European Parliament blocks AI on lawmakers’ devices, citing security risks

Source: TechCrunch

The European Parliament has reportedly blocked lawmakers from using the baked‑in AI tools on their work devices, citing cybersecurity and privacy risks with uploading confidential correspondence to the cloud.

Per an email seen by Politico, the parliament’s IT department said it could not guarantee the security of the data uploaded to the servers of AI companies and that the full extent of what information is shared with AI companies is “still being assessed.” As a result, the email concluded, “It is considered safer to keep such features disabled.”

Risks of Using AI Chatbots

Uploading data to AI chatbots—such as Anthropic’s Claude, Microsoft’s Copilot, and OpenAI’s ChatGPT—means that U.S. authorities can demand the companies that run the chatbots turn over information about their users. AI chatbots also typically rely on user‑provided data to improve their models, increasing the chance that potentially sensitive information uploaded by one person may be shared and seen by other users.

EU Data‑Protection Context

Europe has some of the strongest data‑protection rules in the world. However, the European Commission, the executive body that oversees the 27‑member bloc, last year floated new legislative proposals aimed at relaxing its data‑protection rules to make it easier for tech giants to train their AI models on Europeans’ data. Critics argued that the move caved in to U.S. technology giants.

Broader Political Context

The decision to restrict European lawmakers from accessing AI products on their devices comes as several EU member countries are reevaluating their relationships with U.S. tech giants, which remain subject to U.S. law and the unpredictable whims of the Trump administration.

In recent weeks, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has sent hundreds of subpoenas demanding U.S. tech and social‑media giants turn over information about people—including Americans—who have been publicly critical of the Trump administration’s policies. Google, Meta, and Reddit complied in several cases, even though the subpoenas had not been issued by a judge and were not enforced by a court.