"We 127 civil society organisations, trade unions and defenders of the public interest write to emphasise our serious alarm at the forthcoming EU Digital Omnibus proposals, part of a wide deregulation agenda.
What is being presented as a “technical streamlining” of EU digital laws is, in reality, an attempt to covertly dismantle Europe’s strongest protections against digital threats. These are the protections that keep everyone’s data safe, governments accountable, protect people from having artificial intelligence (AI) systems decide their life opportunities, and ultimately keep our societies free from unchecked surveillance.
Unless the European Commission changes course, this would be the biggest rollback of digital fundamental rights in EU history. It is being done under the radar, using rushed and opaque processes designed to avoid democratic oversight.
This worrying approach has been seen extensively across existing Omnibus proposals, with democratic safeguards ignored. As a result, supposedly minimal changes under the guise of “simplification” have already jeopardised Europe’s core social and environmental protections. Together, these changes risk worsening working conditions, allowing dangerous chemicals into cosmetics, and polluting the air and water – making people even more exposed to harm.
In the upcoming Digital Omnibus, the Commission will reportedly weaken the only clear rule that stops companies and governments from constantly tracking what people do on their devices, part of the ePrivacy framework. This will make it a lot easier for those in power to control people’s phones, cars or smart homes, while also revealing sensitive information about where people go, and with whom."
https://www.amnesty.eu/news/eu-must-uphold-protections-for-digital-human-rights/
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