What you need to know about… the Digital Omnibus legislation

What is this episode about?

In this episode of SURFshort, we cover the following topics, amongst others:

• what the Digital Omnibus legislation entails and why it is relevant;
• the impact on the GDPR, personal data and your fundamental rights;
• changing rules for the processing of personal data;
• what this means for the processing of personal data for training AI models

How would the new legislation work in practice? What risks do the changes entail? Sophia Gelpke, privacy lawyer at SURF, takes us through the key considerations and explains what is at stake.

What is the Digital Omnibus?

The Digital Omnibus is a legislative proposal at European level that introduces amendments to existing legislation, such as the GDPR. At the time of this episode, it is a legislativeproposal and not yet a law. The aim is to reduce the regulatory burden and strengthen Europe’s competitiveness.

Why is this relevant?

The legislation has direct implications for education and research, as it introduces new possibilities for processing both standard and sensitive personal data using AI models. However, these do not offer data subjects the necessary protection, partly because establishing truly effective safeguards is technically complex. Or even impossible.

What does this mean for institutions?

Institutions will face:

• additional complications in supplier management;
• the need to provide additional transparency regarding the use of AI and personal data.

What can you do now?

As an institution, you can already take steps such as:

• keeping abreast of developments surrounding the Digital Omnibus legislation;
• reviewing supplier contracts and establishing clear agreements on data use;
• promoting transparency in the use of AI and personal data.

Want to know more?

Follow Sophia’s tip:

• Barbara Kathmann: https://www.barbarakathmann.nl/