Major US technology companies have tapped into the European far-right to help pressure the European Commission into stripping back regulations for its sector, according to a new report released on Wednesday.

The European Commission’s deregulatory push in the Digital Omnibus – which delayed the AI Act and weakened GDPR protections – was also revealed to closely align with Big Tech’s lobbying demands, while seriously damaging EU citizens’ digital rights.

Big Tech companies such as Google, Microsoft and Meta increased their meetings with far-right groups in the European Parliament ahead of the Commission’s push last year, revealed a new analysis by non-profit organisations Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) and LobbyControl.