland."
"Meaningful economic growth must offer a better quality of life for all of us in Scotland."
This is why you shouldn't believe the data centres hype
AS PROPOSALS for new hyperscale data centres queue up in the Scottish planning system, communities across Scotland are fighting back ...
www.thenational.scot
August 27, 2026 at 2:11 PM
Communities across Scotland are demanding their needs be put above the corporate greed of hyperscalers - citing economic drain, overinflated promises of new jobs, and profits at their expense.
"Meaningful economic growth must offer a better quality of life for all of us in Scotland."
"Meaningful economic growth must offer a better quality of life for all of us in Scotland."
Poe described thought as ‘man in his wholeness wholly attending’.
Yet as we race toward AI, we’re losing the conditions for thought itself: reading, attention & understanding - leading to what @jamesbridle.bsky.social calls a ‘new dark age’. Thinking, we must remember, needs us present & engaged.
Yet as we race toward AI, we’re losing the conditions for thought itself: reading, attention & understanding - leading to what @jamesbridle.bsky.social calls a ‘new dark age’. Thinking, we must remember, needs us present & engaged.
August 20, 2026 at 4:22 PM
Poe described thought as ‘man in his wholeness wholly attending’.
Yet as we race toward AI, we’re losing the conditions for thought itself: reading, attention & understanding - leading to what @jamesbridle.bsky.social calls a ‘new dark age’. Thinking, we must remember, needs us present & engaged.
Yet as we race toward AI, we’re losing the conditions for thought itself: reading, attention & understanding - leading to what @jamesbridle.bsky.social calls a ‘new dark age’. Thinking, we must remember, needs us present & engaged.
Palantir funnels earnings to the US, while paying no US federal corporate income tax. And @cictar.bsky.social found 26% of Palantir’s revenue came from abroad - yet 96% of pretax profit was booked in the US.
European taxpayers shouldn’t be funding public contracts that funnel revenue abroad.
European taxpayers shouldn’t be funding public contracts that funnel revenue abroad.
Palantir funnels earnings to US to avoid European taxes, report finds
A new study finds that Palantir, which boasts of high profit margins in the U.S., barely scrapes a margin in Europe, which helps slash its tax bill.
www.politico.eu
August 17, 2026 at 9:51 AM
Palantir funnels earnings to the US, while paying no US federal corporate income tax. And @cictar.bsky.social found 26% of Palantir’s revenue came from abroad - yet 96% of pretax profit was booked in the US.
European taxpayers shouldn’t be funding public contracts that funnel revenue abroad.
European taxpayers shouldn’t be funding public contracts that funnel revenue abroad.
Despite divergences in culture & politics, New York and Texas are leading the resistance against big tech’s data centers in the US.
New York is doing so via a moratorium on hyperscalers while Texas has implemented a state-wide audit, with Governor Abbott breaking with the GOP on the issue.
New York is doing so via a moratorium on hyperscalers while Texas has implemented a state-wide audit, with Governor Abbott breaking with the GOP on the issue.
Texas halts data center connections to power grid amid overwhelming demand
Governor who touted Texas as AI “epicenter” pauses data center grid connections.
arstechnica.com
August 14, 2026 at 11:00 AM
Despite divergences in culture & politics, New York and Texas are leading the resistance against big tech’s data centers in the US.
New York is doing so via a moratorium on hyperscalers while Texas has implemented a state-wide audit, with Governor Abbott breaking with the GOP on the issue.
New York is doing so via a moratorium on hyperscalers while Texas has implemented a state-wide audit, with Governor Abbott breaking with the GOP on the issue.
There is *no solid evidence* for the claim that 3x more data centers will deliver tech sovereignty in Europe.
What we *do know* is that data centres consume resources, generate heat & strain local grids.
@techpolicypress.bsky.social argue to pause large data centres until the evidence is there 👇
What we *do know* is that data centres consume resources, generate heat & strain local grids.
