EU Parliament committee votes to advance controversial Europol data sharing proposal

Lawmakers in the European Union’s Parliament voted on 6 November 2025 to greenlight a proposal that would allow Europol to expand data sharing and biometric data collection as part of its efforts to fight human trafficking and migrant smuggling. Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee (LIBE) approved the package and will now send the proposal to a full plenary vote to be held later this month.

Privacy and civil liberties advocates have decried the expansion for how it will allegedly facilitate mass surveillance and large-scale data privacy violations. According to The Record, the committee’s approval marks a step forward in the process, with further scrutiny and debate likely before any final adoption. The development has prompted ongoing debate about balancing security objectives with civil rights and potential privacy impacts.