Digital Omnibus: noyb Grades MEPs on GDPR/ePrivacy Amendments, Exposing Privacy vs Industry Split
A new report grades Members of the European Parliament on amendments to GDPR and ePrivacy, revealing a split between privacy defenders and those favoring industry loopholes.
Key points
- noyb analyzed over 1,000 amendments to the GDPR and ePrivacy Directive.
- The Digital Omnibus reform risks stripping privacy rights for Big Tech and AI firms.
- A new website allows citizens to check their MEP's voting record on privacy.
The privacy advocacy group noyb has published a comprehensive ranking of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) based on their proposed amendments to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the ePrivacy Directive. This analysis aims to clarify which lawmakers are supporting strong privacy protections and which are working to weaken them under the guise of regulatory simplification.
According to noyb, the European Union is currently negotiating the Digital Omnibus, a legislative package intended to update core privacy laws. While the official goal is to simplify rules for businesses while maintaining high protection standards, the advocacy group argues that lobby groups have influenced the European Commission and Member States to introduce significant loopholes. These changes would primarily benefit large technology companies and artificial intelligence developers.
Legislative Context and Industry Influence
The European Commission’s original proposal for the Digital Omnibus included plans to limit the scope of the GDPR. Specifically, the proposal sought to exclude online advertising from the regulation’s coverage. Additionally, it planned to allow the use of personal data for AI development without requiring explicit consent from individuals.
Many EU Member States have already agreed to incorporate these loopholes into the legislation. This leaves the European Parliament as the final body with the power to prevent the undermining of the GDPR. However, noyb states that it is difficult for citizens and journalists to track the specific actions of individual MEPs during this process.
To address this transparency gap, noyb sorted and graded more than 1,000 amendments tabled by MEPs. The grading system evaluates each amendment based on whether it supports more privacy, less privacy, or simplification. The results indicate a sharp division among lawmakers, with many favoring the reduction of privacy rights while others continue to push back against these measures.
Who Is Affected
The outcome of the Digital Omnibus negotiations will directly impact the privacy rights of individuals across the European Union. If the proposed loopholes are adopted, protections for personal data in online advertising and AI processing could be significantly reduced. This would shift the balance of power toward large technology firms, potentially allowing them to process user data with fewer restrictions.
noyb has launched a new website, gdpr-omnibus.eu, to help citizens understand their representatives' positions. The platform provides a searchable database where users can look up any MEP by country and political group. Each lawmaker is graded based on their amendments, allowing voters to see who is defending privacy rights and who is supporting measures that could weaken existing protections.
Max Schrems, Chairman of noyb, stated that many parliamentarians claim to uphold people’s rights while acting in the opposite manner. He emphasized that the ranking brings these intentions to the surface, highlighting the divide between those working for the public interest and those serving Big Tech interests.
Our take on the response
The publication of this ranking suggests that legislative transparency is becoming a critical tool for privacy advocacy. By making individual voting records accessible, noyb aims to increase public pressure on MEPs to reject amendments that erode data protection. This approach highlights the importance of citizen engagement in complex regulatory processes like the Digital Omnibus.
What to do and how to stay safe: noyb
- Visit gdpr-omnibus.eu to look up your Member of the European Parliament by country and political group.
- Review the grading of your MEP’s amendments to understand their stance on privacy versus simplification.
- Contact your representative to express your views on the Digital Omnibus and data protection standards.
- Monitor updates from privacy advocacy groups regarding the progress of GDPR and ePrivacy reforms.
Step-by-step guide: Data Brokers Examples: How They Collect and Sell Your Personal Info
General security guidance from the DataSafe Radar newsroom. It is not confirmed advice from the organisations named in this story.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Digital Omnibus?
The Digital Omnibus is a legislative package currently being negotiated in the EU to update core privacy laws, including the GDPR and ePrivacy Directive.
Why did noyb create this ranking?
noyb created the ranking to clarify which MEPs are supporting privacy protections and which are working to weaken them, as it is difficult for citizens to track individual actions.
What loopholes are being proposed?
Proposed loopholes include limiting the GDPR’s scope to exclude online advertising and allowing the use of personal data for AI without consent.
