ICT companies, led by US digital giants such as Facebook, Google and Amazon, have been waging a ‘lobbying war’ to weaken the EU’s proposal for a new data protection directive, according to a documentary recently broadcast on Flemish public TV. The documentary exposed how Belgian MEP Louis Michel (who was the EU’s Commissioner for development from 2004 to 2009) submitted 229 amendments, of which over 100 were heavily inspired by corporate lobbyists. In the spotlight of the cameras, Michel felt obliged to withdraw over 80 of ‘his’ amendments before the vote.