@techpolicypress.bsky.social argue to pause large data centres until the evidence is there 👇
The Case for a Temporary Moratorium on Large Data Centers in Europe
Michelle Thorne, Aurora Gomez Delgado, Fieke Jansen and Rosi Leonard argue the EU should pause new data centers until it proves they are in the public interest.
www.techpolicy.press
July 28, 2026 at 2:30 PM
There is *no solid evidence* for the claim that 3x more data centers will deliver tech sovereignty in Europe.
What we *do know* is that data centres consume resources, generate heat & strain local grids.
@techpolicypress.bsky.social argue to pause large data centres until the evidence is there 👇
What we *do know* is that data centres consume resources, generate heat & strain local grids.
@techpolicypress.bsky.social argue to pause large data centres until the evidence is there 👇
Andy Burnham has framed #AI as a matter of economic & national sovereignty. So why are + than 1/3 of firms backed by the UK's Sovereign AI Fund US-owned?
Whether in the UK or EU, if the goal is strategic autonomy, 'sovereign AI' should mean evaluating & reducing dependencies, not subsidising them.
Whether in the UK or EU, if the goal is strategic autonomy, 'sovereign AI' should mean evaluating & reducing dependencies, not subsidising them.
More than 1 in 3 'sovereign' AI firms US-owned, FOIs reveal
• Freedom of Information responses from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) reveal four of the nine companies backed by the government's £500m Sovereign AI Fund are ultimately...
www.thenewcontract.org
July 23, 2026 at 1:15 PM
Andy Burnham has framed #AI as a matter of economic & national sovereignty. So why are + than 1/3 of firms backed by the UK's Sovereign AI Fund US-owned?
Whether in the UK or EU, if the goal is strategic autonomy, 'sovereign AI' should mean evaluating & reducing dependencies, not subsidising them.
Whether in the UK or EU, if the goal is strategic autonomy, 'sovereign AI' should mean evaluating & reducing dependencies, not subsidising them.
When #heatwaves lead to rising use of cooling systems at #DataCentres, it exacerbates temperatures outside creating a 'heat island' effect...
How sustainable is this in a warming world? Not very, reported the Guardian: according to residents near data centres, life became almost unbearable.
How sustainable is this in a warming world? Not very, reported the Guardian: according to residents near data centres, life became almost unbearable.
‘Slough is like an experiment’: Europe’s largest datacentre hub leaves town sweltering
Emerging research suggests datacentres create a heat island effect, pushing up temperatures in the immediate vicinity by as much as 9C
www.theguardian.com
July 23, 2026 at 8:53 AM
When #heatwaves lead to rising use of cooling systems at #DataCentres, it exacerbates temperatures outside creating a 'heat island' effect...
How sustainable is this in a warming world? Not very, reported the Guardian: according to residents near data centres, life became almost unbearable.
How sustainable is this in a warming world? Not very, reported the Guardian: according to residents near data centres, life became almost unbearable.
The adoption of the #AIOmnibus in the @europarl.europa.eu reduces transparency, loosens requirements & ultimately leaves people with fewer protections & industry with a legal vacuum.
This is at a critical time when AI systems are becoming widespread. @liberties.eu sets out the details of the vote.
This is at a critical time when AI systems are becoming widespread. @liberties.eu sets out the details of the vote.
AI Omnibus: Fast-Tracking Deregulation, Weakening Digital Rights
By approving the first Digital Omnibus on 16 June, the European Parliament has taken a worrying step towards weakening a decade of digital rights protections.
www.liberties.eu
July 22, 2026 at 9:52 AM
The adoption of the #AIOmnibus in the @europarl.europa.eu reduces transparency, loosens requirements & ultimately leaves people with fewer protections & industry with a legal vacuum.
This is at a critical time when AI systems are becoming widespread. @liberties.eu sets out the details of the vote.
