I attended the EDPB event on #PayorOkay models and left deeply concerned. The discussion lacked acknowledgment of data protection as a fundamental right and ignored clear GDPR principles making the model unlawful. Instead, it conflated ads with core services, sidelining fairness and rights. Surveillance ads harm individuals and society, yet their ‘value’ is overstated. We must reclaim the debate: data protection is key to human dignity and a rights-respecting digital future.

French Interior Minister recently said that ‘the rule of law is neither intangible nor sacred.’ Made in the context of immigration, this remark signals a troubling readiness to compromise democratic principles to address oversimplified threats. This erosion of legal safeguards is mirrored in corporate lobbying, where ‘competitiveness’ is used to argue against regulatory constraints. This rhetoric risks reframing the rule of law as expendable, ignoring its essential role in protecting rights.

Tech giants that European institutions rely on for public services disregard fundamental rights in the EU and push for impunity. Worse, they’re complicit in HR violations globally—especially through cloud computing in places like Palestine, violating UN Guiding Principles on B&HR. They also silence employees who speak out. How long should we keep pretending rights violations abroad don’t threaten/arent related with our freedoms? https://www.seattletimes.com/business/microsoft-fires-employees-who-organized-vigil-for-palestinians-killed-in-gaza/

Co-authored an analysis with @Jan Penfrat on European Commission’s Digital Fairness Fitness Check for @EDRi This is a pivotal moment for the future of (part of) ePrivacy and adtech regulation. Deceptive designs, invasive tracking, and exploitative practices harm fundamental rights daily. We need: ❌End to tracking ❌Ban on manipulative features & deceptive designs 🔹Only legitimate, proportionate processing of communication data ✅ Transparent, user-controlled personalisation

European Digital Rights (EDRi)

What Europe must do to end the tech industry’s nefarious tactics - European Digital Rights (EDRi)

The Digital Fairness Act should better protect consumers from deceptive design practices, social media addiction, pervasive online tracking.