Welcome to the July edition of Must‑know moves in data regulation. July brought a French social media ban, the largest copyright settlement ever and New Jersey’s data broker law. Below are the headline regulatory, litigation and enforcement changes shaping data compliance right now.

KEY UPDATES

23rd July 2026 | Regulation | New  

French lawmakers pass a social media ban, which immediately faces an appeal

On 22nd July 2026, French lawmakers voted to ban the use of social media for children under the age of 15, making it the first country in the European Union to introduce such an age limit. On 23rd July 2026, a group of more than 60 French lawmakers referred the social media law to the Constitutional Council, alleging that the ban infringes on the freedoms of expression and communication and the right to respect for private life.