The European Parliament just threw up a digital wall around its lawmakers' devices, blocking access to built-in AI assistants over fears that confidential government communications could end up on servers controlled by US tech companies. The move, which affects members of the European Parliament across the bloc, marks one of the most aggressive institutional responses yet to the tension between AI adoption and data sovereignty. It's a shot across the bow for Microsoft, Google, and other AI providers banking on enterprise uptake.
The European Parliament isn't taking chances with AI anymore. Lawmakers across the EU discovered their government-issued laptops and devices can no longer access the AI assistants that have become standard features in modern operating systems and productivity suites. The culprit? Deep-seated fears that anything typed into these tools could wind up on servers in the United States, well beyond the reach of European data protection laws.
The timing couldn't be more pointed. Just as Microsoft integrates Copilot deeper into Windows and Office, and Google embeds Gemini across its Workspace suite, the EU's legislative body is slamming the door shut. Parliament IT administrators implemented the blocks quietly, but the impact is anything but subtle. Members of Parliament who've grown accustomed to AI-assisted drafting, translation, and research now find themselves cut off.
According to TechCrunch's reporting, the decision stems from cybersecurity assessments showing that data fed into these AI tools gets processed on US-based infrastructure. That's a red flag for an institution handling everything from draft legislation to confidential constituent communications. Under the EU's General Data Protection Regulation, transferring sensitive personal data across the Atlantic requires strict safeguards - safeguards that Parliament officials apparently don't believe current AI tools provide.
