“A gift to Big Tech.” Max Schrems is furious over the European Commission’s plan to revise the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Brussels’ stated goal is to give European companies a competitive edge in training generative AI models amid the global AI arms race. “This would be a massive downgrading of European’s privacy ten years after the GDPR was adopted,” warns the Austrian activist and leading digital rights advocate.
The GDPR isn’t the only law in Brussels’ sights. As part of a new “digital omnibus” to be unveiled next week, the European Commission also intends to postpone the implementation of certain provisions of the AI Act — the landmark regulatory framework adopted in spring 2024 after fierce negotiations. The proposals will still need approval from EU member states and the European Parliament, both far from guaranteed.
“Freely given” and “informed” consent
In force since 2018, the GDPR remains one of the EU’s most emblematic pieces of legislation. Last year, former EC…
