AI: EU Nations Approve Digital Expropriation of Europeans for AI Companies
privacy
| Source: Mastodon | Original article
EU member states have approved a “digital expropriation” policy that permits the use of European data by AI companies.
As we reported on 24 October, EU governments have now formalised a controversial framework that critics describe as a “digital expropriation” of European citizens’ data for the benefit of AI companies. The Irish Presidency’s leaked proposal, backed by Germany and other major Member States, shifts the balance of privacy law in favour of commercial AI interests.
The core of the plan is a drastic narrowing of the GDPR’s definition of “personal data”. By introducing a regime of “pseudonyms” that fall outside the current scope of data‑protection rules, the draft would leave routine online tracking and other data‑driven activities largely unregulated when they are used to train or operate AI systems. In practice, companies would be permitted to process European data with far fewer constraints, effectively allowing profit motives to trump the continent’s fundamental right to privacy.
Privacy advocate Max Schrems, chair of the noyb watchdog, warned that “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.” His criticism underscores a growing tension between the EU’s ambition to foster AI innovation and its longstanding commitment to strong data‑protection standards.
The next steps will reveal how the Council and European Parliament respond to the draft. Watch for parliamentary debates on the definition of “personal data”, potential amendments to safeguard tracking under the GDPR, and legal challenges from privacy groups. The outcome will shape whether Europe can reconcile a thriving AI market with the privacy rights that have defined its digital policy for two decades.
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