Renew Europe's McNamara warns about Germany's post-AIAct push for biometric #MassSurveillance and the risks of the NationalSecurity exemption in the #AIAct.In response, Virkkunen merely describes the implementation plan of #AIAct, without committing to a #HumanRights focused enforcement.

Virkkunen supports the uptake of #AI in public services and considers the #AIAct a sufficient safeguard.She missed a crucial opportunity to acknowledge the many gaps in the #AIAct and that we need much more to protect our #FundamentalRights.Read an analysis of the AI Act by civil society ️ https://edri.org/our-work/eu-ai-act-fails-to-set-gold-standard-for-human-rights/

The EU #ChipsAct is also a hot topic, with Commissioner Henna Virkkunen promising more EU-developed chips. Fun fact: in Belgium, we call it the 'Frites Act'

What do we want to see?Virkkunen must protect the integrity of EU digital communication tools like #encryption. We hope to see protections for the open internet & net neutrality, action toward #climatejustice, & against #surveillance ads, digital exclusion & technosolutionism.

2/7 'Controlling our borders' = phrase of the day The future of the EU's digital/physical borders seems more hostile than ever, with Brunner failing to commit to having new Home Affairs proposals following EU's better regulation rules, and to mention border #surveillance tech risks.

Moreover, Brunner seemed to deliberately ignore Gregorová first question on spyware, despite it being clear as water: "How will you make sure that the EP PEGA Committee recommendations are followed?".Brunner's answer was a VERY loud - and telling - silence.

Europol: Brunner says he shares the Conservative group's view of #Europol as a "success story" and its wish that the agency becomes "more operative & effective" in the future. How? With a bigger budget and double the staff.This massively disregards the agency's repetitive illegal data collection & storage, its constant disrespect for people's right to access to their data, its responsibility in perpetuating racism in policing tech tools - all documented here: https://s.42l.fr/NlFSuK8I

1/8 As the European Parliament hearing of the Justice Commissioner-designate wraps up, what stood out the most for us from a #digital #HumanRights perspective? It was a pretty smooth three hours for Michael McGrath but here are the points that caught our attention ... 🧵

It's groundhog day: we are back to MEPs asking the Commissioner-des for JUSTICE and RIGHTS what he will do for COMPETITIVENESS, GROWTH and INNOVATION. He commits to "reducing red tape" , but (small concession) at least says he will do it in a way that "doesn't dilute rights".

1/3 Today, @edri member @LaQuadrature & 14 other civil society groups are taking a 'social scoring' algorithm used by the French welfare system to court.This algorithm, used to 'combat social fraud', is unfair and stigmatising ‍️Read more ️ https://www.laquadrature.net/en/2024/10/16/french-family-welfare-scoring-algorithm-challenged-in-court-by-15-organisations/