The European Commission has announced new rules to speed up Big Tech privacy investigations.

The bloc has long been criticised for drawn out investigations and low fines that undermine the landmark General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) rules which were implemented in 2018. Critics have also highlighted that the Irish Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) has an outsized role in overseeing Big Tech due to many large tech having their European headquarters in the country.

In light of all these factors, the European Commission on Tuesday announced a set of new rules which will accelerate collaboration on cross-border cases.

The rules require the main privacy authority to share a summary of key issues to other European regulators in order for them to provide feedback at an early stage. The new rules also will require the main privacy authority to set out common deadlines for cross-border cooperation and dispute resolution.

From the tech side, the new rules will give companies under investigation the right to be heard at key stages in the procedure and access the file, while also giving complainants the right to be heard in cases where their complaints are fully or partially rejected.

In a statement, the European Commission said: “The harmonisation of these procedural aspects will support the timely completion of investigations and the delivery of swift remedies for individuals.”

The new rules have been criticised by high-profile privacy activist Max Schrems, who has previously filed complaints against Meta and Google. He said: "The Commission proposal seems to be technically and materially flawed and rather strips citizens of existing rights than ensuring their enforcement.”

Other bodies including The Computer & Communications Industry Association have also criticised the rules from the other side, and have argued that they do not provide companies significant rights to appeal and the right to a fair hearing in a realistic timeframe.

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