The European Parliament has decided to deactivate the integrated artificial intelligence functions on the service devices of Members of the European Parliament and their staff, citing risks related to data security and protection of sensitive information.
The decision comes after an internal evaluation by the IT department, which concluded that it cannot fully guarantee the security of the data processed by these tools.
Data sent to the cloud, incomplete risk assessment
According to an internal email consulted by Politico, the institution has disabled "integrated artificial intelligence functions" on service tablets. The reason: some of these options use cloud services for tasks that could be performed locally, which means that the data is transmitted outside the device.
The exact extent of the information shared with service providers is still being analyzed. Until the situation is fully clarified, the technical leadership of the Parliament considers it safer for these functions to remain deactivated.
Which functions are targeted
The measure concerns tools such as drafting and automatic summarization assistants, enhanced virtual assistants, and web page summarization functions, available on service tablets and phones.
Essential applications – email, calendar, documents, and other tools used daily – are not affected by the decision.
An anonymous European official stated that it strictly concerns AI functionalities integrated into the system, not a complete block of digital activity.
EU, increasingly vigilant about external technology providers
The decision is part of a broader context in which the European Union is strengthening its digital security policies.
In November, a group of Members of the European Parliament called for abandoning the internal use of Microsoft software in favor of a European alternative. In 2023, Parliament banned the TikTok app on service devices and recommended its deletion from personal phones used for professional purposes.
The Parliament's press service stated that the institution constantly monitors cyber threats and swiftly adopts preventive measures, but refused to provide technical details, citing the sensitive nature of the information.
Recommendations also for personal devices
Members of the European Parliament are advised to apply similar precautionary measures on personal devices used for professional activities.
The email recommends avoiding exposure of work emails, documents, or internal information to AI functions that analyze content, exercising caution in using third-party AI applications, and avoiding granting broad access to data.
G.P.