Cybersecurity Policy Report, Privacy Risk of ‘Shadow AI’ Prompts Warning in Europe, (Jun 17, 2026)
By Tony Foley
European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) Wojciech Wiewiórowski has highlighted the security risks associated with the use of so-called “shadow AI,” in which an employee deploys unauthorized artificial intelligence tools without their organization’s approval.
In a blog post, Mr. Wiewiórowski explained that when such tools, including generative chatbots, coding assistants, and automated note-taking bots, were deployed without organizational approval, they might bypass critical data protection and security safeguards. “What might seem like a quick shortcut to productivity can result in severe consequences, including personal data breaches, non-compliance with regulatory requirements, and operational disruptions that can go unnoticed,” he said.
When data is fed into an unapproved AI tool, it enters a “regulatory blind spot,” with heightened risk of legal noncompliance, as well as the introduction of security vulnerabilities, Mr. Wiewiórowski said. To effectively manage and mitigate these risks, organizations must adopt a proactive, comprehensive approach to AI governance that balances robust technical controls with a culture of awareness. Accordingly, the supervisor said, organizations should adopt governance policies that include clear, practical and aligned frameworks that explicitly define the authorized use of AI tools, establish clear data classification schemes and outline rigorous approval processes for evaluating new technologies.
In addition, the policies should be backed by technical controls including blocking unapproved AI domains, enforcing data loss prevention rules, and applying endpoint restrictions to prevent the installation of unapproved software, he said. “The most effective way to discourage the use of unapproved tools is by providing approved AI platforms that are secure, compliant and capable of meeting staff needs while ensuring full regulatory compliance,” Mr. Wiewiórowski added.
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