European Parliament Bans AI on Lawmakers’ Devices Over Security Concerns

The European Parliament has blocked lawmakers from using built-in artificial intelligence features on their work devices, citing significant cybersecurity and privacy concerns. According to an email from the parliament’s IT department seen by Politico, officials cannot guarantee the security of data uploaded to AI company servers, prompting the decision to disable these AI tools across parliamentary devices. The move affects access to popular AI chatbots and integrated AI features that have become standard in many workplace applications.

The internal communication stated that the full extent of information shared with AI companies remains under assessment. As a result, the IT department concluded it is safer to keep such features disabled until a comprehensive security evaluation is completed.

Cybersecurity Risks Drive AI Tools Restriction

The primary concern centers on how data uploaded to AI chatbots and similar services becomes vulnerable to third-party access. When European lawmakers use AI tools like Anthropic’s Claude, Microsoft’s Copilot, or OpenAI’s ChatGPT, their data flows to servers operated by U.S.-based companies. This arrangement means U.S. authorities can potentially demand these companies turn over information about users, including sensitive parliamentary correspondence.

Additionally, AI chatbots typically use information provided by users to improve their underlying models. This practice increases the risk that confidential information uploaded by one individual could inadvertently be incorporated into responses generated for other users, creating potential data leakage scenarios.

Data Protection Tensions in Europe

Europe maintains some of the world’s strictest data protection regulations, making this AI tools restriction consistent with the region’s privacy-first approach. However, the European Commission last year proposed legislative changes aimed at relaxing certain data protection rules. These proposals would make it easier for technology companies to train AI models using Europeans’ data, drawing criticism from privacy advocates who argue the measures favor U.S. tech giants.

Meanwhile, the decision to restrict AI access in the European Parliament reflects broader concerns among EU member states about dependence on U.S. technology companies. Several countries have begun reevaluating their relationships with American tech giants, particularly given these companies remain subject to U.S. law and government demands.

U.S. Government Data Demands Raise Alarms

Recent actions by the Trump administration have heightened European concerns about data sovereignty. In recent weeks, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has sent hundreds of subpoenas to American tech and social media companies, demanding information about individuals critical of administration policies. In contrast to typical legal procedures, these subpoenas were not issued by judges or enforced by courts.

Nevertheless, major companies including Google, Meta, and Reddit complied with several of these requests, according to reports. This compliance has amplified European worries about the security of data stored on U.S.-based platforms and the potential for political interference in data access.

Implications for European Digital Sovereignty

The European Parliament’s decision underscores growing tensions between technological convenience and data security in government operations. As AI features become increasingly integrated into standard software applications, institutions face difficult choices about balancing productivity gains against privacy risks.

The parliament’s IT department continues assessing the security implications of various AI tools and features. Officials have not announced a timeline for when the restriction might be lifted or under what conditions AI features could be safely enabled on parliamentary devices. Any future policy changes will likely depend on improved security guarantees from AI service providers or the development of European-based AI alternatives.