EU Commission revamps procedures to speed up Big Tech privacy probes

Stung by criticism of tardy privacy investigations and the Irish privacy regulator’s outsized role in overseeing Big Tech, the European Commission on Tuesday announced new rules to help watchdogs work on cross-border cases at a faster clip.

Critics say investigations take too long and fines are too low to deter privacy breaches by Big Tech companies, undermining the goal of landmark EU rules known as the General Data Protection Regulation which came into force in 2018.