The European Parliament has deactivated built-in artificial intelligence features on the work tablets and phones used by its members and their assistants. This decision follows concerns regarding the security of data transmitted to cloud services by these AI tools.
According to a report from Politico, an internal communication was sent to parliament members on February 16, informing them of the shutdown of AI functionalities on corporate devices. The message indicated that some of these features utilize cloud services for tasks that could be performed locally, sending data from the device.
“Some of these features use cloud services for tasks that can be done locally and send data from the device,” stated the parliament’s technical support service in the letter.
The communication further noted that the full extent of the data shared by these devices with providers is still being assessed, leading to the decision to keep these features disabled for safety reasons.
The disabled functions include built-in assistants for writing and summarizing text, enhanced virtual assistants, and webpage summarization features on tablets and phones, as clarified by a European Union representative who spoke on the condition of anonymity. However, essential tools such as email, calendars, and documents remain operational.
Moreover, the Parliament has urged its members to implement similar precautions on personal devices used for work. This includes refraining from opening work emails and documents with AI features that scan content and avoiding granting third-party AI applications broad access to data.
In recent years, the European Union has strengthened its data protection policies, particularly due to concerns regarding foreign technology providers. In November 2025, a group of Members of the European Parliament called for a shift away from Microsoft software in favor of European alternatives. Additionally, in 2023, the Parliament banned the TikTok application on employees’ devices and advised members to remove it from their personal phones.
The European Parliament’s press office informed Politico that the institution is “constantly monitoring cyber threats and swiftly taking necessary actions,” but declined to comment on specific security issues due to their “sensitive nature.” The Parliament also did not specify which AI features were disabled or the operating systems on which the devices operate.
The European Parliament has disabled AI features on work devices due to data security concerns, urging members to take similar precautions on personal devices. This decision reflects ongoing efforts to enhance data protection within the EU amid rising cyber threats.
Source: Politico