Moderate
Settlement
Announced
United States (federal) · Sep 1, 2026
Meta to implement age‑verification framework under $17 B settlement with 52 U.S. states
Meta has agreed to a $17 billion settlement with 52 state attorneys general that mandates age‑assurance technology for its platforms. The settlement requires Meta to apply age‑verification methods within one year, classify users into 18+…
state attorneys general · Children's Online Privacy Protection Act
Moderate
Court ruling
Decided
Austria · Sep 1, 2026
Austrian Supreme Court rules CRIF’s use of address‑publisher data for credit scoring violates GDPR purpose limitation
The Austrian Supreme Court (OGH) held that credit reference agencies may not collect personal data from address publishers that process the data for marketing purposes, confirming a GDPR purpose‑limitation breach. The ruling supports…
EDPB · General Data Protection Regulation
Moderate
Proposed bill
Passed one chamber
California · Aug 31, 2026
California Assembly Bill 1709 passed, bans social media recommendation features for users under 16
The California legislature passed Assembly Bill 1709, which would prohibit platforms from providing recommendation algorithms and related features to users under 16. The bill would require age‑verification methods that could involve…
AB 1709
Moderate
Guidance
Published
United States (federal) · Aug 31, 2026
EFF guide on doxxing incident response and digital footprint protection
The Electronic Frontier Foundation published a guide outlining steps for individuals and groups to respond to doxxing attacks. It covers incident logging, team role assignment, monitoring hate forums, setting up alerts, hardening accounts…
California Delete Act
Moderate
New law
In effect
United States (federal) · Aug 31, 2026
Five US states enact location privacy laws banning sale of precise geolocation data
Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, Oregon, and Virginia have enacted new consumer privacy statutes that prohibit the sale of precise geolocation data. The laws vary in their consent and minimization requirements, but all share a ban on…
MD AG · Maryland Online Data Privacy Act
Low
Guidance
Published
Global · Aug 31, 2026
EFF and The Trevor Project advise LGBTQ+ individuals to revise shared information for online safety
The Electronic Frontier Foundation and The Trevor Project provide practical steps for LGBTQ+ people to protect their personal information online. Advice includes limiting disclosure of identifying details, using avatars, disabling EXIF…
Low
Proposed regulation
Proposed
BR · Aug 28, 2026
EFF and allies recommend new privacy safeguards to protect Brazil's electoral integrity
The Electronic Frontier Foundation, Access Now and Data Privacy Brasil issued recommendations urging stronger personal data protection in Brazil's elections. They call for prohibiting processing of sensitive political data, requiring…
LGPD
Moderate
Settlement
Settled
Connecticut · Aug 27, 2026
Connecticut AG settles with TaxAct over taxpayer data disclosures via tracking tech
On August 19, 2026, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong announced a $275,000 settlement with TaxAct for improperly disclosing taxpayer information to advertising partners through third‑party tracking technologies. The settlement…
Connecticut Attorney General
Low
Lawsuit filed
Filed
California · Aug 26, 2026
EFF and ACLU sue San Jose Police over warrantless ALPR searches
The Electronic Frontier Foundation and the ACLU of Northern California have filed a lawsuit in California state court challenging the San Jose Police Department's practice of searching stored license‑plate data without a warrant. The suit…
California Constitution
Moderate
Settlement
Settled
United States (federal) · Aug 26, 2026
EFF says Meta settlement expands data collection and limits youth rights
The settlement reduces young users' access to Meta products and limits their ability to exercise free expression and community participation. It requires age assurance on every product, leading to the collection of additional personal…
Moderate
Court ruling
Decided
France · Aug 26, 2026
French Constitutional Council strikes down law banning social media for under‑15s
France’s top court invalidated the legislation that prohibited people under 15 from using social media. The Council found the ban infringed freedom of expression and the right to private life by imposing mandatory age verification. The…
Low
Enforcement
Announced
Germany · Aug 26, 2026 · effective Aug 26, 2026
noyb sends cease‑and‑desist letter to SCHUFA over alleged ‘shadow database’ GDPR violations
In July 2026, the NGO noyb issued a cease‑and‑desist letter to German credit agency SCHUFA demanding it stop storing data beyond retention periods and provide full historical data under Article 15 GDPR. The organization warned it will seek…
EDPB · General Data Protection Regulation
Moderate
Guidance
Published
SG · Aug 25, 2026
PDPC publishes Advisory Guidelines on Personal Data in Generative AI at Singapore Data Festival
On July 20, 2026, Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Commission released its finalized Advisory Guidelines on the Use of Personal Data in Generative AI. The guidance clarifies the Publicly Available Exception for web‑scraping and…
Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) · EU AI Act
Low
Enforcement
Announced
EU-GB · Aug 21, 2026
EFF and civil groups urge Nottinghamshire Police to halt live facial recognition rollout
The Electronic Frontier Foundation and several civil‑society organisations wrote to Nottinghamshire Police in the UK demanding an immediate stop to the proposed roll‑out of live facial recognition (LFR). The letter cites concerns about…
Low
Enforcement
Announced
United States (federal) · Aug 19, 2026
Tech firms privately resist ICE subpoenas seeking user data
ICE has sent hundreds of subpoenas to large technology companies for subscriber information. Meta and Reddit have privately pushed back, questioning statutory authority and objecting to requests tied to protected activity. In some cases…
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement · 19 U.S.C. §1509
Low
Investigation
Announced
Global · Aug 19, 2026
EFF report finds mobile ad libraries may leak user location data
EFF released a new report highlighting how mobile ad libraries can cause apps to unintentionally expose users' location information. The investigation notes that this leakage can reveal intimate details about individuals and be exploited…
Low
Proposed bill
Proposed
Global · Aug 18, 2026
US federal age‑verification proposals KIDS Act and KOSA face privacy criticism over ZKP use
The article notes that federal proposals such as the KIDS Act and the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) are advancing despite concerns that zero‑knowledge proof (ZKP) based age‑verification systems threaten privacy and create centralized…
KIDS Act
Moderate
New law
Signed
New Jersey · Aug 18, 2026 · effective Aug 1, 2027
New Jersey Governor signs Fair Price Protection Act prohibiting surveillance pricing of groceries
On July 23, Governor Mikie Sherrill signed the Fair Price Protection Act (FPPA) (A4085/4523), which bans surveillance pricing for groceries and other foodstuffs. The law takes effect on August 1, 2027, includes a one‑year moratorium on new…
New Jersey Attorney General · FTC Act Section 5
Moderate
Court ruling
Decided
France · Aug 14, 2026
French Constitutional Council strikes down law banning under‑15s from social media
On 14 August 2026 the French Constitutional Council invalidated Article 1 of the Act that would have barred minors under 15 from accessing online social media. The Council found the ban disproportionate, lacking individual assessment, and…
European Commission · Digital Services Act
High
New law
Signed
New Jersey · Aug 12, 2026 · effective Sep 1, 2027
New Jersey enacts Age-Appropriate Design Code (A4015) signed by Governor Sherrill
On August 11, Governor Sherrill signed A4015, the New Jersey Age-Appropriate Design Code (NJAADC). The law, effective September 1, 2027, imposes safety defaults, bans dark patterns, and creates a private right of action. It applies to…
New Jersey Attorney General · Connecticut Data Privacy Act