This is at a critical time when AI systems are becoming widespread. @liberties.eu sets out the details of the vote.
Amid concerning #AI news (including delays to key AI Act safeguards through the #DigitalOmnibus) it's worth remembering that resistance is growing too!
@karenhao.bsky.social maps tactics like data centre fights, labor organising, legal challenges & community alternatives👇
@karenhao.bsky.social maps tactics like data centre fights, labor organising, legal challenges & community alternatives👇
The AI Resist List
A living directory of ways communities resist AI harms—and build alternatives worth fighting for.
airesistlist.org
July 21, 2026 at 12:24 PM
Amid concerning #AI news (including delays to key AI Act safeguards through the #DigitalOmnibus) it's worth remembering that resistance is growing too!
@karenhao.bsky.social maps tactics like data centre fights, labor organising, legal challenges & community alternatives👇
@karenhao.bsky.social maps tactics like data centre fights, labor organising, legal challenges & community alternatives👇
Every few years, a new false dichotomy appears. Today, it's AI vs. climate.
The EU must reject this framing. Our ambition must be a values-based AI that serves Europeans & respects planetary boundaries. The data centre lobby cannot expect a free pass on emissions & resource consumption!
The EU must reject this framing. Our ambition must be a values-based AI that serves Europeans & respects planetary boundaries. The data centre lobby cannot expect a free pass on emissions & resource consumption!
Europe must choose between AI and climate goals, data center lobby says
Tech sector says only carbon-emitting gas plants are reliable enough today to power the EU’s AI goals.
www.politico.eu
June 22, 2026 at 12:10 PM
Every few years, a new false dichotomy appears. Today, it's AI vs. climate.
The EU must reject this framing. Our ambition must be a values-based AI that serves Europeans & respects planetary boundaries. The data centre lobby cannot expect a free pass on emissions & resource consumption!
The EU must reject this framing. Our ambition must be a values-based AI that serves Europeans & respects planetary boundaries. The data centre lobby cannot expect a free pass on emissions & resource consumption!
@ugorealfonzo.bsky.social confirms in a new poll that people want "greater digital sovereignty and a regulated, values-based approach to AI."
Europeans assert that the development of AI should be sustainable & geared towards 'improving public services including healthcare, transport and education'.
Europeans assert that the development of AI should be sustainable & geared towards 'improving public services including healthcare, transport and education'.
Deepfakes, sovereignty and generative tools: What do Belgians think of AI?
Europeans, including Belgians, were asked about their use of generative AI, the EU's foreign tech dependencies, and how they think AI should be regulated.
www.brusselstimes.com
June 22, 2026 at 11:53 AM
@ugorealfonzo.bsky.social confirms in a new poll that people want "greater digital sovereignty and a regulated, values-based approach to AI."
Europeans assert that the development of AI should be sustainable & geared towards 'improving public services including healthcare, transport and education'.
Europeans assert that the development of AI should be sustainable & geared towards 'improving public services including healthcare, transport and education'.
As @techpolicypress.bsky.social & @ainowinstitute.bsky.social warn:
"The obvious risk is that the widespread adoption of AI further entrenches Europe’s dependence on a handful of US firms. The less obvious risk (...) is that the economic value still flows elsewhere." 2/2
"The obvious risk is that the widespread adoption of AI further entrenches Europe’s dependence on a handful of US firms. The less obvious risk (...) is that the economic value still flows elsewhere." 2/2
June 11, 2026 at 10:30 AM
As @techpolicypress.bsky.social & @ainowinstitute.bsky.social warn:
"The obvious risk is that the widespread adoption of AI further entrenches Europe’s dependence on a handful of US firms. The less obvious risk (...) is that the economic value still flows elsewhere." 2/2
"The obvious risk is that the widespread adoption of AI further entrenches Europe’s dependence on a handful of US firms. The less obvious risk (...) is that the economic value still flows elsewhere." 2/2
Just this week, the @ec.europa.eu released a new #TechSovereigntyPackage aiming to amplify Europe's capacities - but
But technological capacity must also address underlying & systemic dependencies Europe has on US infrastructure, investment and value flows. 1/2
But technological capacity must also address underlying & systemic dependencies Europe has on US infrastructure, investment and value flows. 1/2
Series: What Europe’s AI Market Actually Looks Like
In partnership with the AI Now Institute, this series explores the European AI market and tests the assumptions left implicit in EU policy documents.
