UK tech, AI and online safety regulation pose pressing questions for Burnham
July 20, 2026
| Imogen Howse and Patricia Figueiredo
As Andy Burnham takes power in the UK, he faces immediate tech policy questions. Reports that he could fold the technology ministry into a larger business department have alarmed tech advocates, while question... (more story)
Meta faces two more jury trials over US consumer harm in coming weeks
July 17, 2026
| Madeline Hughes and Maria Dinzeo
In the wake of two landmark trials against Meta Platforms this year, two additional juries are soon to decide if the social media giant's design choices harmed Instagram users, as jury selection in the Tenness... (more story)
Kickoff for cloud giants' new UK oversight regime spotlights its novel approach
July 17, 2026
| Maciej Boguslawski
Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, Microsoft and Oracle have, as expected, become the first cloud companies in the UK to be designated as “critical” by UK financial regulators, who are looking ever closer at t... (more story)
States say 25 million US children use Facebook, Instagram, as trial looms
July 16, 2026
| Mike Swift and Xu Yuan
California and 28 other states claim more than 25 million US children under 13 use Facebook and Instagram, estimates central to a trial beginning Aug. 12 seeking more than $1 trillion from Meta Platforms. Meta... (more story)
Google’s commercial partnership review may void YouTube liability shield, ECJ says (update*)
July 16, 2026
| Matthew Newman
Google may not be able to rely on the hosting liability exemption under the EU's E-Commerce Directive after reviewing a YouTube creator's channel before entering into a commercial partnership, the EU's highest... (more story)
US high court's Chatrie decision further protects Americans' digital data
July 15, 2026
| Madeline Hughes
A US Supreme Court's decision that precise geolocation information "is 'not truly shared'" with a third party dealt a blow to decisions from the 1970s that have allowed companies to share information with law ... (more story)
UK social media ban risks stop-start regulation, former ICO deputy says
July 14, 2026
| Patricia Figueiredo
Social media platforms could face a stop-start UK regulatory regime unless the planned under-16s ban is aligned with the Online Safety Act, the former Deputy Information Commissioner told MLex. Steve Wood said... (more story)
Beyond Bias: The expanding legal risks around AI hiring tools
July 14, 2026
| Amy Miller
AI-powered employment tools are facing growing legal scrutiny as courts move beyond questions of algorithmic bias to examine governance, transparency and accountability. Recent litigation over the tools is pus... (more story)