AIG Newsletter 2 March 2026

NEWS

 In this week's edition: The EC marks the two year anniversary of the DSA with a report highlighting the its key achievements. The EDPB and the EU Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) co-sign a Joint Statement on AI-Generated Imagery and the Protection of Privacy. Meanwhile, in the EP, the CULT committee exchanges views with Executive Vice-President Virkunnen while the IMCO committee discusses revision of the Consumer Protection Cooperation Regulation (CPC) and gets updated on the implementation of the DSA, DMA and the AI Act. The EU Ombudsman requests the EC provide greater clarity on guidelines supporting the implementation of the AI Act. Finally, the EDPB publishes a report, outlining the results from its anonymisation and pseudonymisation event.  

EC REPORTS DSA ENFORCEMENT RESULTS

The EC marked the two year anniversary of the DSA with a report that highlighted its key achievements. Over this period, platforms reversed nearly 50 million decisions relating to users' content or accounts. In the first half of 2025 alone, independent out-of-court dispute resolution bodies reviewed more than 1,800 cases involving Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, overturning 52% of closed cases through faster and more cost-effective means than traditional legal proceedings. The DSA also strengthened consumer protections by requiring online marketplaces to tackle the sale of illegal goods and offer redress to affected customers. 

AI IMAGERY & PRIVACY: EBPB & EDPS BACK GLOBAL STATEMENT

On 23 February, the EDPB and the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) co-signed a Joint Statement on AI-Generated Imagery and the Protection of Privacy, coordinated by the Global Privacy Assembly's International Enforcement Cooperation Working Group. The statement expressed serious concern over AI systems that produce realistic images and videos of identifiable individuals without their consent. The signatories stressed the need for urgent regulatory attention and urged organisations to engage proactively with regulators to ensure that technological progress does not undermine privacy, dignity, or safety.

EP CULT EXCHANGES VIEWS WITH VICE-PRESIDENT VIRKKUNEN

On 24 February, the EP CULT Committee held an exchange of views with Executive Vice-President Virkkunen, who outlined plans to modernise the AVMSD, strengthen protections for minors, safeguard access to trustworthy media, and maintain the EU works quota. Additionally, she addressed cyberbullying and online piracy, and announced a forthcoming video games strategy. Acknowledging that AI was increasing complexity for creators, she pointed to a new general code of practice and possible further measures on copyright, transparency, and protections. MEPs across political groups called for stronger EU-wide action to protect minors through age verification, limits on addictive design, and improved digital and media literacy.

EP IMCO DISCUSSES CPC REVISION

On 25 February, the EP IMCO Committee convened a public hearing on revising the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) Regulation. The EC highlighted growing enforcement challenges posed by the expanding e-commerce market, particularly unfair practices by non-EU platforms such as fake discounts and misleading reviews. The EC announced plans under the 2030 Consumer Agenda to explore EU-level investigative powers for serious cross-border infringements. Participants called for an independent EU enforcement body, stronger coordination via the CPC Board, fast-track measures, binding commitments, and clearer procedural timelines.

EP IMCO DISCUSSES IMPLEMENTATION OF DSA, DMA & AI ACT

The EP IMCO Working Groups covering the DSA, DMA, and AI Act held recent meetings to assess implementation progress. On the DSA, Chair MEP Schaldemose reported that a 4 February meeting with DG Connect, the Irish DSC, and Meta focused on systemic risks and the protection of minors. Meanwhile, Meta presented its teen accounts and advocated for centralised EU-level age verification; however, the Working Group felt more action was needed. 

On the DMA, Chair MEP Schwab outlined meetings with Microsoft and ByteDance, and stressed the need to strengthen enforcement, progress an EP resolution ahead of the DMA review, and advance the EU's digital independence. 

On the AI Act, MEP Schaldemose reported on behalf of Chair MEP Benifei that the joint IMCO/LIBE working group met the EC's AI Office on 4 February to review the draft Code of Practice under Article 50. The group emphasised the need for technically robust transparency measures, privacy-preserving safeguards, and workable disclosure requirements for deployers, with the next meeting scheduled for 4 March to address enforcement and governance.

OMBUDSMAN SEEKS EC CLARITY ON AI ACT GUIDELINES

The EU Ombudswoman has requested that the EC provide greater clarity on guidelines supporting the implementation of the AI Act, following a complaint from an MEP. The complaint highlighted discrepancies between the Act and the Code of Practice for general-purpose AI models, particularly regarding energy consumption reporting. The Ombudswoman has called on the EC to address the energy-reporting concerns, clarify its stance on evaluating individual parts of the Code, explain its reasoning around potentially approving the Code via an implementing act, and convene an initial meeting by 20 March.

ANONYMISATION & PSEUDONYMISATION EDPB REPORT

The EDPB published a report following its remote stakeholder event, held in December last year. The event gathered input on anonymisation and pseudonymisation in light of the CJEU's September 2025 judgment in EDPS v SRB, with the aim of informing its forthcoming guidelines on both topics. Participants broadly agreed that no zero-risk solution exists, that privacy-enhancing technologies (such as encryption, tokenisation, and multi-party computation) are useful but insufficient on their own, and that contractual measures must be complemented by robust audit frameworks and proportionality-based assessments. There was consensus that the EDPB must provide workable, real-world examples while accounting for the specific challenges faced by SMEs and NGOs, and ensuring consistency with related EU legislation.

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

3 March: The Youth Dialogue with EVP Henna Virkkunen (European Youth Portal) 

4 March: The Great Debate: Sustainability (IAB Europe)

5 March: EP CULT Committee will vote on its draft opinion on the Digital Omnibus on AI

9 March: EP Plenary Session (agenda here)

10 March: EP vote on Copyright and GenAI - opportunities and challenges

11 March: Digital Forum Bucharest 2026 (ELF)

14 March: Stakeholder forum (BEREC)

27 March: EDPB stakeholder event on political advertising - express your interest by 9 February by registering here.

1 May: Deadline to respond to the AVMSD Consultation.