www.techpolicy.press
June 11, 2026 at 10:30 AM
Just this week, the @ec.europa.eu released a new #TechSovereigntyPackage aiming to amplify Europe's capacities - but
But technological capacity must also address underlying & systemic dependencies Europe has on US infrastructure, investment and value flows. 1/2
But technological capacity must also address underlying & systemic dependencies Europe has on US infrastructure, investment and value flows. 1/2
The @ec.europa.eu published its Tech Sovereignty Package. #CADA which aims to triple European data centre capacity by 2035 to scale EU-based cloud & AI.
Yet as @balancedeconomy.bsky.social rightly state, building more data centres is not the same thing as achieving tech sovereignty 👉 bit.ly/3RXGxnp
Yet as @balancedeconomy.bsky.social rightly state, building more data centres is not the same thing as achieving tech sovereignty 👉 bit.ly/3RXGxnp
June 9, 2026 at 2:07 PM
The @ec.europa.eu published its Tech Sovereignty Package. #CADA which aims to triple European data centre capacity by 2035 to scale EU-based cloud & AI.
Yet as @balancedeconomy.bsky.social rightly state, building more data centres is not the same thing as achieving tech sovereignty 👉 bit.ly/3RXGxnp
Yet as @balancedeconomy.bsky.social rightly state, building more data centres is not the same thing as achieving tech sovereignty 👉 bit.ly/3RXGxnp
@brusselstimes.com reports that an internal investigation has been launched on the policing of the recent French-speaking education cuts protests, following reports of disproportionate violence and racist & sexist remarks by some police officers.
'Bootcamp for rioters'? Defence Minister wants army training after Brussels protests
While Theo Francken has condemned student protesters for their behaviour last week, the police have also come under scrutiny for allegedly heavy-handed tactics.
www.brusselstimes.com
June 9, 2026 at 1:32 PM
@brusselstimes.com reports that an internal investigation has been launched on the policing of the recent French-speaking education cuts protests, following reports of disproportionate violence and racist & sexist remarks by some police officers.
Great to see that 35 MEPs are now calling on the @ec.europa.eu to scrap a secrecy clause that keeps the environmental data on #datacentres hidden.
The public has a right to know the ecological footprint of big tech’s infrastructure.
Read the letter 👉 bit.ly/4wRBXH0
The public has a right to know the ecological footprint of big tech’s infrastructure.
Read the letter 👉 bit.ly/4wRBXH0
Don’t let Big Tech hide ecological cost of AI, environment agency chief tells EU
Brussels must require tech companies to disclose data centers’ energy and water use, Leena Ylä-Mononen says.
www.politico.eu
May 26, 2026 at 9:54 AM
Great to see that 35 MEPs are now calling on the @ec.europa.eu to scrap a secrecy clause that keeps the environmental data on #datacentres hidden.
The public has a right to know the ecological footprint of big tech’s infrastructure.
Read the letter 👉 bit.ly/4wRBXH0
The public has a right to know the ecological footprint of big tech’s infrastructure.
Read the letter 👉 bit.ly/4wRBXH0
AI is already shaping working lives through opaque systems of surveillance and control.
Yet the new divide is more likely to be between the data collectors & AI users rather than the differing segments of workers subjected to this ever-increasing commodification of work.
Yet the new divide is more likely to be between the data collectors & AI users rather than the differing segments of workers subjected to this ever-increasing commodification of work.
