DiPLab’s Thomas Le Bonniec Warns Against the EU’s “Digital Omnibus” in Le Nouvel Obs

Thomas Le Bonniec, a doctoral researcher at DiPLab, has published an op-ed in Le Nouvel Obs criticizing the European Commission’s proposed “Omnibus” digital directive. In his piece, he argues that the directive would weaken key elements of EU digital law while primarily benefiting large U.S. technology companies, including Meta, Palantir Technologies, and Alphabet.

Le Bonniec situates the proposal in the broader context of the European Union’s continued reliance on American software and digital infrastructure. According to his analysis, the Omnibus directive does not reduce this dependency but instead reinforces it. He questions whether the European Commission, led by President Ursula von der Leyen and Vice-President for technological sovereignty Henna Virkkunen, is capable of advancing genuine digital autonomy under these conditions.

The op-ed also highlights the potential impact on privacy and data protection. Le Bonniec warns that the directive could significantly undermine existing safeguards, without delivering the regulatory simplification or innovation gains promised by the Commission.

Ultimately, he frames the Omnibus directive as a political choice with strategic consequences. As long as the EU follows a path of regulatory alignment that favors U.S. digital interests, he argues, it risks entrenching its dependence on Washington. Rejecting the Omnibus directive, Le Bonniec concludes, would be a first step toward building a credible and independent European digital sovereignty.