How EU proposals to “simplify” tech laws will roll back our rights in order to feed AI

Last year, the European Commission launched a drive to simplify existing EU laws on artificial intelligence (AI) and data protection, arguing that this would “boost competitiveness” and “cut red tape”. In November 2025, it unveiled proposals for sweeping changes to major laws like the AI Act and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). At stake are the rules that protect us on and offline.