digital economy regulation

This edition features an EU General Court decision upholding Stripchat’s designation as a very large online platform under the Digital Services Act; a Cullen International cheat sheet on the EU Kids Act proposal and a report examining the interplay of the proposal with the AI Act; the launch of a European Commission pilot EU repository for online political advertisements; an EU Board of Media Services workshop on audience measurement; and a European Data Protection Board statement on data protection challenges posed by smart glasses. It also lists events taking place this week.

The guidelines address how data protection requirements apply to online platforms when implementing their obligations under the Digital Services Act (DSA). They provide practical guidance on specific activities undertaken by online platforms, such as content moderation, recommender systems and targeted advertising, and show that compliance with the DSA does not automatically ensure compliance with the GDPR. The DSA imposes stricter rules on the processing of personal data than the GDPR in some cases, notably by prohibiting targeted advertising based on profiling using special categories of personal data.

This Cullen International report examines the interplay between the proposed Kids Act and the AI Act, looking into the material scope of both regulatory instruments, the child-specific obligations on providers of AI systems, and the enforcement of the proposed Kids Act by competent authorities designated under the AI Act.

The Canadian Government presented Bill C-36 to update the current privacy framework applicable to private entities. The proposed Protecting Privacy and Consumer Data Act would expressly recognise privacy as a fundamental right while preserving organisations’ need to process data for appropriate purposes. The bill passed its first reading in the House of Commons in June 2026 but needs to pass the third reading stages in both the Commons and in the Senate before approval.

Canadian Bill C-8, the Act Respecting Cyber Security, received Royal Assent in June 2026. The act strengthened federal powers over telecoms security and created a critical cyber systems framework for federally regulated sectors. The legislation amends the Telecommunications Act and approved the Critical Cyber Systems Protection Act (CCSPA), which established cybersecurity obligations for designated operators in federally regulated critical sectors. The CCSPA is not yet in force and will be implemented in phases.

This edition features a piece of news about the rapporteur’s presentation of the draft report on the proposed Cybersecurity Act 2 to the members of the European Parliament (MEPs) lead Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) committee. It also lists events taking place this week.