REGULATORY WATCH

Privacy, AI governance and data protection developments across the US and the EU, from regulators, legislatures and courts.

⚖️ Latest developments 🌐 Jurisdictions 📚 Law library
159
Last 30 days
24
High or critical
30
Enforcement actions
72
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Topic: targeted advertising · clear
102 developments
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
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
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…
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
Moderate Proposed bill In committee United States (federal) · Aug 5, 2026
Senate Commerce Committee to vote on four privacy‑invasive bills (KOSA, SCREEN Act, Youth AI Privacy Act, CHATBOT Act)
The Senate Commerce Committee will vote this week on four bills: KOSA, the SCREEN Act, the Youth AI Privacy Act, and the CHATBOT Act. The bills are presented as child‑protection measures but are criticized for creating new privacy and…
U.S. Senate Commerce Committee · KOSA
Moderate Proposed regulation Proposed European Union · Jun 23, 2026
EU Council scrapes Article 88b proposal to replace cookie banners with automated signal
The European Commission proposed adding Article 88b to the GDPR to replace cookie banners with an automated consent signal. On 18 June, the Council’s position paper removed the article, keeping the existing cookie banner regime. The change…
European Commission · General Data Protection Regulation
Low Enforcement Filed Austria · Jun 9, 2026
noyb files injunction against Austrian credit agency CRIF over GDPR violations
noyb, a state‑approved qualified entity, filed an injunction against CRIF to stop its alleged unlawful collection and scoring of personal data under the GDPR. The filing also suspends the limitation period and prepares a subsequent class…
EDPB · General Data Protection Regulation
Low Investigation Filed Norway (EEA) · Jun 3, 2026
Norwegian Consumer Council and noyb file complaint against Schibsted over “Pay or Okay” tracking scheme
The Norwegian Consumer Council and privacy NGO noyb have lodged a joint complaint with the Norwegian Data Protection Authority against Schibsted for its “Pay or Okay” system that forces users to pay to refuse tracking. The complaint argues…
Norwegian Data Protection Authority · General Data Protection Regulation
Moderate Fine In effect France · Mar 13, 2026
French court upholds €40M GDPR fine against Criteo
The French Data Protection Authority (CNIL) fined Criteo €40 million for GDPR violations, including lack of valid consent, transparency, and failures to honor erasure and access rights. In March 2026, the Conseil d’État rejected Criteo’s…
CNIL · General Data Protection Regulation
Moderate Lawsuit filed Filed European Union · Jan 28, 2026
noyb debunks 5 GDPR misconceptions on Data Protection Day
The article clarifies that the GDPR does not mandate cookie banners, that DPAs rarely impose fines, and that companies must obtain explicit consent for tracking. It also explains the limited scope of the right of access and counters claims…
EDPB · General Data Protection Regulation
Moderate Data protection authority action Decided Austria · Jan 27, 2026
Austrian DSB orders Microsoft to stop tracking school children with cookies
The Austrian Data Protection Authority ruled that Microsoft illegally installed tracking cookies on a pupil's device without consent. The authority ordered Microsoft to cease the use of those cookies within four weeks. The decision follows…
Austrian Data Protection Authority (DSB) · General Data Protection Regulation
Moderate Court ruling Decided Austria · Dec 18, 2025 · deadline Dec 31, 2025
Austrian Supreme Court orders Meta to give users full data access within 14 days
The Austrian Supreme Court ruled that Meta must provide a complete copy of all personal data to any user request within 14 days, including source, recipient and purpose information. The court also required Meta to obtain explicit opt‑in…
EDPB · General Data Protection Regulation
Low Guidance Published European Union · Dec 4, 2025
EDPB publishes first opinion on Pay or Okay, urging a three‑option consent model
In April 2024 the European Data Protection Board released its first opinion on Pay or Okay systems, recommending a third choice of "advertising, but no tracking" alongside pay and consent options. A noyb‑commissioned study shows that users…
European Data Protection Board
Moderate Proposed regulation Proposed European Union · Nov 11, 2025
Open letter warns EU Commission's Digital Omnibus draft could deregulate GDPR
