Standards bodies and regulators quietly decide what becomes mandatory long before it reaches a press release. This category follows DRM and anti-piracy enforcement, codec licensing and patent pools, AI training-data copyright, and net neutrality and privacy rules shaping the industry.
The Council of AI has published an IETF experimental draft defining 'measurement capsules,' a JSON-based format for recording discrepancies between declared and observed data in SCITT-based supply chains. This protocol facilitates independent, authority-free verification of claims within streaming and software supply chain ecosystems.
An investigation by the Liverpool Echo highlights the proliferation of non-consensual, covertly filmed videos of women on major social media platforms, raising concerns about platform moderation and the misuse of wearable technology. The report calls for increased accountability for platforms regarding content moderation and the mitigation of misogynistic abuse enabled by digital tools.
TikTok has agreed to a 100 million dollar settlement with the state of Alabama to resolve a lawsuit alleging the platform's algorithm negatively impacts youth mental health. The agreement mandates the implementation of new safety features, including non-personalized content feeds, time limits, and restricted night-time usage for teenage users.
The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) has released TR 104 171, a technical report providing implementation guidelines for Quantum Random Number Generators (QRNG). The document introduces an Entropy Zero Trust (EZT) framework to address hardware vulnerabilities and side-channel attacks in cryptographic entropy sources.
NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association have filed legal arguments with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to maintain a block on Texas law HB 18. The law, which mandates content filtering for minors, is being challenged on First Amendment grounds and the protections provided by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act.
The UK High Court ruled in Svella v Virgin Media that implied duties of good faith are not automatically applicable to long-term relational contracts. The decision clarifies that courts will prioritize express contractual terms over implied duties, requiring parties to explicitly define collaboration and transparency obligations in their agreements.
The European Economic and Social Committee has adopted an opinion recommending revisions to the EU's Cloud and AI Development Act. The proposed changes focus on infrastructure financing, environmental impact assessments, and public procurement criteria to reduce reliance on non-European providers.
The FCC has granted one-year expedited waivers to CTIA and USTelecom, allowing their members to perform necessary hardware modifications on consumer broadband routers. These waivers address supply chain constraints and component shortages that have impacted router manufacturing since the FCC's March ban on certain foreign-made devices.
A workshop report from the Association for Computing Machinery examines the dual-edged nature of AI in workplace accessibility, noting that while tools like captioning and alt-text generation offer benefits, they also introduce risks regarding privacy, accountability, and the potential for systemic discrimination. The report calls for participatory auditing and a diverse range of accommodation options to ensure AI does not become a substitute for inclusive design and collective responsibility.
Industry leaders and government officials met at the UN Security Council to discuss the security risks of advanced AI. Despite warnings from tech executives regarding the dangers of uncoordinated development, the U.S. and China continue to prioritize competitive AI advancement over unified global regulation.
Creotech Quantum has received European Commission approval for its eCAUSIS project, transitioning its DV-QKD platform from R&D to commercial production. The company plans to manufacture up to 10,000 units annually to support secure communication networks across Europe.
Major advertising industry groups are challenging an FTC proposal that would require disclosure of personalized pricing, arguing the current language is too vague. The organizations warn that the policy could lead to over-notification and negatively impact routine business practices like personalized discounts.
Researchers at Group-IB have identified a new Android banking trojan, RemControl, which uses Accessibility Services to gain remote control over devices and steal credentials. The malware, which targets over 30 banking institutions, was developed using AI to build its command and control infrastructure and is currently distributed via fake IPTV application updates.
A review of 130 political TV ads by AdImpact indicates that candidates across the US political spectrum are increasingly using anti-AI and anti-data center messaging. The trend highlights growing grassroots opposition to AI infrastructure, specifically regarding energy consumption, water usage, and land development, which may complicate future data center expansion efforts.
Senator Chris Murphy has introduced the IRL Act, which proposes a graduated federal excise tax of up to 50% on algorithmic digital advertising revenue for large social media platforms. The legislation specifically excludes traditional media outlets, potentially altering the competitive landscape for advertising budgets between digital platforms and broadcasters.
The UK Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights has released a report criticizing the current AI regulatory framework as patchy and confused. The committee urges the government to ratify the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence to better address risks related to privacy, discrimination, and legal remedies.
The California legislature has passed a compromise version of SB-690, which maintains the private right of action under the California Invasion of Privacy Act (CIPA). This legislative decision shifts the burden of privacy compliance for streaming and ad-tech companies from regulatory oversight to potential jury-focused litigation regarding online data collection practices.
The UK government is evaluating a proposal to replace the annual £180 television licence fee with a £132 broadband levy. This potential policy shift aims to modernize public service broadcasting funding as consumption moves from linear to internet-delivered content, though it raises concerns regarding digital inclusion and administrative burdens for ISPs.
The IEEE has honored Benjamin Bross, Jens-Rainer Ohm, and Gary J. Sullivan for their leadership in developing the HEVC (H.265) video coding standard. The standard, which provides a 50% bit rate reduction over AVC, is now utilized in over 96% of consumer video products and supports global streaming and broadcast infrastructure.
Senator Ron Wyden has requested a legal opinion from FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez regarding the legality of an all-Republican FCC commission. The inquiry centers on whether the Communications Act requires political balance, warning that a partisan commission could lead to the invalidation of critical industry actions like license renewals and spectrum transfers.
Liberties has formally requested that EU Member States reject proposed provisions in the Data Omnibus that would exempt AI companies from existing data protection regulations. The organization argues that these exemptions would grant Big Tech firms broad access to personal data for model training, undermining privacy rights across the European Union.
