Latest news and stories about digital services in technology in Portugal for expats and residents.
The National Road Safety Authority will transition to a fully digital traffic fine processing system starting August 31st to prevent expiration.
The mandatory implementation of two-factor authentication for the Direct Social Security portal has been postponed from May 12th to May 16th due to technical issues with access code delivery.
A report on the digital transformation of public services in Portugal, focusing on the Virtual Citizen Shop initiative designed to reduce consulate visits.
The Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) has issued new guidelines to help users successfully upload documents to its digital portals, recommending simple filenames and specific technical adjustments to prevent submission errors.
Deputy Minister and Minister for State Reform Gonçalo Matias announced that Portugal will launch a Company Digital Wallet on 26 January. In its initial phase the wallet will contain four company documents — including the company card, the Central Register of Beneficial Owners (RCBE) entry and a statement of no debt to Social Security — with a pilot completed and nationwide rollout planned. Matias framed the move as meeting a European obligation, noting Portugal is the first EU country to adopt this solution; the rollout is intended to reduce administrative friction, speed compliance checks and advance public-sector digitalisation.
This year, there is a new development in the exam grading process. The papers are fully digitised and part of the grading is automated. Teachers consider the changes to be advantageous.
The new social application WiYou has been released in Portugal, focusing on connecting users based on shared interests rather than physical looks.
The promise was made by Minister Fernando Alexandre after two years of development. Amália will not have any chat interface for citizens to use the model.
Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5 are no longer accessible to all users after US authorities banned their use by foreigners.
The US-based AI company states this is a last-minute export control directive, which requires it to block access to the service by foreign nationals for national security reasons.
A study by Adyen on digital retail in Portugal reveals an accelerated adoption of AI in purchasing processes, yet highlights significant consumer resistance to full AI autonomy in transaction completion. While 81% of retailers are willing to enable AI-generated purchases, only 39.2% of consumers are comfortable with an AI assistant handling the entire process. Key barriers include a perceived loss of control, privacy concerns, and fear of errors. The report also notes the growing influence of social media in shopping, particularly among Gen Z and Millennials, and emphasizes that building trust and secure payment infrastructure are the primary challenges for retailers.
Meta's social networks are experiencing issues this Friday, June 12, over the last hour. Facebook and Instagram are down or facing constraints in several countries, including Portugal.
Users were automatically logged out of the Messenger app and are unable to log back in
The company behind ChatGPT wants to respond to the success of the Claude tool, a product from rival Anthropic. Discussions are ongoing internally and no final decision has been made yet.
At WWDC, Tim Cook announced the redesign of Siri based on Google's Gemini model. The European Union is excluded due to a regulatory impasse with Apple.
The European Commission considers it necessary to force Meta to restore access for third-party AI assistants to WhatsApp to prevent serious and irreparable damage to market competition.
Instagram and Facebook account for 56% of complaints. Account suspension was the main reason, representing 55% of the 98 complaints received between January and March 2026.
The use of two accounts was implemented to eliminate the need to have two phones to separate personal and professional matters. The feature is now available globally.
WhatsApp has made the ability to add and manage a second account on iOS smartphones available to all users, allowing them to access different accounts on the same application and device while keeping their conversations organised.
Apple has introduced features that competitors already offered, alongside others that promise to push the brand to the forefront of AI. Europe and the Portuguese language are, for now, left out.
The 5G network infrastructure in Portugal expanded by 12.5% during the first quarter, reaching a total of 15,694 active stations.
Meta launched paid subscription plans for its main applications on Wednesday, a significant step for the tech giant as it seeks to reduce its reliance on advertising. The announcement was shared on Instagram by Meta's Chief Product Officer, Naomi Gleit. Simply called Instagram Plus and Facebook Plus, these plans offer additional statistical analysis features and access to a wider audience. Access will cost $3.99 per month. For $2.99 per month, WhatsApp Plus focuses on personalisation, including premium stickers, custom ringtones, and app themes. According to Gleit, the group's long-term goal is to bundle these plans into an offer called Meta One. This launch comes as Meta is under close scrutiny from investors due to its massive spending on artificial intelligence (AI). The company expects to spend between $125 billion and $145 billion this year, mainly on data centres dedicated to AI. Meta shares rose more than 3% on Wall Street on Wednesday. In 2023, Meta launched paid, ad-free versions of Facebook and Instagram for European users to comply with EU data protection legislation, offering users the choice between a free, ad-supported experience and a paid, ad-free one. Google's investments in AI are generating more enthusiasm than Meta's.
The Government has launched the plan to provide the State with its own “sovereign cloud,” at a time when European countries are increasingly aware of the need to ensure “control over data access” and the continuous “operation of critical systems and infrastructure.” The plan, which involves entities such as...
Banco do Brasil has launched a digital account in Portugal, currently available to existing clients, with plans to open it to the general public soon. The service offers features such as euro and dollar accounts, international transfers, and debit cards, leveraging the bank's digital expertise to facilitate financial operations between Brazil and Europe.
Google announced this Tuesday a major update to its search tool to integrate even more advanced artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, including the new Gemini 3.5 Flash model as the default in AI Mode, now available globally. In a statement, the company guarantees it will be the biggest search engine update in over...
The author critiques the creation of the new State Simplification and Technology Network, arguing that it replicates a top-down 'tower' structure rather than fostering the collaborative, horizontal 'square' approach that successfully drove Portugal's digital transformation in the 1990s. By comparing the current centralized model to the historical ERSI meetings, the text suggests that true innovation requires independent, peer-to-peer professional communities rather than bureaucratic decrees and centralized control.
The social network X has imposed new usage limits for unverified users. According to the official support page (in its English version), these users are now limited to 50 original posts and 200 replies per day. On the Portuguese support page, the previous limitation is still visible...
Much of human progress has occurred because we have managed to communicate better, transmit knowledge, bring cultures closer together, share discoveries, coordinate people, and create understanding beyond physical borders. It is easy to forget this at a time when the debate seems dominated by polarisation, misinformation, and constant noise, oscillating between naive enthusiasm and a vision where everything seems...
A bot is useful for triage and simple instructions, but it is qualified human intervention, with its empathy and understanding, that restores trust and consolidates the relationship with the company.
