AI: EU Member States approve “digital expropriation” of Europeans for AI companies (noyb.eu)

The European Union's recent approval of changes to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has allowed AI companies such as OpenAI, Google, and Meta to process personal data with significantly fewer restrictions. The new Article 88bis grants companies almost blanket permission to use personal data “in the context of AI,” effectively prioritizing corporate profit over individual data protection rights. Advocacy groups, including prominent privacy activist Max Schrems, have condemned this move as a “digital expropriation,” warning that it enables AI firms to exploit vast amounts of historical data without user consent, undermining decades of privacy safeguards. This legislative shift not only dismantles existing protections but could also lead to the unrestricted application of AI across various potentially harmful domains, from targeted advertising to even more controversial uses. The provision lacks meaningful safeguards, raising concerns about how this could facilitate the misuse of personal data for actions previously deemed illegal under EU law. As the proposal moves to negotiations with the European Parliament, the tension between maintaining user privacy and appeasing AI industry interests could significantly influence future regulatory frameworks, raising the specter of significant legal uncertainty and profound implications for data rights within the AI landscape.