Forget the AI job apocalypse. AI’s real threat is worker control and surveillance
A new divide is emerging: between workers who use AI at work and those who are managed by it
www.theguardian.com
May 11, 2026 at 3:29 PM
AI is already shaping working lives through opaque systems of surveillance and control.
Yet the new divide is more likely to be between the data collectors & AI users rather than the differing segments of workers subjected to this ever-increasing commodification of work.
Yet the new divide is more likely to be between the data collectors & AI users rather than the differing segments of workers subjected to this ever-increasing commodification of work.
Reposted by Axelle Van Wynsberghe
Europe’s ambitious sustainable finance legislation risks becoming a greenwashing loophole due to fragmented enforcement and a lack of oversight, undermining the green transition and misallocating capital, says @axelle-vw.bsky.social .
Europe’s green finance rules need teeth to be enforceable
Strong oversight and real sanctions are needed to avoid derailing the transition and keep the market fair and reliable, says Axelle Van Wynsberghe of Finance Watch.
greencb.co
May 8, 2026 at 3:03 PM
Europe’s ambitious sustainable finance legislation risks becoming a greenwashing loophole due to fragmented enforcement and a lack of oversight, undermining the green transition and misallocating capital, says @axelle-vw.bsky.social .
Civil society like @algorithmwatch.org & @somoamsterdam.bsky.social reiterate that von der Leyen must enact the Google's €1 billion fine for their violation of the #DigitalMarketAct without further delay.
We cannot let big tech companies block, delay, or water down regulations that affect them.
We cannot let big tech companies block, delay, or water down regulations that affect them.
May 7, 2026 at 9:10 AM
Civil society like @algorithmwatch.org & @somoamsterdam.bsky.social reiterate that von der Leyen must enact the Google's €1 billion fine for their violation of the #DigitalMarketAct without further delay.
We cannot let big tech companies block, delay, or water down regulations that affect them.
We cannot let big tech companies block, delay, or water down regulations that affect them.
Glad this article I wrote for @financewatch.bsky.social
is gaining visibility. Thanks @greencb.bsky.social! 🌱
It's pretty clear: Europe’s #GreenFinance framework won’t deliver if it isn’t enforced. Without real oversight & accountability, we risk it becoming just another greenwashing loophole.
is gaining visibility. Thanks @greencb.bsky.social! 🌱
It's pretty clear: Europe’s #GreenFinance framework won’t deliver if it isn’t enforced. Without real oversight & accountability, we risk it becoming just another greenwashing loophole.
Europe’s green finance rules need teeth to be enforceable
Strong oversight and real sanctions are needed to avoid derailing the transition and keep the market fair and reliable, says Axelle Van Wynsberghe of Finance Watch.
greencentralbanking.com
May 6, 2026 at 1:23 PM
Glad this article I wrote for @financewatch.bsky.social
is gaining visibility. Thanks @greencb.bsky.social! 🌱
It's pretty clear: Europe’s #GreenFinance framework won’t deliver if it isn’t enforced. Without real oversight & accountability, we risk it becoming just another greenwashing loophole.
is gaining visibility. Thanks @greencb.bsky.social! 🌱
It's pretty clear: Europe’s #GreenFinance framework won’t deliver if it isn’t enforced. Without real oversight & accountability, we risk it becoming just another greenwashing loophole.
@jamesbridle.bsky.social at Bozar on his latest work Ways of Being and his shift towards art practices that engage with what he calls ‘the great work’ of our time.
“The only future we’re going to have is the one we build together right now.”
“The only future we’re going to have is the one we build together right now.”
April 29, 2026 at 6:37 PM
@jamesbridle.bsky.social at Bozar on his latest work Ways of Being and his shift towards art practices that engage with what he calls ‘the great work’ of our time.
“The only future we’re going to have is the one we build together right now.”
“The only future we’re going to have is the one we build together right now.”
