European Union Council Proposes Simplification of Data Protection and Cyber Rules
On October 21, 2026, the Council of the European Union agreed on a proposal aimed at simplifying parts of the EU's data protection, privacy, and cybersecurity regulations. This initiative, part of the 'Digital Omnibus' series, seeks to make these rules clearer and easier for businesses, public bodies, and individuals to follow, while maintaining robust personal data protection. Key proposed changes include clarifying the definition of pseudonymized data in relation to individual identification, providing more guidance for organizations dealing with unfounded or excessive data subject access requests (DSARs), and lightening information obligations in low-risk scenarios. The proposal also suggests a clearer definition of 'scientific research' with targeted exemptions for research organizations and longer deadlines for reporting personal data breaches. Additionally, it introduces a single EU-wide list of high-risk processing activities and common templates for regulatory compliance. Extra safeguards are propo...
