EU Digital Omnibus faces criticism as corporate deregulation push

The European Commission has proposed the EU Digital Omnibus to streamline overlapping frameworks including the GDPR, AI Act, and Data Act. Critics allege this administrative simplification serves as a disguised mechanism for corporate deregulation rather than genuine regulatory improvement. The omnibus aims to reduce compliance burdens by harmonizing reporting requirements across multiple digital statutes. Opponents argue that merging these distinct legal instruments risks diluting specific protections established under the AI Act and GDPR. The proposal seeks to create a unified digital governance structure to enhance competitiveness. Civil society groups warn that procedural consolidation may obscure substantive rollbacks of digital rights. The Commission maintains the measure is necessary to reduce fragmentation in the single market. Stakeholders are currently reviewing the text to assess potential impacts on data protection and AI safety standards. Final legislative negotiations will determine whether streamlining efforts compromise existing regulatory safeguards.