Deregulating digital rights: Why the EU’s war on ‘red tape’ should worry us all

The European Commission's focus on deregulation over the next four years raises serious concerns within the digital rights community. This push to "simplify" EU rules potentially threatens the established digital rulebook, which has been a focus of advocacy for years. This approach, if unchecked, could undermine the EU's efforts to foster a competitive tech market that prioritizes fundamental rights. The European Digital Rights (EDRi) organization has expressed alarm over the implications of this deregulation agenda. While the specific rules targeted remain unclear, the broad scope of the initiative suggests a potential overhaul of regulations. EDRi argues that stripping away these safeguards, rather than streamlining them, could have a detrimental effect on the protection of digital rights and data privacy. The proposed deregulation initiative has the potential to affect all stakeholders, including citizens, businesses, and digital platforms. The outcome of this initiative will significantly impact the future of digital rights and the shape of the European tech market. Critics fear that weakening existing protections will ultimately be a form of self-sabotage, urging a reversal of this strategy.