The European Commission plans to fundamentally overhaul personal data protection rules. Politico reported on the plans, and the arguments clearly indicate that the goal is to facilitate the development of artificial intelligence in the European Union. So far, this represents the most significant change to the GDPR since its introduction. Along with the proposed changes, a debate is also emerging over whether Europe is willing to sacrifice too much of its residents’ privacy for the development of AI.
What exactly the European Commission plans to change
The proposed changes are based on a package of amendments called the Digital Omnibus. It is set to be unveiled on November 19 and is intended to allow AI companies to use previously protected personal data more freely when developing artificial intelligence. The new proposal therefore envisages giving companies access to data that was previously unavailable, such as information about religion, political views, health, or ethnic origin. This shift is intended to make development considerably easier.
Among other things, rules concerning cookies are also expected to be relaxed. Websites or applications could thus gain a broader legal basis for tracking their users’ behavior, even without their explicit consent.
An effort to catch up with AI leaders
Last year, the European Union introduced the Artificial Intelligence Act, which is gradually being adopted by member states. It assesses the risks of AI and seeks to determine what is and is not permissible during development. Paradoxically, however, it has become clear that this act is not an obstacle for development companies. The legislation associated with the GDPR is making the situation in Europe much more complicated. It imposes significant restrictions on what data may be collected and used to train models.
According to the authors of the Digital Omnibus package, if we want to catch up with AI leaders such as the United States or China, which do not operate under such strict personal data restrictions, fundamental changes must be made to how we approach personal data protection. Brussels is therefore now looking for a way to continue protecting people’s privacy while simultaneously clearing the way for technological progress.
Criticism of the proposed changes
However, criticism of the proposed changes was quick to emerge. The proposed amendments are raising concerns among both politicians and privacy advocacy groups. For example, the Austrian privacy advocacy group NOYB stated that the planned changes would affect a whole range of GDPR articles and compared the situation to “death by a thousand cuts”. According to the group, this also represents a massive blow to the protection of European Union citizens, just 10 years after the introduction of the GDPR.
European Digital Rights, an association of civil and human rights organizations across Europe, is also criticizing the changes concerning cookies. According to the association, the European Union would effectively stop protecting what happens on our phones or computers.
According to experts, technological growth should not come at the expense of citizens or threaten their fundamental rights. Countries such as Austria and Estonia have already opposed the proposal, and it is clear that the heated debate will continue.
Europe at a crossroads
The final proposal for the Digital Omnibus package will be presented by the European Commission on November 19. Negotiations with member states and the European Parliament will then begin. However, based on the initial reactions, it is already clear that the approval process will be lengthy. While some politicians fully support the development of artificial intelligence, others oppose weakening the GDPR. The final verdict will therefore show whether Europe’s priority is technological progress or privacy protection.
Source: Politico, Reuters, The Brussel Times, Datamation, TechRadar
