Latest Worldwide Developments on Personal Data

European Commission opens Digital Fairness Act consultation.

The European Commission is soliciting feedback on digital regulation gaps that can be addressed through the proposed Digital Fairness Act. The initiative is looking specifically at unfair commercial practices related to dark patterns, misleading marketing from influencers, addictive designs and personalization practices. The deadline for feedback is 9 Oct.

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Guidelines published for protecting children online under DSA.

The European Commission published guidelines containing a "non-exhaustive list of proportionate and appropriate measures" for protecting children online under Article 28 of the Digital Services Act. The guidelines include setting minor users' accounts to private by default, changing algorithms' recommender systems so harmful content is less likely to be served to children, disabling the ability for users to download or take screenshots of content uploaded by children and introducing reporting tools.

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New Zealand's OPC urges improved password management.

Privacy Commissioner of New Zealand Michael Webster is urging residents to strengthen user passwords to protect online accounts and personal information. Webster advised that using a password manager and creating unique logins can deter hackers and prevent password spraying, which is when one password is tried on several different accounts after gaining access.

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China launches national digital ID system.

China rolled out a national online identification system which purports to mask a person's identity when verifying accounts, the South China Morning Post reports. Some legal professionals indicated the voluntary system is a step toward creating a more centralized surveillance system when many users are already required to register online under their real names.

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Bill to allow Austria's law enforcement to monitor suspects' messages advances.

Austria's National Council passed a bill to enable law enforcement agencies to monitor certain suspects' activities on messaging platforms, Euractiv reports. Despite concerns the legislation could lead to unnecessary surveillance, if the bill is passed by the Federal Council, it would allow only serious criminal threats to be monitored.

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Denmark's digital minister pushes for common age verification practices.

Denmark Minister of Digital Affairs Caroline Stage Olsen said her country and five others will be working on a national age verification system alongside the European Commission. She said any solution will be easy for large online platforms to adopt, arguing they have plenty of resources to adapt their products.

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NOYB files data access complaints against Chinese apps.

Privacy rights group NOYB filed three EU General Data Protection Regulation complaints against Chinese apps and websites for allegedly not producing data access requests filed by the organization, Euractiv reports. The claims against TikTok, AliExpress and WeChat were individually filed in Greece, Belgium and the Netherlands, respectively.

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Garante publishes 2024 annual report.

Italy's data protection authority, the Garante, released its annual report outlining 2024 activities. The report delves into the enforcement work done around AI, biometrics and online protection of minors. The agency noted complaints about sexually explicit images being released without consent tripled from the previous year.

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ICO releases annual performance, accountability report.

The U.K. Information Commissioner's Office released its 2024-2025 annual report detailing its activities, financial statements and how its business was conducted. The report reflects on how privacy has changed since the ICO was founded 40 years ago.

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Ireland's High Court allows TikTok to appeal DPC's data transfer fine.

Ireland's High Court granted TikTok's ability to pursue a legal appeal of the 530 million euro fine issued by the Data Protection Commission for allegedly transferring EU users' personal data to China, The Journal reports. Per the High Court's order, a stay was issued against the DPC's decision that also barred TikTok from transferring data to China if it did not meet EU transparency requirements within six months.

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IAPP Weekly News 14.07.2025 - 18.07.2025