Technologies
Europe Is Ready to Dilute Its Tough Rules on Privacy. You Can Blame AI for That
Critics warned that proposed changes will weaken the GDPR in a way that amounts to an attack on digital rights.

Europe has long been a global leader when it comes to regulating Big Tech, but it is now considering making changes that would weaken its landmark privacy legislation, the General Data Protection Regulation, also known as GDPR.
In a move designed to unlock access to data essential to AI across the region, the European Commission on Wednesday published proposals for a «digital simplification strategy.» These proposals include rolling back some GDPR protections, including simplifying cookie permission pop-ups and delaying the introduction of AI regulation.
Europe introduced the GDPR in 2018. It was designed to give European citizens more knowledge, control and power over who was able to access and use their personal data. The regulation went on to inform the development of similar laws elsewhere in the world, including privacy legislation in California.
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The EU was ahead of the curve when it came to regulating technology, but at the same time no serious competitors have emerged from within Europe to rival the AI companies out of the US and China. The bloc has been under pressure from American technology companies and the Trump administration to lessen the regulatory burdens they face in the region.
In the US, the White House has been pushing hard for unfettered development of artificial intelligence technologies. Over the summer it unveiled a national AI Action Plan, which among other things called for the removal of red tape and «onerous regulation.»
In a press release, the executive vice president of the European Commission for technological sovereignty, Henna Virkkunen, called the proposed changes to the GDPR «a face-lift with targeted amendments…that reflect how technology has evolved.» The aim of the measures, she added, is to encourage AI development.
An «attack» on European rights?
As the Commission noted in its proposal on Wednesday, member states consider the GDPR to be an effective and balanced piece of legislation. It’s framing the proposed changes as being a way to «harmonise, clarify and simplify» the application of the regulation.
European privacy campaigners see it differently. «This is the biggest attack on European’s digital rights in years,» said Austrian privacy campaigner Max Schrems, who is best known for taking legal action against Meta (aka Facebook) over privacy violations. «When the Commission states that it ‘maintains the highest standards’, it clearly is incorrect. It proposes to undermine these standards.»
Some campaigners are worried that the proposed changes to GDPR are a sign that the EU is kowtowing to Big Tech. It’s unlikely that the changes would allow Europe to begin challenging the dominance of the US and China when it comes to AI, said Johnny Ryan, director of the Enforce unit at the Irish Council for Civil Liberties.
«Today’s proposal from European Commission to revise the GDPR will entrench the dominance of US and Chinese digital giants, and harm European startups and [small to medium businesses],» he said. «Europe’s problem is not that it has too many rules for data and AI, but that it hypes those rules and then neglects to enforce them.»
According to Schrems, the proposed reform of the GDPR seems primarily designed to remove obstacles that could prevent AI companies from using personal data for AI.
«Artificial intelligence may be one of the most impactful and dangerous technologies for our democracy and society,» he said. «Nevertheless, the narrative of an ‘AI race’ has led politicians to even throw protections out of the window that should have exactly protected us from having all our data go into a big opaque algorithm.»
Technologies
How to Turn Off AI Features on Your Samsung Galaxy Smartphone
Too much AI on your Galaxy phone? Here’s how to disable it.
Samsung is known for throwing virtually every feature imaginable into its smartphones, whether or not you intend to use them. There are countless additional customizations and apps in Galaxy phones that make it a bit overwhelming to figure out what you actually need.
Every new generation of Galaxy phone seems to gain more and more AI features that you may not find useful. Luckily, you can remove nearly anything you don’t want on your Samsung phone.
Whether you just want to turn off some of the AI features on your Galaxy smartphone or you want to disable them completely, we’ll show you how to do that below.
Read more: The 8 Biggest Announcements from Samsung’s Galaxy Unpacked 2026 Event
How to turn off Galaxy AI services
Some of the features that smartphones can do using AI are undeniably cool. If you like some of them but don’t want AI everywhere, Samsung will allow you to pick and choose what to take advantage of.
To turn off AI for individual services:
- Go to Settings.
- Tap Galaxy AI.
- Select the service to disable.
- Tap the toggle to Off.
You’ll see a list of the services that form Galaxy AI. You can choose the apps for which you want to turn AI on or off from here.
If you’re more privacy-minded but still want to take advantage of Galaxy AI features, there’s a toggle at the bottom of this screen that will limit AI from sending anything to the cloud and keep data processing on your device only. Going for this option will disable some AI features altogether that require the internet to process, and the results may be less useful.
Goodbye, Bixby
Bixby, the Samsung digital assistant that you may not even realize is on your phone, is something that you’ll want to disable if you’re trying to tame the AI on your Galaxy device.
Luckily, Samsung has a way for you to replace Bixby with another voice assistant of your choosing. For all intents and purposes, Google Assistant will be your best bet, even if it will eventually be replaced by Google’s advanced AI assistant somewhere down the road.
It’s likely already installed on your phone, but you may need to redownload the Google app if you uninstalled it or never had it.
- Go to Settings.
- Tap Apps.
- Tap Default apps.
- Tap Digital assistant app.
- Tap Google.
That’s it. Now, when you trigger your voice assistant, you’ll be greeted by Google Assistant instead of the AI-powered Bixby.
