European policymakers have proposed sweeping changes to the way the EU regulates the tech industry. Over the past few months, companies like Meta and Google have questioned strict EU policies related to privacy and AI expansion, but if the European Commission’s new package of proposals is passed, several major technical hurdles will be removed. Or at least lifted a little.
According to the policymakers, the changes to rules around AI, cybersecurity and data will drive growth for European businesses while “promoting Europe’s highest standards of fundamental rights, data protection, security and fairness.” The proposals also include amendments to the AI Act that Google has recently raised concerns about, which would allow AI companies to access personal data shared for training models.
It seeks to simplify paperwork for small companies and make AI literacy a requirement for member states. AI oversight will also be centralized in the AI Office where general purpose AI models are being used, a move aimed at “reducing governance fragmentation”. Additionally, stricter rules regarding the use of AI in high-risk sectors, which were expected to arrive next summer, may be delayed until the Commission can confirm that “the necessary standards and support tools” are available for affected companies.
The notorious (and certainly very annoying) cookie banners that form the basis of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will also be reconsidered under the Commission’s proposals. If approved, people will see these banners pop up with less regularity, give their consent with a single click, and save their cookie preferences so they can potentially be applied automatically in the browser.
The European Commission’s “digital omnibus” will now go to the European Parliament for approval, where it may face serious opposition. While the proposals are likely to be welcomed by the rapidly growing AI industry, skeptics may argue that the lack of privacy and AI legislation is evidence that Europe is bowing to pressure from big tech and Donald Trump, who has publicly criticized the EU’s digital regulation.
This would represent a remarkable change in the EU’s long-standing reputation as the tech industry’s most stubborn opponent. In September, she rejected calls for Apple to repeal its Digital Markets Act (DMA), a legal framework that Apple has been repeatedly accused of violating by the EU. Over the summer, Meta refused to sign the EU’s AI Code of Practice, with its global affairs officer, Joel Kaplan, calling the code “over-reaching.”