January 2026

On his last day in office, January 20, 2026, former New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed an amendment to the New Jersey Data Privacy Act, A5017. The bill amends the state’s comprehensive privacy law to add new data- and entity-level exemptions and to expand the definition of de-identified data. The amendment took effect immediately.…

Following a trend from the past few years, several states have introduced bills related to genetic privacy in recent months. These bills have focused on a range of issues, including the privacy practices of direct-to-consumer (“DTC”) genetic testing companies, the national security implications of “foreign adversaries” accessing genetic information, and other topics related to genetic…

In late December 2025, the FCC updated its “Covered List” to add foreign-produced unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), commonly known as drones, and their critical components after an Executive Branch interagency body determined that they pose “unacceptable risks to the national security of the United States and to the safety and security of U.S. persons.” Subsequently,…

Germany has kicked off a new Pharma and MedTech Dialogue that aims to develop new policies and regulatory reform proposals to re‑establish Germany as a competitive, innovation‑friendly location for life sciences R&D and manufacturing. The outcome of this dialogue shall be the basis for a new German Pharma and MedTech Strategy.

I. The Pharma &…

On January 21, 2026, the FCC’s Media Bureau released a Public Notice providing new guidance on how it will evaluate whether broadcast television stations have triggered an obligation to provide “equal opportunities” to political candidates under Section 315 of the Communications Act.  

The FCC’s equal opportunities rule generally says that if a station gives…

In 2025, courts continued to issue significant decisions concerning the application of wiretap and privacy laws to pixels, session replay, and other website technologies. Over the past year, we have featured posts discussing claims regarding website analytics and advertising tools brought under the federal Wiretap Act, the California Invasion of Privacy Act (“CIPA”), the Video Privacy Protection Act…

On 16 December 2025, the European Commission presented the Automotive Package (the “Package”), a set of interlinked legislative and policy initiatives aimed at supporting the European automotive sector’s transition to clean mobility. The Package has four core components: (i) a proposal to revise the CO₂ emission performance standards for cars and vans, (ii) the so-called…

As 2026 gets underway, the European Union enters a pivotal year for data protection, AI governance, and cybersecurity regulation, among other matters. EU institutions and national authorities are expected to progress a number of significant digital‑policy files, roll‑out new cyber‑resilience obligations, and make transparency in the privacy space a top priority. Below is an overview…

On 20 January, the UK Government announced a consultation on planned reforms to the UK’s merger and markets regime. Key proposed changes include narrowing certain jurisdictional thresholds, centralising Phase II decision-making within the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) Board through removal of the Phase II independent panel (CMA Panel), and the introduction of a new…