European Parliament blocks AI features on MEP tablets over security concerns

The European Parliament has disabled artificial intelligence (AI) features on the tablets it provides to Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), citing security concerns, according to an email sent to lawmakers on February 16 and seen by Euractiv.

The email explains that the decision to block AI tools – including writing aids, summarising assistants, and enhanced virtual assistants – followed recommendations from the Parliament’s cybersecurity and personal data protection teams.

“The assessments performed evidenced that some of these [AI] features use cloud services to carry out tasks that could be handled locally, sending data off the device,” the email said, noting that a review of the evolving AI features is ongoing to understand “the full extent of data shared with service providers.”

“Until this is fully clarified, it is considered safer to keep such features disabled.”

According to the message, only the Parliament-issued “built-in AI features” have been turned off. Third-party apps and other day-to-day tools appear unaffected, although such software could also incorporate AI functions. It remains unclear whether AI capabilities embedded within these apps have been blocked. The Parliament did not immediately respond to Euractiv’s request for clarification.

The email also offered guidance to lawmakers on handling AI on their personal devices, which fall outside the Parliament’s direct control:

“Please consider applying similar precautions to your private devices,” it read.

MEPs were advised to review AI settings on personal devices and disable any unnecessary features, restrict app permissions to what is strictly required, and avoid exposing work emails or documents to AI systems.

The move comes amid growing scrutiny in Europe of reliance on overseas digital platforms, particularly those operated by US companies. Concerns have centred on laws such as the US Cloud Act, which allows American authorities access to Europeans’ data.

In response, major cloud providers have sought to reassure EU customers by localising data storage within the bloc. Yet last year, Microsoft acknowledged it could not guarantee that European data would remain entirely protected from US government access.

By Aghakazim Guliyev