Digital rights NGO noyb published the article AI: EU Member States plan “digital expropriation” of Europeans in the interest of AI companies. Introduction:
In a leaked document, the Irish Presidency proposes to EU Member States that the interest of OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta and SpaceX to make profits should take precedence over the fundamental right to data protection. Use of personal data “in the context of AI” should automatically be lawful. There seems to be wide informal agreement by many Member States. In particular, Big Tech would be able to use all personal data collected over the past decades with virtually no restrictions, as long as this happens “in the context” of AI. Schrems: “Under these proposals, the profits of AI companies would trump European’s fundamental right to privacy. This is nothing but a digital expropriation of Europeans.” All this is happening despite the key figures of AI corporations actively warn about the enormous risks associated with their own products.
A proposal on this matter has been leaked.
Another NGO, EDRi, is worried also: Simplification for whom? Open letter to EU Member States to uphold GDPR protections in Digital Omnibus on Data. The open letter is here.
Is the EU bowing to the will of Big Tech?
It shows that what the EU gives with one hand (protection of fundamental rights), it takes away with the other, handing it over to big tech companies. Very concerning.
Media
Some of the media articles on noyb’s warnings:
- security.nl, EU-lidstaten willen gegevens van Europeanen beschikbaar maken voor AI-bedrijven
- Irish Times, Artificial intelligence data ‘land grab’ looms amid proposed digital changes, privacy activist Max Schrems warns
- OECD AI, Privacy Advocates Warn of EU Plan Allowing Broad AI Data Use Without Consent
- Yahoo news, Data Protection Advocates Sound Alarm Over EU Plans
- Der Standard, Datenschützer: EU plant Freibrief für KI-Firmen bei der Datennutzung
- Netzpolitik, Datenschützer warnen vor Pauschalerlaubnis für KI-Training
