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
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Last 30 days
19
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32
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Topic: data minimization · clear
20 developments
Low Lawsuit filed Filed United States (federal) · Oct 2, 2026
EPIC files amicus brief challenging Spirit Airlines' bankruptcy sale of employee data to Google
EPIC and Professor Seema Patel submitted an amicus brief in a bankruptcy case to contest Spirit Airlines' proposed $10 million sale of employee data to Google for AI training. The brief argues the sale lacks adequate privacy protections…
Low Court ruling In effect Utah · Oct 1, 2026
Federal judge blocks Utah's anti-VPN age‑verification law (SB 73) with preliminary injunction
A U.S. federal judge issued a preliminary injunction halting enforcement of Utah's SB 73, which required adult websites to block VPN users or determine their physical location for age verification. The court found the statute imposes a…
Utah SB 73
Low Court ruling Decided United States (federal) · Sep 15, 2026
Supreme Court hears challenge to DHS/SSA upgrades to SAVE database
The League of Women Voters and EPIC urged the Supreme Court to deny the administration’s emergency request to stay a Washington, D.C., federal judge’s summary judgment that set aside DHS and SSA upgrades to the Systematic Alien…
Moderate Lawsuit filed Filed Germany · Apr 30, 2026
noyb files lawsuit against Hamburg DPA over inaction on PimEyes biometric data case
noyb has filed a lawsuit against the Hamburg Data Protection Authority, alleging that the authority has failed to act on illegal biometric data processing by PimEyes. The DPA considers PimEyes' facial recognition practices illegal but…
Hamburg Data Protection Authority · 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
Low Lawsuit filed Filed Germany · Jan 28, 2026
noyb files lawsuit against Hamburg DPA over Pay or Okay case involving SPIEGEL
In 2024, privacy advocacy group noyb sued the Hamburg Data Protection Authority concerning a Pay or Okay implementation dispute with the German news magazine SPIEGEL. The case highlights concerns about DPA impartiality and enforcement…
Hamburg Data Protection Authority · 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 Class action Announced Austria · Jun 3, 2025
noyb seeks participants for potential GDPR class action against Austrian credit agency CRIF
noyb alleges that CRIF processes personal data of millions of Austrians to calculate credit scores based on age, gender and address, potentially violating the GDPR. The organization plans a scientific review and, if evidence supports it…
Austrian Data Protection Authority · General Data Protection Regulation
Moderate Court ruling Decided Germany · May 23, 2025
German Higher Regional Court denies interim injunction against Meta AI training
The Higher Regional Court of Cologne refused the interim injunction sought by Verbraucherzentrale NRW, which alleged Meta's AI training violates the GDPR by using user data without consent. The court's decision is limited to the interim…
Hamburg Data Protection Authority · General Data Protection Regulation
Moderate Court ruling Decided Ireland · Jan 29, 2025
EU General Court rules Irish DPC acted unlawfully for refusing to investigate noyb complaint
The EU General Court held that the Irish Data Protection Commission unlawfully refused to investigate a complaint filed by noyb. The court dismissed the DPC's claims against the European Data Protection Board. The case can now be appealed…
Irish Data Protection Commission · General Data Protection Regulation
Moderate Court ruling Decided European Union · Dec 7, 2023
CJEU rules automated credit scoring violates GDPR and expands judicial review of DPAs
The Court of Justice of the European Union issued two judgments: one confirming national courts can fully review DPA decisions, and another finding that automatically calculated credit scores breach Article 22 GDPR. The rulings require…
EDPB · General Data Protection Regulation
Low Lawsuit filed Filed DE-HE · Oct 24, 2023
Acxiom sues German DPA to block noyb’s access to GDPR complaint files
Acxiom filed an interim injunction request with the Wiesbaden Administrative Court to prevent the Hessian data protection authority from granting noyb access to the case file concerning its alleged illegal sale of personal data to CRIF.…
Hessian Data Protection Authority · General Data Protection Regulation
