Tech’s day was defined by a tug-of-war over who shapes digital life: regulators, companies, or users. In Brussels, the EU moved toward stricter child-safety rules that could limit social media access for under-13s and force platforms to prove their products are safe by design, taking aim at addictive features like infinite scroll. At the consumer end, Waze is leaning further into Google’s Gemini AI, adding more natural voice reporting, a motorcycle mode, and a “Less Chatty” setting that gives drivers tighter control over how software speaks to them. Meanwhile, Intel is putting €5 billion into its Irish plant to boost AI chip production, underscoring Europe’s push for strategic semiconductor capacity. And in gaming culture, Games Done Quick abruptly dropped an SNK-sponsored stream after backlash over the publisher’s Saudi ownership, a reminder that tech partnerships now face intense ethical scrutiny.