The Social Democrats (S&D) in the European Parliament have sent a letter, made public on Tuesday 11 November, to the Commissioner for Technological Sovereignty, Henna Virkkunen, to alert her to “the most serious inconsistencies, omissions and developments” in the draft ‘omnibus’ simplification of digital legislation (see EUROPE 13747/1).
The S&D worries that the ‘omnibus’ legislative text, in the light of the leaked draft, poses “potential risks” linked to deregulation and the weakening of the digital framework carefully developed by the EU.
The letter sets out the loopholes that this would create in Europe’s position on the world stage for the protection of rights and the regulation of digital technology.
“Simplification must not come at the cost of legal certainty, enforcement capacity, or the protection of individuals’ fundamental rights”, it argues. The group says it is opposed to any reduction in the scope or safeguards of the GDPR and is already “very concerned” about potential changes to Article 4 on definitions of personal data.
The S&D also rejects any weakening of the protection of sensitive data, or the restriction of the right of access to data. It also warns of the easing of reporting obligations in the field of cybersecurity, and rejects any reopening, modification or simplification of the AI regulation before it even comes into force.
“At a time where important problems emerge due to AI systems, it would appear irresponsible to lower the level of protection provided by the AI Act”, they write.
Link to the letter: https://aeur.eu/f/jdz (Original version in French by Isalia Stieffatre)