European Commission Proposes Deregulatory Changes to GDPR and AI Regulations
The European Commission has introduced a legislative package, known as the Digital Omnibus, aimed at simplifying and consolidating digital regulations across the European Union. This proposal seeks to merge multiple pieces of legislation into a single framework, streamlining rules on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and data management. A key component of the package is the relaxation of certain General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) provisions, including delaying the enforcement of regulations on high-risk AI systems and permitting companies to use personal data for AI training without prior user consent in most cases. The initiative also includes the launch of a European Business Wallet to facilitate digital operations for companies and public sector bodies, and a new Data Union Strategy to unlock high-quality data for AI development.
EU officials argue that these changes will reduce administrative burdens and compliance costs for businesses, fostering innovation and competitiveness within the bloc. However, the proposal has drawn criticism from privacy and digital rights advocates, as well as some political parties, who warn that it could significantly weaken data privacy protections that have been a hallmark of the EU's regulatory landscape. The legislative package must still be approved by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, and its future remains uncertain amid ongoing debate over the balance between innovation and fundamental rights.
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How this story unfolded
2 events from the most recent confirmed update back to the earliest known activity.
Critics warn proposal would weaken GDPR and AI safeguards
Following publication of the proposal, coverage highlighted concerns that the simplification effort would reduce regulatory protections under GDPR and AI rules. The reported reaction frames the proposal as a potential weakening of existing compliance and oversight obligations.
European Commission unveils digital rules simplification proposal
The European Commission proposed a new package of simplified digital rules affecting GDPR and AI-related regulatory requirements. Reporting on November 19, 2025 indicates this was the key new policy development disclosed in the references.
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EU Digital Omnibus Proposal to Weaken GDPR Protections for AI and Cookie Tracking
The European Commission is preparing to introduce the "Digital Omnibus" legislative package, which includes significant amendments to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and related digital privacy laws. Leaked drafts of the proposal reveal changes that privacy advocates argue would create major loopholes, particularly by relaxing rules on pseudonymized data and shifting cookie regulation from the ePrivacy Directive to the GDPR. Critics, including Max Schrems and privacy groups like Noyb, warn that these reforms would undermine existing privacy protections, making it easier for companies—especially large tech and advertising firms—to exploit personal data for commercial purposes. The proposed amendments would also allow broader processing of cookie-derived data under a "closed list of low-risk purposes" or other legal bases, moving away from the current strict opt-in requirements. Privacy experts contend that these changes could violate European Court of Justice rulings and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, representing the most significant attack on European privacy since the GDPR's inception. The official unveiling of the Digital Omnibus package is expected on November 19, 2025, and the reforms have sparked strong opposition from privacy advocates who believe the legislative process is being rushed and lacks proper oversight, potentially eroding the rights of EU citizens in favor of industry interests.
Mar 21, 2026
EU Digital Omnibus Proposals Face Privacy Watchdog Backlash Over GDPR Changes
European privacy watchdogs and digital rights advocates are pushing back against the European Commission’s proposed **“Digital Omnibus”** package, arguing that amendments billed as regulatory “streamlining” could **weaken EU privacy protections** and erode fundamental rights. Reported concerns focus on proposed changes to the **GDPR**, including narrowing the definition of **personal data** so that not all data that could potentially be linked to an identifiable person would qualify, alongside other adjustments intended to reduce compliance friction (e.g., reducing cookie banner requirements in some cases and simplifying multi-law breach notification processes). Separately, UK officials told Parliament that **legacy IT** is impeding implementation of technical controls meant to prevent repeats of the Ministry of Defence’s highly sensitive Afghan data exposure, where roughly **19,000** resettlement applicants’ details were compromised via a **CC instead of BCC** email error. The government’s Information Security Review recommended shifting cross-government information sharing away from email/attachments and toward source-based sharing, but ministers and the chief data officer cited departmental system fragmentation as a barrier to rolling out attachment-blocking and safer data-transfer mechanisms at scale.
Mar 21, 2026
German and EU Civil Society Warn Against Weakened AI Surveillance and Safety Rules
Civil society groups in Germany, including Amnesty International and the Chaos Computer Club, urged the government to withdraw draft laws that would expand digital policing powers through **biometric internet searches** and automated analysis of large police datasets using systems such as **Palantir**. Critics said the proposals from the justice and interior ministries lack judicial oversight, transparency, documentation requirements, and clear limits on data scope and analytical methods, creating risks of mass surveillance, discriminatory profiling, and intrusive scrutiny of victims, witnesses, and uninvolved people. Germany’s independent data protection authorities also concluded that the measures, as drafted, are incompatible with constitutional requirements and could effectively sidestep the EU AI Act’s ban on mass facial-image processing into biometric databases. At the EU level, a coalition led by **BEUC** and 31 other organizations warned that the proposed **AI Omnibus** could dilute safeguards by exempting sectors such as medical devices, radio equipment, toys, and machinery from the AI regulation’s direct scope. The groups argued that existing sector-specific product rules do not address AI-specific harms including discrimination, opacity, and the evolving behavior of AI systems, and said the change would create regulatory gaps, fragmentation, and legal uncertainty rather than simplification. They warned that weakening the framework would undermine consumer protection, fundamental rights, and trust in European AI governance as trilogue negotiations continue.
May 5, 2026