[REPORT] Climate and Energy Implications of Crypto-Assets in the United States — “The report calls on federal agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy to work with states and local officials to develop standards for the industry’s impact on the environment; the intensity and source of energy that goes into it, noise pollution, water usage as well as how to build carbon-free energy to balance out crypto mining’s consumption.” (Coindesk)

[LISTENING SESSION] Biden Administration Announces Broad “Principles for Enhancing Competition and Tech Platform Accountability” — Following a listening session held to gather expert opinions on the “harms that tech platforms cause and the need for greater accountability,” the White House published a list of “core principles for reform” in technology policy. Notably, the White House lists the promotion of competition as vital to “address the power of tech platforms through antitrust legislation.”

[STRATEGY PLAN] Canada’s Digital Ambition 2022 — “The Government of Canada is planning to launch public consultations on a digital ID framework for federal government services. The stakeholder engagement is part of a set of actions set out in a new strategy document, ‘Canada’s Digital Ambition 2022,’ which was introduced to advance the previously-unveiled Digital Government Strategy. Trusted digital identity is one of the pillars of the ambition, and being able to prove ID claims more quickly is a goal identified under priority 2.2, to ‘build and use secure common solutions for digital service delivery.’” (Biometric Update)

[PRESS RELEASE] Historic Step: All Fifty States Plus D.C. and Puerto Rico Greenlit to Move EV Charging Networks Forward, Covering 75,000 Miles of Highway — On 27 Sept. 2022, all 50 states received final approval to begin construction on a nationwide network of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, with plans to place one charging station roughly every 50 miles along interstate highways. The historic project is part of the Biden administration’s plan to spur widespread adoption of zero-emission vehicles.

[DISCUSSION PAPER] Intellectual Property Infringement and Enforcement Tech Watch Discussion Paper — The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) first started looking at blockchain technology to combat counterfeits back in 2018. Creating digital twins of products enables wholesalers, retailers, customs authorities and consumers to confirm that an item is authentic with blockchain holding the immutable record in the background. (LedgerInsights)

[PRESS RELEASE] Digital Finance: Agreement Reached on European Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) — The Council presidency and the European Parliament reached a provisional agreement on the markets in crypto-assets (MiCA) proposal which covers issuers of unbacked crypto-assets, and so-called “stablecoins”, as well as the trading venues and the wallets where crypto-assets are held.

[PROPOSAL] New Liability Rules on Products and AI to Protect Consumers and Foster Innovation — On 28 September 2022, the European Commission adopted two proposals to adapt liability rules for the digital age. Proposed revisions to the 1985 Product Liability Directive focus on modernizing liability rules for circular economy business models, creating a more level playing field between EU and non-EU manufacturers, and putting consumers on an equal footing with manufacturers. The Commission’s proposal will need to be adopted by the European Parliament and the Council.