Specialist news and analysis on legal risk and regulation

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Data Privacy and Security

November 05, 2026 | Mike Swift

North America

DROP climbing in data broker deletions, Calif. privacy regulator data shows

Antitrust, Data Privacy and Security, DealRisk®, Mergers and Acquisitions, Technology

November 04, 2026 | Khushita Vasant

North America

White House to withdraw MacNeil's US FTC nomination, pivot to Mufarrige
Close-up of a hundred-dollar bill with a red rectangular label featuring raised white letters spelling out tariffs and placed diagonally across the portrait.

Trade

November 04, 2026 | Bradley Dress, Zack Budryk

North America

US Democratic election wins set up oversight of trade policy next year

Antitrust View More

Big Tech faces scrutiny in Japan over business practices, AI data use

November 05, 2026 | Sachiko Sakamaki

Asia

Google, Meta Platforms and other major technology companies face calls to improve complaint handling, explain account suspensions and provide greater transparency over their dealings with Japanese businesses as Japan prepa...(read more)

Australian TV networks ask watchdog to review draft Meta content-scraping policy

November 05, 2026 | Sean Maguire

Oceania

Free TV Australia has asked the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission to "urgently: review Meta Platforms’ proposed content-scraping terms, arguing they could breach misuse of market power laws and provisions on unf...(read more)

Kakao Mobility's appeal of KFTC dominance-abuse sanction nears conclusion

November 05, 2026 | Wooyoung Lee

Asia

Kakao Mobility’s appeal against the South Korean competition regulator’s sanctions over alleged abuse of market dominance is nearing a conclusion, with the Seoul High Court seeking to hear final oral arguments in January. ...(read more)

Artificial Intelligence View More

Huawei, Tencent back AI agent pact on safety, user control

November 05, 2026 | MLex staff

Asia

Huawei, Tencent and Alibaba are among 20 Chinese companies and institutions backing a voluntary pact to strengthen AI agent safeguards and preserve users' control over key decisions, as the industry seeks to make the syste...(read more)

South Korea to overhaul financial cybersecurity amid growing AI threats

November 05, 2026 | Choonsik Yoo

Asia

South Korea plans to overhaul its financial-sector cybersecurity framework to strengthen defenses against growing AI-related threats, after 37 financial companies reported hacking incidents involving 473,000 cases of data ...(read more)

Capgemini-led consortium selected to assess AI cyber risks for EU AI Office

November 05, 2026

Europe

MLex Summary: The European Commission’s AI Office has selected a Capgemini-led consortium to assess cybersecurity risks posed by advanced general-purpose AI models, and to support enforcement of the AI Act. The consortium,...(read more)

Mergers and Acquisitions View More

Co-op-Southern deal remedies accepted by UK antitrust watchdog

November 05, 2026

Europe

MLex Summary: Co-operative Group’s offer to divest 15 convenience stores and two funeral homes — to ease UK antitrust concerns over its acquisition of Southern Co-operative — has been accepted by the watchdog following a r...(read more)

Air France-KLM has offered EU remedies for SAS takeover, aims for Q1 2027 closing

November 05, 2026 | Jean Comte

Europe

Air France-KLM's chief executive officer said on Thursday that the company's intended takeover of Scandinavian airlines should close in the first quarter of next year, "assuming the remedy package that we put in front of t...(read more)

UPM and Sappi offer EU remedies for paper joint venture

November 05, 2026 | Anna Lauwereys and Nicholas Hirst

Europe

Papermakers UPM and Sappi have made a series of concessions, including green investment promises, in a bid to ease EU competition concerns over their planned joint venture. In response, the European Commission pushed back ...(read more)

Data Privacy and Security View More

EU privacy watchdogs must uphold complainants’ data access rights, ECJ rules

November 05, 2026 | Sara Brandstätter

Europe

People who lodge complaints with EU privacy watchdogs must, in principle, be granted access under the GDPR to the personal data that those authorities process about them and information about that processing, the EU Court ...(read more)

Grid operators don’t need to offer conventional meters, EU judges rule

November 05, 2026 | Júlia Tar

Europe

Electricity grid operators aren’t required under EU law to offer conventional meters to customers who refuse smart meters, the EU Court of Justice ruled on Thursday in a case involving Netz Niederösterreich. Consent requir...(read more)

Websites should not owe damages for induced data law breaches, EU court says

November 05, 2026

Europe

MLex Summary: Website operators should not owe damages for non-material harm where individuals knowingly, automatically and repeatedly provoke EU data protection law violations to get compensation, an EU court legal opinio...(read more)

Intellectual Property View More

Bosch wins litigation costs as Shanghai court upholds malicious-lawsuit finding

November 05, 2026 | MLex Staff

Asia

A Shanghai court ruling involving German engineering company Bosch shows how companies can recover costs from abusive intellectual property litigation through counterclaims, outlining criteria for identifying malicious law...(read more)

BMW blocks ‘BMV’ trademark over risk of unfair advantage

November 05, 2026 | Inbar Preiss

Europe

BMW has defeated a battery-monitor maker’s bid to register “BMV” as an EU trademark. Judges found the name could benefit unfairly from the carmaker’s reputation, showing how famous brands can secure protection beyond their...(read more)

Incyte wins Indian patent injunction just weeks before expiration

November 05, 2026 | Freny Patel

Asia

US biopharma major Incyte secured an Indian injunction against Melody Healthcare just 11 weeks before its ruxolitinib patent’s expiration. The Delhi High Court ruling highlights the availability of interim protection again...(read more)