Noyb, EDRi and the Irish Council for Civil Liberties sent an open letter to the European Commission criticizing a draft Digital Omnibus that would amend core GDPR provisions. The draft proposes redefining personal data, weakening data…
European Commission · General Data Protection Regulation
Moderate Fine In effect France · Sep 4, 2025
CNIL fines Google €325 million for unsolicited Gmail advertising
The French data protection authority CNIL has issued a decision siding with privacy NGO noyb and fined Google €325 million for sending unsolicited advertising emails to Gmail users without consent. The authority also ordered Google to stop…
CNIL · ePrivacy Directive
Moderate Court ruling Decided Austria · Aug 18, 2025
Austrian Federal Administrative Court rules DerStandard's "pay or okay" consent model illegal
The Austrian Federal Administrative Court (BVwG) confirmed the Data Protection Authority's finding that DerStandard violated the GDPR by offering a "pay or okay" choice. The court held that the newspaper did not obtain valid, granular…
Austrian Data Protection Authority (DSB) · General Data Protection Regulation
Moderate Court ruling Decided European Union · Jul 31, 2025
CJEU ruling C‑446/21 limits use of personal data for online advertising and repurposing publicly available data
The European Court of Justice issued ruling C‑446/21, fully backing a lawsuit against Meta's Facebook service. The court massively limits the use of personal data for online advertising and restricts the reuse of publicly available…
EDPB · General Data Protection Regulation
Moderate Guidance Announced European Union · Jul 24, 2025
Report flags 'Pay or Okay' consent‑bypass systems as violating GDPR free‑consent requirement
The noyb report documents the spread of “Pay or Okay” systems across Europe, where users must pay to refuse tracking, resulting in near‑universal consent rates that breach the GDPR’s freely‑given consent standard. It cites a July 2023 CJEU…
European Data Protection Board (EDPB) · General Data Protection Regulation
Low Lawsuit filed Filed Germany · Jun 17, 2025
noyb sues German DPAs over inactivity on ‘Pay or OK’ GDPR complaints
noyb filed complaints in August 2021 against news sites using ‘Pay or OK’ consent mechanisms, alleging they violate the GDPR’s freely given consent requirement. After nearly four years of inaction, the North Rhine‑Westphalia and Hesse data…
EDPB · General Data Protection Regulation
Moderate Enforcement Announced European Union · Jun 16, 2025
noyb warns Meta's planned WhatsApp ads may breach GDPR and DMA
noyb alleges that Meta's intention to serve ads on WhatsApp using personal data from Instagram and Facebook violates the GDPR and the EU Digital Markets Act. The organization says the proposed "Pay or Okay" model would not provide freely…
noyb · General Data Protection Regulation
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Coming up
Oct 2026
19
FCC proposes to modify system of records for National Deaf-Blind Equipment Distribution Program
United States (federal) · effective
Oct 2026
19
FCC modifies Lifeline Program system of records (FCC/WCB-1) under the Privacy Act
United States (federal) · effective
Oct 2026
26
Peace Corps announces new CRM system of records (PC 38) effective Oct 26, 2026
United States (federal) · effective
Oct 2026
28
HHS modifies ORR Unaccompanied Children system of records, effective Oct 28, 2026
United States (federal) · effective
Oct 2026
29
Italian Garante's tracking-pixel guidelines become effective Oct 29, 2026
Italy · effective
Oct 2026
29
Italian Garante's tracking-pixel guidelines become effective Oct 29, 2026
Italy · compliance deadline
Nov 2026
2
DOI establishes new matching program under Privacy Act of 1974
United States (federal) · effective
Nov 2026
5
Treasury exempts new tip intake records from certain Privacy Act provisions
United States (federal) · effective
Nov 2026
6
Treasury proposes new system of records for federal student aid data
United States (federal) · effective
Nov 2026
16
NARA proposes revisions to System of Records NARA 44 for reasonable accommodation requests
United States (federal) · effective
Nov 2026
24
Farm Credit Administration amends employee payroll system of records under Privacy Act, effective Nov 24, 2026
United States (federal) · effective
Dec 2026
20
AEPD launches call for articles for third issue of Revista PIT on GDPR and emerging regulations
Spain · compliance deadline
By jurisdiction
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Topics this month
privacy · 113security · 67ai governance · 53transparency · 34data minimization · 31children · 28profiling · 27automated decision making · 26consent · 21targeted advertising · 19access · 17data governance · 16