Concord Privacy News: 5/30/25

GDPR Revision Proposal Faces Strong Opposition from Privacy Advocates

Privacy rights organizations and experts have mounted significant opposition to the European Commission's proposed revisions to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which were introduced as part of an initiative to reduce administrative burden for businesses.

In a coordinated response, 108 civil society organizations and academic experts have sent a letter to EU officials Henna Virkkunen and Michael McGrath, urging them to "reject any reopening of the GDPR" and maintain the regulation as the foundation of Europe's digital governance framework.

The Commission has proposed easing record-keeping requirements for companies with up to 500 employees when data processing doesn't present a "high risk" to individual rights. While the European Data Protection Board has tentatively endorsed this approach, signatories to the letter warn that reducing these obligations could "roll back key accountability safeguards” and leave individuals vulnerable to privacy risks.

The proposed changes come amid increasing pressure from American tech companies and the Trump administration. At a recent AI summit, U.S. Vice President JD Vance criticized EU regulations like GDPR for imposing "endless legal compliance costs" on businesses. Meanwhile, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has called on the U.S. government to intervene against EU fines on American tech companies, claiming they amount to over $30 billion annually.

The debate continues as Meta and other tech giants face ongoing legal challenges in Europe regarding their data practices, highlighting the tension between business interests and privacy protection.

‍

Other Privacy News of Note

Regeneron to Buy Bankrupt 23andMe, Vows Ethical Use of Customer DNA Data

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals said on Monday it will buy genomics firm 23andMe Holding for $256 million through a bankruptcy auction, and promised to prioritize the ethical use of DNA data from customers using ancestry testing and other services. Through the deal, Tarrytown, New York-based Regeneron aims to bolster its capabilities in genomics-driven drug discovery by integrating 23andMe's trove of more than 15 million customer DNA profiles, collected via its popular direct-to-consumer saliva-testing kits. Read more.

Gen Z's New Side Hustle: Selling Data

Many young people are more willing than their parents to share personal data, giving companies deeper insight into their lives. Why it matters: Selling data is becoming the new selling plasma. Case in point: Generation Lab, a youth polling company, is launching a new product, Verb.AI, today — betting that buying this data is the future of polling. Read more.