Moderate Court ruling Decided Germany · Jul 4, 2023
CJEU rules Meta must rely on consent for advertising, limiting GDPR bypass attempts
The Court of Justice of the EU held that Meta may only process personal data for core services and must obtain freely given consent for advertising and data sharing. The judgment rejects Meta's reliance on contractual necessity and…
EDPB · General Data Protection Regulation
Moderate Court ruling Decided Austria · Mar 17, 2023
Austrian Federal Administrative Court allows mobile providers to refuse access requests for location data without proof of exclusive use
The Austrian Federal Administrative Court (BVwG) ruled that A1 Telekom Austria may deny a data subject's request for traffic and location data unless the subject can prove exclusive use of the phone. The court deemed location data…
EDPB · General Data Protection Regulation
Low Appeal Filed Austria · Nov 15, 2021
noyb appeals Austrian DPA decision on cell‑phone location and traffic data to Federal Administrative Court
noyb filed a notice of appeal with Austria's Federal Administrative Court against the DSB's decision that A1 may refuse to provide location and traffic data to a user. The DSB argued the data are not personal because a third party could…
Austrian Data Protection Authority (DSB) · General Data Protection Regulation
Moderate Court ruling Decided Austria · Jul 20, 2021
Austrian Supreme Court refers Facebook case to CJEU over consent vs contract and awards €500 symbolic damages
The Austrian Supreme Court (OGH) referred four questions to the Court of Justice of the EU concerning Facebook's reliance on contract instead of consent under the GDPR. In a partial judgment, the court awarded Max Schrems €500 for lack of…
EDPB · General Data Protection Regulation
Moderate Court ruling Pending Austria · Mar 14, 2021
Austrian Supreme Court to consider referral of Facebook GDPR consent bypass case
The Austrian Supreme Court (OGH) has been asked to refer a case concerning Facebook's alleged bypass of GDPR consent rules to the CJEU. The dispute centers on Facebook's claim that a contractual duty to provide personalized advertising…
EDPB · General Data Protection Regulation
Moderate Court ruling Pending Austria · Feb 26, 2020
Vienna Regional Court closes oral hearing in GDPR case against Facebook, judgment pending
The Vienna Regional Court for Civil Matters (LGfZRS) ended a nine‑hour oral hearing in a data‑protection lawsuit against Facebook. The court will issue a written judgment in the coming months and the case is expected to be appealed to…
EDPB · General Data Protection Regulation
Low Lawsuit filed Filed Ireland · Dec 18, 2019
Irish DPC files lawsuit against Facebook and Max Schrems over validity of SCCs
The Irish Data Protection Commissioner filed a lawsuit against Facebook and Max Schrems in the Irish High Court to refer the dispute on Standard Contractual Clauses to the CJEU. The case concerns whether SCCs can be used when US…
Irish Data Protection Commissioner · Standard Contractual Clauses
Low Court ruling Pending Austria · Oct 16, 2018
Austrian bank appeals DPA decision on GDPR access fee
The Austrian Data Protection Authority ruled that a customer must be granted access to his bank account details under the GDPR. The bank appealed, arguing that banking regulations permit a €30 annual fee for information not available…
Austrian Data Protection Authority · General Data Protection Regulation
Coming up
Oct 2026
13
FHFA proposes to rescind SORN FHFA-12 and consolidate records under SORN FHFA-11
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
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
Jan 2027
1
Colorado governor signs SB 26-189, revising AI Act to regulate ADMT in employment
Colorado · effective
Jan 2027
1
NY Attorney General urges workers to file whistleblower complaints on unsafe AI development
New York · effective
Jan 2027
1
Delaware Governor signs HB 380, amending the DPDPA effective Jan 1 2027
Delaware · effective
Jan 2027
1
California Legislature passes SB 690 to limit pen register lawsuits under CIPA
California · effective
Jan 2027
1
Colorado AI Act (SB 26-189, replacing SB 24-205)
Colorado · law takes effect
By jurisdiction
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Topics this month
privacy · 107security · 59ai governance · 46transparency · 29data minimization · 27children · 26profiling · 24automated decision making · 22cybersecurity · 16consent · 14targeted advertising · 14data governance · 13