Children come at the top of the agenda

There is much emphasis on children’s privacy now in the EU. Some Member States are looking into children’s social media age restrictions, and the EU’s Special Panel on Child Safety Online aims to present a report with recommendations to the Commission President by summer 2026. The UK government has the same timeline for a response to its consultation on children’s digital wellbeing.

Meanwhile, the UK regulator fined Reddit £14.47 million for failing to properly check user ages and unlawful data processing. In the US, California’s authority has recently taken action against PlayOn Sports, digital ticketing and media platforms for high school athletics and activities, resulting in a $1.1 million penalty. 

The EU Digital Omnibus in currently being debated in Brussels. One  of the main issues is the proposed changes to the personal data concept.

It looks like the AI Omnibus could be an easier task to accomplish. However, as digital regulation has expanded in recent years, questions remain how authorities from data protection, AI, competition and consumer protection could cooperate more effectively. Many structures are already in place. It remains to be seen how the EU Commission’s AI Office will operate - one of the proposed measures in the AI Omnibus is to reinforce the AI Office’s powers but that should not affect the powers and competences of the national authorities.

Read about GDPR fines and whether they are effective. Outside of Europe, we report on important developments in India, Indonesia and Western Australia.

Laura Linkomies
Editor, Privacy Laws & Business

April 2026