EU Parliament disables AI features on lawmakers' devices due to cybersecurity concerns
The European Parliament disabled AI features on lawmakers' and staff devices on 16 February 2026 after its IT department determined it could not guarantee data security. The department found that some AI features transmit data to cloud services for processing that could occur locally, and stated that the full extent of data sharing with service providers was still being assessed.
What happened
On 16 February 2026, the European Parliament disabled built-in AI features on corporate tablets used by lawmakers and staff after its IT department determined it could not guarantee the security of data processed by these tools.
The IT department advised that some of these features transmit data to cloud services to perform tasks that could be processed locally on the device. The Parliament stated that as these features continue to evolve and become available on more devices, 'the full extent of data being shared with service providers is still being assessed.'
Reported impact
The Parliament's technical support service noted that 'some of these functions use cloud services to perform tasks that could have been performed locally, sending data outside the device.' Until the scope of data sharing is fully clarified, the institution determined it was safer to keep these features disabled.
Index analysis
The concern centres on data transmission to external service providers without clarity on the full scope of data being shared. The IT department's inability to guarantee data security reflects uncertainty about the risks posed by cloud-based processing of parliamentary data.
Governance controls
The Parliament's IT department evaluated the risks and decided to disable the features pending a full assessment of data security implications. Staff were also advised to apply similar precautions on personal devices.
A Parliament spokesperson stated the institution 'continuously monitors cyber security threats and quickly takes necessary measures to prevent them.'
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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