Financial Crime View More

Canada introduces anti-money laundering legislation

November 04, 2026

North America

MLex Summary: Canada's government introduced the Combatting Financial Crimes and Drug Trafficking Act, which would create new ministerial powers to address abuses of money services businesses and restrict large cash transa...(read more)

Indian maritime network sanctioned by US for fraud supporting Iran

November 04, 2026

North America

MLex Summary: The US Treasury Department said it has sanctioned the criminal network of India-based Suniel Kumar Sharma and his spouse, Jaspreet Preeti Shahid, who have supported Iran’s shadow fleet through a web of mariti...(read more)

Smartmatic vindictiveness claim against US government backed by evidence, judge says

November 04, 2026 | Samuel Rubenfeld

Asia, North America

A US judge will review documents related to how the government decided to charge Smartmatic with corruption, after ruling late Tuesday that there's “some evidence” supporting the voting machine producer’s claim that it's t...(read more)

Financial Services View More

EU venture capital framework revamp expected by summer 2027

November 05, 2026 | Fanny Roux

Europe

A European Commission legislative proposal to boost the bloc's venture and growth capital markets is expected by summer 2027. It would include an initiative initially scheduled for 2026 as part of the broader Savings and I...(read more)

PNB Banka loses ECJ appeal over Single Resolution Board's no-resolution decision

November 05, 2026

Europe

MLex Summary: Latvian bank PNB Banka has lost its legal dispute at the EU Court of Justice against the Single Resolution Board over its collapse in 2019. The lender had sought to overturn a lower court ruling upholding the...(read more)

US OCC's AI guide says examiners should inspect banks' existing risk categories

November 04, 2026 | Neil Roland

North America

US bank examiners looking at AI risk should inspect an institution’s existing risk categories, such as operational, compliance and credit threats, rather than a "separate and distinct" risk category, according to the Offic...(read more)

Trade View More

Businesses see delay of EU forced-labor risk database as commission checks evidence

November 05, 2026 | Cynthia Kroet

Europe

Businesses face a longer wait for an EU database identifying forced-labor risks in products and regions, as the European Commission is in the process of checking the underlying evidence for the entries. The commission said...(read more)

Zhejiang should lose retroactive solar-duty challenge, EU court opinion says

November 05, 2026 | Karoline Del Vecchio

Europe

Chinese solar-panel maker Zhejiang Sunflower Great Health and EU importer Sunowe Solar should lose their legal challenge to retroactive duties imposed on Chinese solar-panel imports, according to a non-binding opinion for ...(read more)

Supply-chain diversification, energy initiatives slated for EU's December agenda

November 05, 2026

Europe

MLex Summary: The EU’s planned supply-chain diversification tool —  DiversifyEU — is scheduled to be unveiled on Dec. 9, according to the European Commission’s latest draft agenda. The EU executive also plans to present it...(read more)

State Aid View More

KLM’s €3.4bn state aid case will return to General Court for fresh review

November 05, 2026 | Nicholas Hirst

Europe

Dutch airline KLM was the sole beneficiary of a loan and bank guarantees worth a total of €3.4 billion from its national government during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the EU’s top judges, who upheld arguments made ...(read more)

Overgaard Gods should repay aid on permitted water volumes, EU legal opinion says

November 05, 2026

Europe

MLex Summary: Danish company Overgaard Gods should repay unlawful state aid based on permitted groundwater extraction volumes rather than actual use, according to a non-binding legal opinion published for the bloc's top co...(read more)

Condor wins appeal over annulled Covid bailout at EU’s top court

November 05, 2026

Europe

MLex Summary: German airline Condor has won its appeal against the annulment of €321 million in German restructuring aid due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with the EU's top court overturning a lower court ruling on Thursday. J...(read more)

Energy View More

Nord Stream 2 operator loses appeal against EU gas-market rules

November 05, 2026

Europe

MLex Summary: EU gas-market rules covering pipelines from outside the bloc remain in force, after Nord Stream 2 lost its appeal at the EU’s highest court on Thursday. The Court of Justice upheld the dismissal of the operat...(read more)

EU lawmakers back weaker car emissions targets, partly aligning with France, Germany

November 04, 2026 | Louis de Briant

Europe

European Parliament lawmakers backed weaker CO2 emissions targets for new cars and vans Wednesday, partly aligning with demands from France and Germany to ease EU automotive rules. The proposals would allow certain renewab...(read more)

EU energy tax reform remains on the table, European Commission says

November 04, 2026 | Louis de Briant

Europe

A European Commission plan to reform energy taxation remains under discussion by EU member states, despite being listed for withdrawal in an earlier draft of the EU executive's 2027 work program, the commission has said. T...(read more)

Technology View More

UK regulator accused of ‘minimalist’ implementation of online safety law

November 04, 2026 | Imogen Howse

Europe

Regulator Ofcom has been accused of taking a "minimalist" approach to implementing the UK's Online Safety Act. During a parliamentary session examining the impact of the law, witnesses said Ofcom was not using the full sco...(read more)

US House Science Committee ranking member calls on Congress to regulate AI

November 04, 2026

North America

MLex Summary: California Representative Zoe Lofgren, the US House Science Committee ranking member, who will be seeking the chairmanship next year when Democrats control the House, said Congress needs to stop politicizing ...(read more)

US House Commerce Committee Democrats promise to rein in Big Tech after election

November 04, 2026

North America

MLex Summary: US House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr., who is set to take charge of the committee once the Democratic majority is sworn in this January, said the committee's priority is to ...(read more)