DiPLab’s Thomas Le Bonniec Warns Against the EU’s “Digital Omnibus” in Le Nouvel Obs
Thomas Le Bonniec, a doctoral researcher at DiPLab, has published an op-ed in Le
Nouvel Obs criticizing the European Commission’s proposed “Omnibus” digital
directive. In his piece, he argues that the directive would weaken key elements
of EU digital law while primarily benefiting large U.S. technology companies,
including Meta, Palantir Technologies, and Alphabet.
Le Bonniec situates the proposal in the broader context of the European Union’s
continued reliance on American software and digital infrastructure. According to
his analysis, the Omnibus directive does not reduce this dependency but instead
reinforces it. He questions whether the European Commission, led by President
Ursula von der Leyen and Vice-President for technological sovereignty Henna
Virkkunen, is capable of advancing genuine digital autonomy under these
conditions.
The op-ed also highlights the potential impact on privacy and data protection.
Le Bonniec warns that the directive could significantly undermine existing
safeguards, without delivering the regulatory simplification or innovation gains
promised by the Commission.
Ultimately, he frames the Omnibus directive as a political choice with strategic
consequences. As long as the EU follows a path of regulatory alignment that
favors U.S. digital interests, he argues, it risks entrenching its dependence on
Washington. Rejecting the Omnibus directive, Le Bonniec concludes, would be a
first step toward building a credible and independent European digital
sovereignty.