On February 19, 2020, the European Commission presented its White Paper on Artificial Intelligence – A European Approach to Excellence and Trust, a much-anticipated policy document setting out concrete measures and proposed regulation with the objective of promoting the development, uptake and use of AI applications, while also addressing the resulting fundamental rights challenges.

The document has raised concerns among companies about whether new rules on AI will negatively impact businesses developing or deploying AI solutions across the EU. Feedback on the white paper can be provided until May 19, 2020.Continue Reading AI Outlook: Europe initiates AI regulation introducing the principle of trustworthy AI

This article is part of a series exploring the regulatory challenges of the digital society from a competition law and data protection perspective within the EU.


Vestager II

Several months have now passed since late March when the European Commission published Competition policy for the digital era (the Report), a
Continue Reading EU: Competition policy in the digital era – Part I

The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) launched it data protection strategy, summarizing it in three strategic objectives and 10 accompanying measures for the next five years.

The EDPS stated that it is a crucial moment for data protection, a period of unprecedented change and political importance, not only in the
Continue Reading European Data Protection Supervisor launches its 2015-2019 strategy

By Patrick Van Eecke and Julie De Bruyn

Article 29 Working Party, the European data protection advisory body, has published its report on the ‘cookie sweep’ that was carried out in September last year in partnership with data protection authorities and other regulators across 8 Member States (Czech Republic, Denmark,
Continue Reading EUROPE: European cookie sweep results published: average of 34.6 cookies per website.

Article 29 Working Party adopts guidelines on the implementation on the Right to be Forgotten judgment of the CJEU

By Patrick Van Eecke & Julie De Bruyn

The Article 29 Working Party, the European data protection advisory body existing of representatives of the national data protection authorities of the EU Member States, announced yesterday to have adopted guidelines – for national data protection authorities – on the implementation of the Court of Justice’s ruling on the right to be forgotten.Continue Reading Europe: Right to be forgotten guidelines adopted by WP29

by Patrick Van Eecke and Julie De Bruyn

Last week proved to be an important week for privacy and data protection in the US: while representatives of the European Commission were negotiating with US representatives on government surveillance and the extension of the US Privacy Act to EU citizens, the
Continue Reading Connected Cars & Privacy: Automotive industry adopts consumer privacy principles

By Patrick Van Eecke and Antoon Dierick

Almost five months after federal parliamentary elections took place, the negotiators from the four political parties around the negotiating table (Flemish parties NVA, CD&V and Open VLD and Walloon party MR) reached a coalition agreement which contains quite a few interesting policy initiatives
Continue Reading BELGIUM: Belgian government’s new focus on privacy and technology laws

By Patrick Van Eecke and Julie De Bruyn

Call it a coincidence or not: exactly one week after the Apple Watch was officially introduced by Apple CEO Tim Cook on 9 September 2014, the European data protection advisory body – Article 29 Data Protection Working Party (‘Working Party 29’) – adopted its Opinion 8/2014 on the Recent Development on the Internet of Things.

While the Working Party 29 acknowledges the potential of these ‘smart’ devices monitoring and communicating (in) our daily lives, it stresses that the privacy and security challenges generated by this should not be overlooked. The key to support trust and innovation – and to being successful on the market of the Internet of Things – is to keep the individuals concerned informed, free and safe.Continue Reading Internet of Things: European privacy recommendations