In previous mandates of the European Commission, progressive tech policy circles established a loose modus operandi: follow the Commission’s regulatory agenda, build coalitions, collectively establish positions, and advocate for tweaks to improve these legislative proposals. There were certainly exceptions to this, such as the Chat Control proposal, but the situation has changed radically under the current mandate. The flavour of the day is radical deregulation of human rights safeguards, misleadingly labelled as ‘simplification,’ coupled with an aggressively anti-rights regulatory agenda aiming to undermine encryption, facilitate abuses of migrants, and funnel public resources into a naive project of AI-boosterism. Policy practitioners’ tried and tested approaches don’t feel sufficient to advance justice-centred policy impact, so what options are on the table? This panel will unpack the complexities of this changing landscape, with insight from panelists representing civil society, industry and philanthropy