The bureaucracy-reducing goals of Ursula von der Leyen’s Commission are fundamentally right and important, but they are applied against the wrong law. The simplification of the GDPR law raises concerns because a shield that protects the average person from the exploitative activities of large companies will be weakened.
There are several concerns about the amendment of the GDPR law:
- Weakening of data protection rights
- Unequal impact on companies (SME vs. large companies)
- Increasing inconsistency in implementation
- Increasing data breaches
- Weakening of global standard
Even when the GDPR was introduced, it meant a huge financial burden for companies. The new amendment foresees new expenditures, which is very worrying.
The current strictness of the GDPR has contributed to the reliability of the EU’s digital market, which is attractive to investors. A poorly designed reform is a very big risk, which can also have a negative impact on the EU’s competitiveness, which would be beneficial to increase.
The presence of lobby groups in EU organizations is a fundamental problem that already exists.
In the case of the amendment to the law that strengthens the right to privacy and data protection, the presence and influence of big tech companies is particularly frightening and can have a great impact on the daily lives of EU citizens.
The Huawei scandal has not yet subsided, but the Commission is already touching and simplifying a law that was created for just such cases.
The emergence of VDL’s name is even more disturbing than this case, given that he could not resist the lobby of pharmaceutical companies during COVID.
Then our health, now our data… Who will defend them again, and when?
Instead of the interests of large companies, the Commission could also amend this law to respond to current challenges, such as improving data transfer and global cooperation, regulating AI and new technologies, or strengthening consumer rights.
