Latest Worldwide Developments on Personal Data

Australia's social media ban remains a global model despite perceived lapses in early enforcement.

Despite reports of Australian teenagers still accessing social media two months after a ban was implemented on those under age 16, several global jurisdictions are introducing legislation that would institute a similar ban. France and Spain introduced bills to ban children under ages 15 and 16, respectively, from accessing social media while the U.K. government is holding public consultations that could result in a similar law. The U.S. is also in the mix, with the introduction of the Kids Off Social Media Act in the Senate in January. IAPP Staff Writer Alex LaCasse reports on the latest developments.

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Updated: Top 10 operational impacts of India's DPDPA — Comparative analysis with the GDPR and other major data privacy laws.

In the sixth installment of a newly updated 10-part series on the operational impacts of India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, Khaitan & Co. Partner Supratim Chakraborty and Associate Siddharth Sonkar, CIPP/E, compared the DPDPA against other global data protection frameworks. They explore various parallels and differences, with particular attention to how India's law stacks up against the EU General Data Protection Regulation.

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Most UK Data (Use and Access) Act provisions now online.

The U.K. Information Commissioner's Office said the remainder of the Data (Use and Access) Act protective provisions are in effect as of 5 Feb. One major requirement — that organizations have a complaints procedure in place — remains, and is expected to be in place by mid-June. The office published updated guidance on how to follow the design and by default requirements in the law and plans to have more information on compliance in time. Editor's note: Bird & Bird's Ruth Boardman, Emma Drake and Alex Jameson outlined how the DUAA reformed U.K. data protection law.

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CNIL issues guidance on data processing for research purposes.

France's data protection authority, the Commission nationale de l'informatique et des libertés, issued guidance for public researchers detailing when the authority should be contacted for its opinion of data processing during scientific research. The CNIL said it should be contacted for an opinion on research practices and security standards to ensure researchers are compliant with the EU General Data Protection Regulation if the research involves sensitive data or is important for public interest.

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ICO explains data protection complaint handling procedures.

The U.K. Information Commissioner's Office released information on how the authority navigates complaints and how individuals can file a data protection complaint. The ICO said it assesses complaints to determine the extent of the potential data protection violation and focuses its efforts on major security issues while aiming to provide solutions to those who file complaints within an appropriate time frame.

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EDPB releases report on global data protection enforcement.

The European Data Protection Board released its report detailing data protection enforcement cooperation from European Economic Area countries and countries with an EU adequacy decision. The report highlights data protection authorities' enforcement efforts and "whether, and to what extent, useful lessons can be drawn from the related cooperation frameworks in consumer protection and competition law."

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EDPB to hold workshop on cross-border regulatory cooperation.

The European Data Protection Board released a draft program for a 17 March workshop to discuss cross-border regulatory cooperation among EU member states. Keynote speeches are anticipated to be made by European Commission Executive Vice-President, Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen and Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Chair and MEP Javier Zarzalejos. Panels include a session discussing how the EU General Data Protection Regulation and Digital Services Act interact in practice.

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US court dismisses request for additional penalties in Google user tracking lawsuit.

The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California dismissed a class-action lawsuit request seeking additional compensation from Google over its alleged invasive advertising practices, Competition Policy International reports. Judge Richard Seeborg noted plaintiffs had already been awarded USD425 million, and did not show they experienced "prospective, irreparable harm" due to Google's alleged user tracking technology.

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European Commission seeks feedback for determining compensation under Data Act.

The European Commission opened a public consultation on draft guidelines for determining "reasonable compensation" under the Data Act. The guidelines will contain information of the Data Act's parameters so businesses can have a better understanding of their rights and obligations under the act. The consultation closes 20 Feb.

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Sweden's DPA details key priority areas for 2026.

Sweden's data protection authority, the Integritetsskyddsmyndigheten, outlined its three main priority areas for 2026. The IMY will focus its efforts on supervising AI use in the public sector, enhance its efforts to protect minors' personal data and learn more about how their data is used, and review tools used by law enforcement to ensure they uphold individuals' right to privacy.

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IAPP Weekly News 02.02.2026 - 06.02.2026