Your EU digital compliance briefing | Edition #003 | Friday, January 30, 2026

Every workday, we keep you current on EU digital regulation in 2 minutes.

Top Stories

Digital Omnibus Feedback Period Closes as Lobby Influence Draws Scrutiny — 2 min read

The public feedback window for the Commission's Digital Omnibus Package closed yesterday, January 29. The proposals would amend the GDPR, AI Act, NIS2 Directive, ePrivacy Directive, and Data Act in a sweeping simplification effort. The most consequential change: delaying the AI Act's high-risk system obligations from August 2026 to as late as December 2027 for Annex III systems and August 2028 for Annex I products, citing unfinished technical standards. The proposals also introduce AI model training as a "legitimate interest" under GDPR. A Corporate Europe Observatory report published earlier this month found significant alignment between Big Tech lobbying positions and the proposed amendments—with the digital industry now spending €151 million annually on EU lobbying. The proposals now enter trilogue, with adoption possible by mid-2026.

Stat of the Day

€151 million

Annual EU lobbying spend by the digital industry, employing 890 full-time equivalent lobbyists—more than the 720 members of the European Parliament. Spending has grown 33.6% since 2023. (Source)

Quick Hits

Corporate Europe Observatory Issues "Red Alert" on EU Deregulation Summit — The watchdog warned that the February 12 EU Leaders' Retreat aims to fast-track deregulation across digital, environmental, and social policy areas.

WhatsApp Designated as VLOP Under DSA — The Commission on Monday designated WhatsApp as a Very Large Online Platform after its Channels feature crossed 45 million EU users; Meta has four months to comply with additional DSA obligations.

GDPR Breach Notifications Top 400 Per Day for First Time — DLA Piper's annual survey, published January 22, reports authorities received 443 breach notifications daily in 2025—a 22% increase—with total fines reaching €1.2 billion.

Digital Fitness Check Consultation Open Until March 11 — The Commission launched a broader review to "stress test" how the EU digital rulebook delivers on competitiveness, separate from the Omnibus legislative proposals.

Compliance Calendar

Dates sourced from official EU publications and regulatory trackers. Verify with legal counsel before relying on deadlines.

Enforcement Tracker

Next edition: Monday, February 2, 2026

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