The EU had planned the 1st fine against Google under the #DigitalMarketsAct. Now, it's backing down...
Yet we still need a free and democratic internet where public debate is not controlled by profit interests. Without accountability, big tech companies pose high risks to our democracy.
Yet we still need a free and democratic internet where public debate is not controlled by profit interests. Without accountability, big tech companies pose high risks to our democracy.
Is the Brussels Effect Losing Steam?
Europe’s Digital Markets Act was designed to lead a global antitrust crackdown on tech. But the Act’s impact has been limited and few countries are following.
cepa.org
April 28, 2026 at 11:34 AM
The EU had planned the 1st fine against Google under the #DigitalMarketsAct. Now, it's backing down...
Yet we still need a free and democratic internet where public debate is not controlled by profit interests. Without accountability, big tech companies pose high risks to our democracy.
Yet we still need a free and democratic internet where public debate is not controlled by profit interests. Without accountability, big tech companies pose high risks to our democracy.
According to @karenhao.bsky.social the EU should rethink its approach to competitiveness in its approach to #AI.
“Could there be a rights preserving, democratic and inclusive AI that would outcompete these other paradigms [of the US and China]?”
“Could there be a rights preserving, democratic and inclusive AI that would outcompete these other paradigms [of the US and China]?”
@alexandrageese.eurosky.social & @karenhao.bsky.social on societal harm concerns of AI at @heinrichboelltr.bsky.social.
They discuss how communities - from Uruguay to the US - are mobilising to fight back against the energy and water cost of AI and the buildout of data centres.
They discuss how communities - from Uruguay to the US - are mobilising to fight back against the energy and water cost of AI and the buildout of data centres.
April 22, 2026 at 4:50 PM
According to @karenhao.bsky.social the EU should rethink its approach to competitiveness in its approach to #AI.
“Could there be a rights preserving, democratic and inclusive AI that would outcompete these other paradigms [of the US and China]?”
“Could there be a rights preserving, democratic and inclusive AI that would outcompete these other paradigms [of the US and China]?”
@alexandrageese.eurosky.social & @karenhao.bsky.social on societal harm concerns of AI at @heinrichboelltr.bsky.social.
They discuss how communities - from Uruguay to the US - are mobilising to fight back against the energy and water cost of AI and the buildout of data centres.
They discuss how communities - from Uruguay to the US - are mobilising to fight back against the energy and water cost of AI and the buildout of data centres.
April 22, 2026 at 4:28 PM
@alexandrageese.eurosky.social & @karenhao.bsky.social on societal harm concerns of AI at @heinrichboelltr.bsky.social.
They discuss how communities - from Uruguay to the US - are mobilising to fight back against the energy and water cost of AI and the buildout of data centres.
They discuss how communities - from Uruguay to the US - are mobilising to fight back against the energy and water cost of AI and the buildout of data centres.
@balancedeconomy.bsky.social shows how speculative investment, political influence & concentrated corporate power fuel an AI race to the bottom:
"We cannot build a fair or sustainable economy on infrastructure controlled by tech giants and (...)designed to extract returns from the public."
"We cannot build a fair or sustainable economy on infrastructure controlled by tech giants and (...)designed to extract returns from the public."
Licensed to Loot: How Big Tech & Big Finance Drove the AI Data Centre Boom — Balanced Economy Project
BEP’s new paper reveals how Big Tech and Big Finance manufactured the AI data centre boom, driving structural dependencies and urging a moratorium on new approvals.
www.balancedeconomy.org
April 22, 2026 at 2:11 PM
@balancedeconomy.bsky.social shows how speculative investment, political influence & concentrated corporate power fuel an AI race to the bottom:
"We cannot build a fair or sustainable economy on infrastructure controlled by tech giants and (...)designed to extract returns from the public."
"We cannot build a fair or sustainable economy on infrastructure controlled by tech giants and (...)designed to extract returns from the public."