Technologies
How to Watch the February 2026 Pokemon Presents Livestream
Celebrate Pokemon Day with the latest and greatest announcements from the world of pocket monsters.
We are just a day away from the annual celebration of all things Pokemon. The Pokemon Day event starts tomorrow morning and should be chock full of free goodies and exciting game reveals for creature-collecting fans across the world. Considering the juggernaut franchise is celebrating its 30th anniversary, it’s safe to assume there will be juicy information included in the next Pokemon Presents stream.
There’s plenty of excitement leading up to the main event. Pokemon TCG Pocket just released the Paldean Wonders card set expansion, and The Pokemon Company revealed that FireRed and LeafGreen are getting Switch ports with Pokemon Home compatibility. Now the stage is set for The Pokemon Company to reveal new mainline Pokemon games for the Switch and Switch 2.
Here’s when The Pokemon Company goes live with its first Pokemon Presents stream of the year, setting audience expectations for what we can expect to see from the world of pocket monsters in 2026.
What time is the Pokemon Presents stream on Pokemon Day?
The first Pokemon Presents livestream of the year takes place tomorrow, Friday, Feb. 27. The show begins bright and early for American audiences, so you’ll have to avoid sleeping in if you want to keep up with the latest announcements.
Here’s when Friday’s Pokemon Day livestream begins in your time zone:
ET: 9 a.m.
CT: 8 a.m.
MT: 7 a.m.
PT: 6 a.m.
How to watch the February Pokemon Presents livestream
The Pokemon Company is responsible for the Pokemon Presents livestreams, which means you can view the announcement through any of its social media channels.
While I recommend watching the stream on The Pokemon Company’s YouTube or Twitch channels, you can also keep up with the announcements on TikTok. Regular updates will also be posted to the company’s Instagram account throughout the event.
What will be announced on Pokemon Day 2026?
It’s safe to assume that the February Pokemon Presents livestream will feature some long-anticipated reveals, since 2026 is a big year for the Pokemon brand.
The livestream marks the 30th anniversary of Pokemon Red and Pokemon Green (the original Pokemon games for the Game Boy) releasing in Japan. We know the stream will be roughly 25 minutes long, making one of the longest Pokemon Presents showcases ever.
I suspect the livestream will serve as a victory lap celebrating Pokemon’s cultural impact before pivoting to the future and showing fans what’s coming next.
And what treats are in store for tomorrow’s event? I expect to see updates and freebies for Pokemon mobile games first, since these are some of the big moneymakers. If this Pokemon Day presentation mirrors the one from last year, we’ll be treated to some goodies in Pokemon Go, Pokemon Masters EX, Pokemon Cafe ReMix and Pokemon TCG Pocket. We might also see an announcement for a special Pokemon Scarlet and Violet raid event and Pokemon Legends: Z-A Mega stone distributions.
After celebrating the currently released games, it’s likely that the presentation will pivot to what’s coming next. We’ll almost certainly get a reminder that Nintendo Switch ports of Pokemon FireRed and Pokemon LeafGreen are available starting on Pokemon Day. I expect the biggest news will be a concrete release date for Pokemon’s big new competitive game, Pokemon Champions, which is slated to come out in time for the Pokemon World Championships 2026.
If we’re really lucky, we might even hear about the 10th generation of mainline Pokemon games. While Game Freak has unmoored itself from a consistent release schedule, we’re certainly due to see the rumored Pokemon Wind and Wave. While the infamous Teraleak hints toward what the development studio might show off next, it’s high time we get a glimpse of what the next big Pokemon games are really all about.
Technologies
Only Hours Remain to Grab the Skullcandy Push 720 Open Earbuds for 40% Off
That drops these earbuds to under $100, a hard-to-beat bargain.
Until the end of the day, you can pick up a pair of the Skullcandy Push 720 open-earbuds for a nice $60 discount. That’s just $10 more than the previous record low, and this deal is available at both Best Buy and Amazon. Best Buy has labeled this deal as ending tonight and we except Amazon to follow suit. Grab yours now before the deal expires.
The Skullcandy Push 720 Open earbuds are designed to keep you connected to your audio and the world at the same time. The open-ear clip-on design delivers directional sound. But since they’re open, you’ll still be able to hear the outside world, making them great for commuting, workouts and more. The buds are lightweight and comfortable in your ear as they are built for all-day wear. They have an an IP67 rating for sweat- and water-resistance, so you can confidently take them on outdoor runs, gym sessions and through rainy weather.
The buds use precision directional speakers so your audio stays personal without disturbing people nearby. The over-the-ear fit is one-size-fits-all, and it’s made to stay secure through any kind of activity. They have a decent 30-hour battery life. But with rapid charging you’ll be back up and running in no time, and the carrying pouch has a built-in charger for on the go convenience.
HEADPHONE DEALS OF THE WEEK
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$248 (save $152)
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$170 (save $181)
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$398 (save $62)
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$200 (save $250)
Why this deal matters
These open-ear earbuds are great for anyone that’s active. Whether you’re running in the gym or playing sports, these headphones will comfortably clip onto your ears. Previously, we saw these buds come down to $80. Considering this is only $10 more, it’s not worth waiting to see if the price will drop back to $80. Best Buy says there’s only hours left for this deal. We think the Best Buy and Amazon deals will expire together, so act fast.
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