Reacting to today’s publication by the European Commission of a “simplification” Omnibus proposal which envisions damaging changes to key EU key sustainability laws, including the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, said:
“Confronted with growing recognition of the many human rights abuses taking place in the value chains for everyday products, and corporations’ impact on worsening climate disasters, the EU should look to raise standards, not weaken them. The sheer volume and scope of proposed changes to these vital laws are completely at odds with Europe’s green ambitions and its climate action commitments. Eroding the very core of the laws intended to promote responsible business practices and sustainable investment, corporate accountability and transparency, at a time when these are vitally needed, would be unbelievably shortsighted and outright dangerous”.
“If implemented, the proposed changes could render these instruments no more valuable than the paper they’re written on. Particularly alarming are the amendments envisioned to civil liability provisions, due diligence obligations, and climate transition plans, among others. As it stands, the proposal would also postpone by one year the timeline for EU Member States to reflect the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive in their national laws.”
“It is not too late to block the proposal and ensure these laws are protected. The Council of the EU and the European Parliament must show strong leadership and avoid undermining precious human rights, environment and climate protections”.
Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard
Background
Announcing its decision in a statement issued on 25 February 2025, Cellebrite stated that, “After a review of the allegations brought forth by the December 2024 Amnesty International report, Cellebrite took precise steps to investigate each claim in accordance with our ethics and integrity policies. We found it appropriate to stop the use of our products by the relevant customers at this time.”
It added that it takes “seriously all allegations of a customer’s potential misuse of our technology in ways that would run counter to both explicit and implied conditions outlined in our end-user agreement.”
The Cellebrite UFED suite of products, developed for law enforcement and government entities, allow data extraction from various mobile devices, even without access to device passcodes.
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