EU Officials Dump Europeans’ Privacy for the Sake of Artificial Intelligence
The European Commission has quietly and carefully planned a major change to digital rules in digital omnibus, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
According to internal documents leaked to the public, the plan is to allow large technology companies such as Google and Meta to use Europeans’ personal data to train artificial intelligence models, writes The Brussels Times. The aim is reportedly to reduce bureaucracy and strengthen the competitiveness of European companies, especially in the field of artificial intelligence, where Europe lags behind the United States and China the most.
According to NOYB, an Austrian privacy group, the EU is creating broad exceptions under the pretext of competitiveness for businesses to train artificial intelligence. Technology companies would be allowed to process large amounts of personal data – such as browsing history, social media communications, and location data – without the user’s explicit consent.
One of the changes is a narrowing of the definition of “personal data”, meaning that fewer types of data would be considered personal in the future. This means that the most strictly protected personal data, such as health information, political/religious views, or sexual orientation, would only be protected if it is “directly revealed”, rather than inferred from other data, and under the new rules, artificial intelligence companies would be allowed to process this data for AI training with minimal safeguards.
It is worth noting that, according to a recent ruling by the EU’s highest court, pseudonymized personal data may not be covered by the GDPR for certain recipients who lack reasonable means to re-identify individuals.
The provision referred to as the “artificial intelligence exception” would apply in cases of non-targeted use, where the data helps to improve the model in general, rather than to create personalized advertising. The Commission considers the change to be important from an innovation perspective, pointing out that strict rules hinder the development of artificial intelligence.
At the same time, Commission officials argue that the proposals to simplify the GDPR do not affect the fundamental principles of the regulation. However, leaked internal documents acknowledge potential risks, such as data breaches and biased algorithms. This clearly suggests the Commission is prioritizing economic benefits over other interests.
Privacy advocates and civil society groups have been quick to condemn the initiative. Max Schrems, founder of NOYB, described the update as a gift to large technology companies, mainly American companies that develop artificial intelligence and are valued at trillions (e.g., OpenAI, Google, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft).
Schrems said: “The draft is not just extreme, but also very poorly drafted. It is not helping ‘small business’, as promised, but again mainly benefiting ‘big tech’.”
All at the expense of citizens, of course, said Schrems, warning that the change could legalize mass surveillance.
In addition, there are plans to allow remote access to a person’s computer or smartphone without the user’s permission and under the guise of legitimate interest. The Commission plans to create up to 10 legal grounds for accessing personal data in a person’s device – or placing surveillance technology on the device. In any case, according to NOYB’s legal analysis, the wording is “extremely permissive” and would also allow for extensive searches of the user’s device.
The European Commission has promised to publish the package on November 19, 2025. Member states will then have to approve the package, but according to Politico, many countries already disagree with the changes to the GDPR, including France, Austria, Estonia and Slovenia. Germany, historically considered one of the most privacy-conscious countries, is instead pushing for major changes to help advance the development of artificial intelligence.
source www.freedom-research.org
Please Donate Below To Support Our Ongoing Work To Defend the Scientific Method
PRINCIPIA SCIENTIFIC INTERNATIONAL, legally registered in the UK as a company incorporated for charitable purposes. Head Office: 27 Old Gloucester Street, London WC1N 3AX.