Alexander Fanta

Journalist @ftm_eu covering tech and transparency. On the advisory board @access_info. Co-organiser @1AMedienrunde. Also @[email protected]

[Alexander Fanta @FantaAlexx]

The only reason I still keep this account is to prevent an impersonator from stealing it

[Alexander Fanta @FantaAlexx]

@idilsaguner @alemannoEU @FTM_eu It's not a leaked document, but lawfully obtained via the EU's transparency law, Regulation 1049/2001

[Lukasz Olejnik @lukOlejnik]

White House has opened a second front - in Europe. The objective: disarm the EU's Digital Services Act, which forces major platforms to moderate content or face billions in fines. The method: threats/intimidation. In December 2025, five people, including the EU's former technology commissioner, were banned from entering the US for allegedly "censoring American free speech". The chair of the House Judiciary Committee publishes reports naming European Commission officials, and at least three European NGOs have received letters demanding they hand over internal documents. The secretary of state instructed diplomats to lobby European capitals for the repeal of the DSA. Germany's digital affairs minister, after meeting with an American diplomat, publicly declared that European regulation had "gone too far". American diplomats lobby against another country's law in another country's capital. Sovereign states take note and schedule another meeting. The EU built a law whose enforcement it made dependent on NGOs - and now stands by watching as someone systematically neutralises those very NGOs. American politicians send letters to European NGOs and the NGOs are scared - Brussels, in response, "stands behind them" and steps out for a coffee. The EU passed a law regulating companies worth trillions, then effectively outsourced evidence-gathering to organisations that live on grants, have no investigative powers, and can be intimidated by a letter from a congressman. This is an architectural problem. USA merely exposed it. A separate question remains: what happens when law enforcement depends on organisations that are, by definition, NON-governmental. https://t.co/RgArcUtszm

[Jeanna Smialek @jeannasmialek]

NEW: In the Pfizergate latest, the E.U. has provided The New York Times with a fuller description of what happened to text messages exchanged between President von der Leyen and the Pfizer CEO.

Newsy stuff. (Gift link, and the doc is embedded) 1/

https://t.co/CxgFU78wkQ

[Alexander Fanta @FantaAlexx]

Really interesting discovery - an Austrian state-owned company sells high-tech equipment to an Iranian conglomerate with ties to the country's nuclear program.

[Joseph Gepp @JosephGepp]

Macht das Land #Niederösterreich, genauer ein Unternehmen im hundertprozentigen Landesbesitz, Geschäfte mit dem international hoch umstrittenen iranischen Atomprogramm? Ein #Thread, der einige Fragen aufwirft. 1/14

[Alexander Fanta @FantaAlexx]

At a time when Huawei’s reputation hit a new low in Brussels, one man kept the doors to politicians open – until he was arrested for alleged bribery. Now, insiders tell FTM that Huawei bosses were aware of Valerio Ottati’s potentially corrupt practices: https://t.co/Z3HetXwbC6

[profil @profilonline]

Sebastian Kurz ist nach seinem Abschied aus der Politik unter die Unternehmer gegangen. Was der Unternehmer Kurz genau macht, darüber sprechen @StefanMelichar​ und Investigativjournalist @FantaAlexx von der Plattform @FTM_eu. https://t.co/k2iujOHkim

[Alexander Fanta @FantaAlexx]

@SigridMelchior @p_hansens @NikolajNielsen @LiseWitteman Easy to suspect, hard to prove

[Alexander Fanta @FantaAlexx]

@SigridMelchior @p_hansens @NikolajNielsen @LiseWitteman Btw, Sigrid, why are you still on this terrible site?! Come over to Bluesky!!

[Alexander Fanta @FantaAlexx]

@SigridMelchior @p_hansens @NikolajNielsen @LiseWitteman I find there are occasions, admittedly rare, when they are on time. Usually single docs. Depends on what DG, tbh

[Vas Panagiotopoulos @criticalvas]

In a first for an 🇪🇺EU body, the bloc's diplomatic service admits it has access to messages in a #Signal group between foreign ministers, writes @FantaAlexx.

https://t.co/dR4GSdHhlA

[Sylwia Czubkowska @sylvcz]

Efekt: wielkie opóźnianie państw.
O tym:
- kim jest Polak przewijający się w dokumentach śledczych
- jak Huawei budowało wpływy wśród polityków UE
- czym jest korupcja dla Chin mi i @j_sosnowska mówią w Techstoriach: @boguszmichal i @FantaAlexx.
Polcam!
https://t.co/oYYJaLeRX6

[Alexander Fanta @FantaAlexx]

@ConnorAllenEU sounds interesting. want to chat? [email protected]

[Leonie Kijewski @LeonieKij]

Huawei is suspected of bribing some 15 MEPs to get their public support.

For the past months, we've been looking into how Huawei's lobbying efforts might have crossed legal boundaries.

Read it for free:

https://t.co/LNQYRYgJdi

[Alexander Fanta @FantaAlexx]

We did a detailed reconstruction of Huawei's lobbying campaign in Europe over the past years, and how it crossed ethical - and, possibly, legal - barriers in an attempt to keep its telecom equipment on the market.

read it here (free): https://t.co/WZOfcODSB6

[Alexander Fanta @FantaAlexx]

SCOOP: Brussels is facing a new corruption scandal. Belgian police raided 21 homes today as part of a corruption probe into Huawei’s EU lobbying. Lobbyists for the tech giant are suspected of bribing MEPs in exchange for their public support. #HuaweiGate
https://t.co/PGakdy0gVk

[matthew karnitschnig @MKarnitschnig]

“As his empire continues to grow, could Döpfner court yet more scandal by openly meddling at Politico, and risk his business for his politics?”
Lot of interesting bits on Springer in this long read by @FantaAlexx https://t.co/17TfBsnGRk

[Alexander Fanta @FantaAlexx]

Some truly bizarre stuff going down at the Committee of Regions.

From our latest newsletter:

https://t.co/TcSaLqAnug

[Alexander Fanta @FantaAlexx]

@beton_blau Ich würde bei so etwas schon aus Prinzip um eine Richtigstellung bitten.

[Alexander Fanta @FantaAlexx]

@beton_blau Naja, wenn Du tatsächlich als erstes dran warst, ist es nicht Geltungsdrang sondern einfach nur faktisch korrekt. Zumindest ein E-Mail zu schreiben, um das schriftlich festzuhalten, hätte ich schon gemacht. Innenpolitik et apa at oder aussenpolitik et apa at bieten sich an.