Critics fear the European Commission’s upcoming digital omnibus will relax AI and GDPR rules to placate big tech companies and Washington.
The European Commission is preparing to ease some of its most stringent digital and AI regulations, with critics blasting the commission of sacrificing privacy to secure big tech investment.
The commission is expected to unveil its “digital omnibus” next week, which would streamline compliance rules for AI companies and controversially adjust GDPR provisions.
Europe has struggled to keep pace with American tech giants in AI development. Companies like Meta, Google, and OpenAI have all delayed AI rollouts across the continent, citing privacy and regulatory hurdles as key barriers. Meta, for example, refused to sign the EU’s code of practice for general-purpose AI models earlier this year, warning that the rules introduced “legal uncertainties” and exceeded the AI Act’s intended scope.
