EU's Digital Omnibus Deregulation Risks Undermining Rights-Based Tech Regulation

Summary

Amber Sinha argues that the European Union's proposed "Digital Omnibus" deregulation agenda represents a dangerous retreat from its rights-based approach to tech regulation. The article critiques the EU's shift away from the "Brussels Effect" — the theory that EU regulations like GDPR, DSA, and the AI Act set global standards — toward a "simplification" agenda that prioritizes competitiveness over fundamental rights. Sinha warns that this deregulatory pivot, framed as reducing bureaucratic burden, risks undermining hard-won digital rights protections and could have negative spillover effects globally, as other nations often follow the EU's regulatory lead.