EU bows to pressure to ease AI and privacy rules

The European Union will next week begin rolling back landmark rules on artificial intelligence and data protection that have faced strong opposition on both sides of the Atlantic.

The move, part of a move to cut through red tape for European companies struggling with rivals from the United States and China, has drawn accusations that Brussels is prioritizing competitiveness over citizens’ privacy and protection.

Brussels denies that pressure from the US government influenced its push to “simplify” the region’s digital rules, which has angered President Donald Trump and US tech giants.

But the European Commission has said it has heard the concerns of EU companies and wants to make it easier to access users’ data for AI development, a move some have criticized as a threat to privacy.

But one planned change could put many Europeans at ease and unite. The EU wants to do away with those pesky cookie banners that ask users for their consent to be tracked on websites.

According to a draft document seen by EU officials and AFP, which is subject to change before publication on November 19, the European Commission will propose:

—Partial enforcement of the AI ​​Law will be suspended for one year
– An overhaul of key data protection rules that privacy advocates say will make it easier for American Big Tech companies to “siphon off Europeans’ personal data.”

This block is based on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which has respected user privacy since 2018 and influenced standards around the world.

The EU insists it is only proposing technical changes to streamline the rules, but rights activists and EU lawmakers paint a different picture.

“The biggest rollback”

According to a draft document, the EU executive proposes narrowing the definition of personal data and allowing companies to process such data to train AI models “for the purposes of legitimate interest.”

The response to the breach was swift and strong.

“Unless the European Commission changes course, this will be the biggest rollback of fundamental digital rights in the history of the EU,” 127 organizations, including civil society groups and trade unions, said in a letter on Thursday.

Online privacy activist Max Schrems warned that the proposal, if left as is, would “significantly reduce the privacy of Europeans”.

Brussels is also expected to propose a one-year delay on the introduction of a number of rules on high-risk AI, including models that may pose a risk to safety, health and people’s fundamental rights, an EU official told AFP.

Rather than coming into effect next year, it will apply from 2027.

The move came under intense pressure from European companies and American Big Tech.

In July, dozens of major European companies, including France’s Airbus, Germany’s Lufthansa and Mercedes-Benz, called for a moratorium on the AI ​​law, citing the risk of stifling innovation.

More battles await

Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen faces an uphill battle as the changes require approval from both the EU parliament and member states.

His main conservative coalition allies have sounded the alarm, with the Socialist Party saying it will oppose any delay in the AI ​​law and centrists warning that it will firmly oppose any changes that undermine privacy.

Neuve, a campaign group founded by Mr. Schrems, published a scathing critique of the EU’s GDPR plan and its contents.

The EU is pushing back against claims that Brussels will cut back on privacy.

“We can be 100% certain that the aim is not to lower… our high privacy standards for our citizens,” said Thomas Renier, the EU’s digital affairs spokesman.

But there are also concerns that further changes to digital rules are on the way.

Simplify, not deregulate

These proposals are part of the EU Executive’s so-called simplification package to remove alleged administrative burdens.

Brussels has rejected any influence from President Trump, despite continued pressure from the first weeks of the new administration, after Vice President J.D. Vance slammed the “over-regulation” of AI.

This “started before the mandate of the President of the United States,” commission chief spokeswoman Paula Piño said this week.

In Europe, calls for changes to AI and data rules are growing.

A landmark report published last year by former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi also warned that data regulations could hinder European companies’ AI innovation.

© 2025 AFP