Members and staff of the European Parliament will no longer have access to AI features on their smartphones and tablets due to uncertainty regarding the secure handling of data.
The European Parliament’s IT service has disabled AI features on the phones of parliamentarians and their staff. This concerns unspecified ‘built-in AI functionality,’ according to an internal email seen by Politico.
These built-in features in tablets and phones sometimes send data to the cloud, even for tasks that could be handled locally. As functionality continues to evolve and find its way into more devices, there is growing ambiguity about which data is shared and how. The IT department has chosen to disable these features pending full guarantees and clarity regarding data security.
The rule applies to AI functionality integrated into the devices themselves by manufacturers. Staff are still permitted to use AI on their devices if it is part of applications such as email or calendar apps.
Popular Target
The EU has been working diligently on its cybersecurity in recent years, and with good reason. The Union’s institutions are popular targets for hackers, some of whom are linked to foreign powers. Just this month, a vulnerability in Ivanti EPMM was used to steal staff data.
The Parliament already chose to ban TikTok from work devices in 2023, again due to security concerns. Furthermore, several elected officials are calling for the entire Microsoft suite to be ditched in favor of a European alternative.