Meta and Spotify, along with various researchers and industry groups, have criticized the European Union for its 'fragmented and inconsistent' approach to data privacy and artificial intelligence (AI) regulations. They argue that such regulatory uncertainty is hindering Europe's competitiveness in the AI sector and called for more coherent and swift decisions to facilitate the use of European data for AI training. The criticism specifically targets recent decisions made under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that have led to significant ambiguity regarding data usage for AI. Meta has paused its plans to utilize data from European users for AI training due to regulatory pressures and has faced hefty fines for privacy violations. The EU has implemented comprehensive legislation, including the AI Act, but tech companies like Meta and Google have postponed product launches in Europe, citing the need for clearer legal guidance. A European Commission spokesperson reiterated that compliance with data privacy rules is mandatory for all EU businesses.