Listen: The EU is easing its crackdown on Big Tech

The European Commission, backed strongly by France and Germany, is preparing to roll out a sweeping “digital simplification” package. This Wednesday the Commission will present a major omnibus plan to simplify digital rules, everything from data protection to the freshly minted AI Act.

Officials call it a way to ease burdens on European companies. Critics including MEPs, NGOs, and a good number of lawyers, say it’s more like opening Pandora’s box. But what does this digital simplification mean?

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You can find the transcript here if you prefer reading:

The European Commission, backed strongly by France and Germany, is preparing to roll out a sweeping “digital simplification” package. Officials call it a way to ease burdens on European companies. Critics including MEPs, NGOs, and a good number of lawyers, say it’s more like opening Pandora’s box. But what does this digital simplification mean?

Today, Wednesday the Commission will present a major omnibus plan to simplify digital rules, everything from data protection to the freshly minted AI Act.

This plan will be a delay to the “high-risk” parts of the AI Act, the rules that govern AI systems used for things like screening job applications, marking exams, or deciding who gets a loan. These safeguards were originally scheduled to come into force in August 2026, but under the new draft they wouldn’t apply until December 2027, effectively pushing back enforcement by more than a year.

And it becomes even more controversial because instead of national authorities assessing whether an AI system counts as “high-risk”, companies could self-assess.

Both France and Germany insist a delay is essential because the technical standards aren’t ready. Their ministers say uncertainty is slowing innovation and Europe needs to stay competitive in the global race, especially as the United States and China surge ahead.

Now, within the European Parliament the story is different. Multiple groups, from The Left to Renew, are already preparing to vote against the proposal. MEPs argue this shift caters to Big Tech lobbying and weakens protections citizens have just won.

And there’s more. The omnibus also aims to rewrite key parts of the GDPR, narrowing the definition of personal data, easing access to information for AI training, harmonising national enforcement… and reducing those endless cookie pop-ups. But critics warn this “streamlining” could quietly lower the privacy standards the EU is so proud of setting in place.

The Commission will also launch a “digital fitness check” to examine overlaps between rules like the DSA and the DMA, which could mean even more changes coming later.

Now all of this sounds like a major U-turn. Because for more than a decade, the EU has been the world’s strictest watchdog of Big Tech, handing out multibillion-euro fines and setting the gold standard for privacy and safety. The so-called “Brussels effect” shaped regulation far beyond Europe’s borders.

But now the narrative has shifted. Suddenly Europe is worried that its own laws are… too protective or too complicated.

From civil society’s perspective, this sudden deregulatory push looks like capitulation. NGOs warn it could become the biggest rollback of digital rights in EU history. The US government has openly criticised Europe’s rules, American tech giants have spent record amounts on lobbying, and national governments, still under-prepared to enforce the AI Act, are happy for extra time.

For us, Europeans, this matters because the rules under review protect some of the most sensitive parts of our lives like how companies use our data, how algorithms make decisions about our jobs, our education or our financial opportunities.

So, what now?

The commission will formally publish the package today, but nothing becomes law without approval from the European Parliament and member states and that won’t be easy.
Even MEPs who quietly admit a delay is inevitable are now trying to limit the damage by pushing to keep the postponement short, stop further weakening of protections, and prevent a broader deregulation spiral.

Member states, meanwhile, still need to set up the national authorities required to enforce the AI Act, many haven’t even begun although the first deadline is set for August 2026.