Public Digital

The Dutch government is developing an alternative to Microsoft-based infrastructure built on NixOS, the reproducible Linux operating system. The project, presented via the DAWO community platform, reflects a growing push among European public administrations to reduce dependence on US software vendors and gain control over their digital systems. Observers see it as part of wider European efforts toward digital sovereignty, though details about scale, timeline, and which government bodies will adopt the system remain unclear.

America.gov, the U.S. State Department's public diplomacy website, is drawing fresh interest online. The site has long served as an official resource explaining American government, society and policy to international audiences, though it was scaled back in earlier years as digital outreach shifted to embassy platforms. Its current state and content prompted discussion on Hacker News, and it is also trending in Google searches in the United States.

A new article by Katie Neith, edited by Robert Egan, revisits Isaac Newton's younger years, prompting renewed interest in his life before fame. Readers are pairing the piece with Project Gutenberg's free digital edition of Newton's Principia, making the classic physics text easily accessible alongside the profile of the scientist as a young man.

Spanish economist José Carlos Díaz said that half of Spain's civil servants will retire over the next decade, arguing the country should bring artificial intelligence into the public administration 'to the max'. His remarks, published by El Confidencial, frame the coming retirement wave as a chance to modernise the state's workforce and digital systems.

The Netherlands is developing an open-source desktop work environment for government authorities, built on the NixOS operating system as part of a push for digital sovereignty. Eight municipalities are already testing the system, which aims to reduce dependence on commercial software vendors for public administration IT.

A new article in The Conversation examines whether grocery store receipts contain toxic chemicals, pointing to concerns that thermal paper used for printed receipts may carry harmful substances such as bisphenols, which can be absorbed through the skin. The piece discusses what the health risks are for shoppers and retail workers who handle receipts regularly, and what alternatives like digital receipts could mean for reducing exposure.

The Vatican has announced the theme for World Communications Day 2027: 'Paying attention in the age of clickbait.' The choice signals the Church's continued focus on how digital media shapes public attention, encouraging reflection on truthfulness and depth in an online culture driven by sensational headlines. Vatican News reported the announcement, and further details are expected closer to the event.

The Vatican has announced the theme for the next World Day of Social Communications, focusing on the pitfalls of the 'attention economy' — the business model in which tech platforms compete to capture and monetise human attention. The choice signals Pope Francis's ongoing concern with how digital media shapes public discourse, empathy and truth, continuing his criticism of manipulative online practices.

Orange Business has been selected to provide the European Union's backbone network for trusted data exchange. The deal makes the French telecom operator responsible for the infrastructure underpinning secure data flows between EU institutions and member states. It marks a significant win for Orange in European public-sector digital infrastructure and aligns with EU efforts to build sovereign, trusted data-sharing capabilities.

Google has announced it is serving as a technology partner for the launch of America.gov, a relaunched official US government website. The company says it will provide the technical infrastructure supporting the site's public-facing services. The announcement was made on Google's own blog, framing the project as an example of its collaboration with the US government on digital public services.