The European Union has prepared a new legislative package aimed at relaxing strict regulations on the digital economy. This “digital omnibus” bill announced by the European Commission includes changes that directly affect the fields of artificial intelligence, cyber security and data protection. While criticism of technology giants such as Meta and Google has recently increased regarding the EU’s artificial intelligence and privacy policies, it is aimed to reduce some obstacles in existing regulations if the proposed reforms become law.
With the legislative changes, the Commission aims to promote digital growth in Europe and make domestic technology companies stronger in global competition. Within the scope of the bill, important changes are proposed to the Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act), which has been studied for a long time. These changes pave the way for AI companies to access shared personal data for model training. It is known that Google has previously expressed concerns against this regulation.
The European Union aims to increase artificial intelligence literacy
The new legislative proposals include regulations covering not only large technology companies but also SMEs. The Commission aims to simplify documentation processes in order to reduce the bureaucratic burden faced by small-scale companies. In addition, increasing artificial intelligence literacy will be mandatory in EU member states. In addition, control of general-purpose artificial intelligence systems will be transferred to the AI Office, which is a central structure. This step is designed to reduce fragmentation in AI management across Europe.
The Commission is also considering postponing strict rules on the use of artificial intelligence in high-risk areas. This planned postponement came about because the necessary technical standards and support tools were not yet ready. Those rules were expected to come into force in the summer of 2025; However, the implementation can be postponed to a later date to make it easier for companies to comply.
In addition, cookie consent windows, which users frequently encounter and are required by Europe under the GDPR, will also be reconsidered. In line with the new recommendations, users will encounter these windows less frequently, will be able to consent with a single click, and will be able to permanently save their cookie preferences through browsers.
The changes proposed by the Commission may be welcomed in the European technology sector; However, it may not be easy for these changes to pass through parliament. The bill may face serious opposition once it is introduced to the European Parliament. Privacy and user rights advocates warn that loosened regulations could be interpreted as bowing to pressure from big technology companies.
These developments mark a departure from past policies in which the European Union was known for its tough stance against technology giants. For example, in September, Apple’s requests for the annulment of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) were rejected. On the other hand, in the summer Meta refused to sign Europe’s voluntary AI Code of Practice, with the company’s global affairs manager Joel Kaplan calling the regulations overly intrusive.