PieFed127 civil society organisations and unions urge the European Commission to halt its planned Digital Omnibus, warning it would roll back digital rights in the EU
edri.org/our-work/forthcoming-digital-omnibus-w…
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On 19 November 2025, the Commission is set to propose two new digital laws: the Digital Omnibus, which will amend multiple existing laws in one go. These would be accompanied by a ‘digital fitness check’, an evaluation led by the European Commission that will assess the effectiveness of current EU consumer protection laws in the digital environment. The evaluation will lay out a future roadmap for even more digital deregulation – with dozens of other laws designed to ensure platform accountability and protection people online reportedly being considered for the chop.
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The cornerstones of human rights in the digital age – the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the ePrivacy framework – are set to be significantly weakened exposing all of us to abuses of our personal data and unchecked tracking online. And the AI Act, which hasn’t even fully come into force, would be stripped down of already inadequate protections, whilst vital provisions – like penalties – are delayed. All these steps would punish the companies that want legal certainty and to play by the EU’s rules, while rewarding those that want to ‘innovate’ with our rights, freedoms, and natural resources.
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Along with 126 civil society and union organisations, [the European Digital Rights Group EDRi] urges the Commission to course-correct by halting the Digital Omnnibus plans. Collectively, we further urge them to respect the EU’s democratic mechanisms and to fight powerful actors who do not want to play by the EU’s rules. “The EU’s tech policy framework is the best defence we have against digital exploitation and surveillance by both domestic and foreign actors”, [EDRi] warns.
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[Edit for typo.]
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A call to defend Europe’s digital future
Currently, the EU has no digital presence. It does not appear that it will have a digital future either.
I understand that something needs to change. The lack of relevance has societal, economic, geopolitical, and even military consequences.
I am not convinced that these specific laws are the issue. There seems to be a fundamental problem at the core of the EU’s industry that predates them: there is no grassroots innovation.
Most of what are now technology companies with finances comparable to some EU countries started out as students in garages in the 2000s. What seems to be missing in the EU is the joy and ability for outsiders to pursue unconventional ideas.
The EU’s concept of “innovation” often involves extensive documentation and subsidies for programs like Horizon 2020. An in-group of industry representatives receives subsidies that were developed by their own lobbyists. While this might be effective if the goal is to reduce vehicle emissions by 9.2%, it does not foster novel technology or innovative ideas.
If a committee of bureaucrats can understand it, then it is unlikely to lead to significant technological advancements or innovative concepts.