Jan PenfratMay 20

I know there is #rp26 but I'm at #CPDP2026 in Brussels from now until the end of the week. Will post some thoughts about what I hear and see in this thread 🧵

Expect rants, celebrations and half-baked hot takes. (And PM me if you're here and think we should talk :)

Show threadJan PenfratMay 20

And yes, let me start like every year by pointing out the problematic list of conference sponsors (similar to #rp26) : Sure it's cool to have a bling bling conference but at what price?

Of course that doesn't mean there can't be good debates here, I will try to contribute to that...

Show threadJan PenfratMay 20
So grateful for Clément Perarnaud of think tank #CEPS to emphasise that #DigitalSovereignty isn't about countries or the EU institutions but about the sovereignty of _people_ 🙏
Show threadJan PenfratMay 20
Okay, turns out I don't manage to participate in many panels after all, but still wanted to highlight @cdteurope's excellent panel "Beyond age gating" about how to _really_ protect minors online (hint: it's not by banning them from social media). 👏 #CPDP2026
Show threadJan Penfrat
Rolling my eyes at #EU tech industry lobbyist claiming that what Europe needs is #simplification and a "data economy" because without it we can't train #AI and then we cannot do all those "amazing elements" AI can supposedly do. 🙄 #CPDP2026
May 20 at 1:30pmWeb
Show threadJan PenfratMay 21
Yay, day 2 of #cpdp2026 starts with a fiery speech by @finnmyrstad at the Norwegian Consumer Council in favour of proper enforcement of tech regulations to create a "level playing field" for everyone: companies and consumers 🔥
Show threadJan PenfratMay 21
While the @EUCommission rep of course defends the #simplification agenda, Romain Robert from the @EDPS makes an important argument: if you wanted to "simplify" #GDPR, lawmakers could have clarified all the challenged items the law still has like #PayOrOK.
Show threadJan PenfratMay 21

Oh my, the @EUCommission really argues the #deregulation #Omnibus doesn't need an Impact Assessment (which the EU's own #BetterRegulation guidelines normally require), because they had "evidence" from internal Staff Documents, so documents the Commission has written itself. Oh and they had targeted (read: closed-door) conversations with industry.

This is not how independent evidence collection and analysis works!

Show threadJan PenfratMay 21

Here are my takeaways from day 2 (and my last one) of #CPDP2026 :

1. Everyone hates the #simplification and #deregulation #Omnibus but the @EUCommission defends it regardless.

2. Experts propose very nuanced approaches for how to best protect minors online. So much expertise that #VonDerLeyen and many other lawmakers simply ignore.

3. The state of #DSA / #DMA enforcement is so dire that even orgs with 1st hand evidence of noncompliance don't bother to send it to regulators anymore. /fin 🧵

Show threadnotsoloudMay 21
@ilumium
It's almost like the @EUCommission is under the influence of big tech