Geneva: The European Commission has proposed changes to key digital rules, drawing accusations of a massive rollback of the bloc’s landmark regulations.
The plans would delay central parts of the Artificial Intelligence Act and modify elements of the General Data Protection Regulation, potentially making it easier for tech companies to use personal data to train AI models without explicit consent.
The proposals also aim to reduce cookie banner fatigue by limiting the number of times internet users must permit to be tracked online. Companies producing high-risk AI systems, such as those used in surgery or exam scoring, could gain up to 18 extra months to comply with the rules.
These measures form part of the EU’s digital omnibus effort to streamline multiple regulations, including GDPR, the AI Act, the ePrivacy directive, and the Data Act. Officials say the reforms are intended to simplify rules, save businesses and consumers around €5 billion in administrative costs by 2029, and help Europe keep pace with the United States and China in emerging technologies like AI.
Today’s #DigitalOmnibus is an important step forward in delivering our #simplification agenda & strengthening competitiveness.
By cutting annual administrative costs by €1 billion, it boosts our companies’ ability to innovate & succeed.
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— Valdis Dombrovskis (@VDombrovskis) November 19, 2025
Critics, including European Digital Rights, warned that the changes risk undermining digital protections, allowing unchecked use of personal data, and weakening privacy safeguards. Some former EU officials and NGOs said the reforms could dismantle the foundations of human rights and tech policy in the bloc.
EU officials defended the proposals, saying they are aimed at supporting start-ups and small businesses while maintaining strong protections for internet users. The commission emphasized that users will continue to control their data and that one-click consent rules for cookies will simplify online privacy without compromising safeguards.
The digital omnibus now awaits approval from EU ministers and the European Parliament, as debates continue over balancing innovation, business efficiency, and data protection.
