Group of Over 100 Organizations Express Concerns Over Plans to Amend EU's GDPR

By Netvora Tech News

A coalition of over 100 civil rights organizations, academics, businesses, trade unions, and experts has expressed concerns over plans by Brussels to amend the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In an open letter, they warn that implementing changes to the "cornerstone of EU digital legislation" would risk undermining hard-won rights.

The organizations are concerned that the European Commission's plans to relax the obligation for companies to maintain a data processing register would lead to deregulation. The GDPR currently requires organizations to keep a register of the data they process, depending on its size. The European Commission wants to expand the exception for companies with fewer than 250 employees to organizations with fewer than 500 employees and a certain annual turnover, as well as non-profits with fewer than 500 employees.

The coalition also warns that attempts to deregulate rarely stop at "technical adjustments" and will instead lead to further changes. They argue that the GDPR is often portrayed as an obstacle to aggressive data collection models based on opacity, manipulation, and disregard for rights. The same actors who evade meaningful enforcement often avoid compliance.

European Digital Rights (EDRi)
Access Now
Amnesty International
Bits of Freedom
Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)
Mozilla
noyb
Privacy First
Privacy International
Proton
Tuta Mail
Vrijschrift.org
Waag Futurelab

The letter's authors urge the European Commission not to amend the GDPR, acknowledging that implementation challenges can be addressed through effective enforcement and resisting external and internal pressure. They argue that the GDPR is essential for protecting individuals' rights and freedoms in the digital age.