The European Broadcasting Union has submitted formal recommendations to the European Commission regarding the upcoming AI Strategy for the Cultural and Creative Sectors. The EBU advocates for policies covering AI training data transparency, copyright protection, and a balanced implementation of the EU AI Act to support public service media.
The Marketing Association of Australia is reviewing its Code of Ethics to establish clearer guidelines for AI-generated content and synthetic media in advertising. Industry stakeholders are advocating for standardized disclosure requirements that align with Australian Consumer Law to maintain transparency and trust.
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada has officially rescheduled the auction for 26 GHz and 38 GHz mmWave spectrum to January 25, 2028. The update includes a revised timeline for all licensing, application, and mock auction milestones for the affected bands.
The IETF has published a draft standard proposing a 'zone cut to nowhere' mechanism for the DNS. This protocol update allows administrators to signal the existence of private child zones within a parent namespace, preventing DNSSEC-aware resolvers from incorrectly caching negative responses.
Sisvel hosted its annual Connect 2026 conference in Barcelona, gathering over 250 IP professionals to discuss standardization trends in 6G, Wi-Fi, and the AV2 codec. The event focused on the role of patent pools, FRAND licensing transparency, and the integration of AI tools within intellectual property workflows.
A bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers has introduced the Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act, which proposes a 20 percent base federal tax credit for domestic film and television production. The bill, which allows for stacking with state incentives and includes postproduction and VFX labor costs, aims to curb the migration of production overseas.
Article 50 of the EU AI Act, which mandates transparency for AI-generated or manipulated content, is now enforceable for broadcasters and production companies. The regulation requires clear disclosure for deepfakes and AI-generated informational content, prompting industry adoption of provenance standards like C2PA and watermarking technologies such as SynthID.
Disney has filed a lawsuit against the FCC, alleging that Chairman Brendan Carr used the threat of license non-renewal for ABC-owned stations to retaliate against the company for its content decisions. The case centers on the extent of the FCC's regulatory authority over broadcast licensing and its potential impact on editorial independence.
The U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce has advanced two bills, including the Data BRIDGE Act, which aims to improve rural broadband deployment by integrating USDA cropland data into FCC mapping efforts. The committee also advanced the Strategic Task Force on Scam Prevention Act to address fraud targeting consumers.
Paramount and California officials defended their antitrust settlement in court as the studio prepares to raise $44.4 billion in debt to fund its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The merger faces ongoing scrutiny regarding its $80 billion debt load and potential impacts on cable distribution and market competition.
Poland is advancing legislative proposals to mandate age verification for pornography sites and restrict minor access to social media platforms. These regulatory efforts, which include potential integration with the EU Digital Identity Wallet, signal a tightening compliance landscape for digital service providers operating in the region.
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna has introduced the Foreign Propaganda Disclosure Act, a bipartisan bill that would explicitly classify monetized social media influencers as publicity agents under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). The proposal aims to increase transparency regarding foreign influence disseminated through digital creators and modern communications platforms.
Administrators of the SCP Foundation wiki are challenging A24 and production partners over the use of their lore in a planned V/H/S franchise film. The dispute centers on the project's potential violation of the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license, which mandates open distribution and prohibits traditional DRM.
Verizon and Charter have committed to specific broadband pricing and service conditions for low-income households as part of recent merger approvals in California. The NCTA is simultaneously challenging the legality of state-level rate regulation, arguing it conflicts with federal telecommunications policy.
Congressman Darrell Issa has introduced the American Copyright Protection Act, which would empower copyright holders to petition federal courts for ISP-level blocking of foreign piracy websites. The legislation is backed by a coalition of major industry groups, including the Motion Picture Association and the Recording Industry Association of America.
The Regional Court Munich has granted Yangtze Memory Technologies (YMTC) two injunctions against Micron regarding 3D NAND flash memory technology. This ruling is part of a broader, multi-jurisdictional legal dispute involving patents and utility models across Germany, the US, the UK, and the Unified Patent Court.
The FCC has released a draft order that would exempt most wireless and satellite infrastructure projects from environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act, provided they do not require Antenna Structure Registration. If adopted, the change would significantly reduce the regulatory burden for infrastructure deployment while maintaining existing requirements for historic preservation and RF exposure.
The European Commission is increasingly using the Digital Markets Act to regulate gatekeeper platforms like Google and Apple, focusing on interoperability and anti-steering rules. This regulatory shift targets how dominant platforms use their rulemaking power to influence market access and competitive neutrality across digital ecosystems.
Rohde & Schwarz and Qualcomm have completed the first 3GPP conformance test verification for the Switched Search Space Set (SSSG) power-saving feature for 5G NR. This milestone validates protocol compliance for the feature introduced in 3GPP Release 17 and provides feedback to the RAN5 standardization group to improve future test specifications.
The OpenID Foundation has certified the first fourteen organizations for their implementations of OpenID4VP and OpenID4VCI using the High Assurance Interoperability Profile. This certification provides a standardized, public record of compliance for digital identity systems, helping governments and relying parties verify security and interoperability.
The Federal Trade Commission has issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to investigate whether digital platforms' ad-optimization tools facilitate impersonation scams. The agency is seeking public comment on potential new regulations to hold platforms accountable for the role their targeting services play in enabling fraudulent advertising.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed SB 1050, a new law requiring clear disclosure for prominent AI-generated synthetic performers in advertisements effective January 1, 2027. The legislation includes a private right of enforcement, which may expose brands and advertisers to class action litigation for non-compliance.
White House National Cyber Director Sean Cairncross and NCTA President Cory Gardner are set to headline the SCTE TechExpo26 in Atlanta. The session will focus on the intersection of cybersecurity policy and the protection of critical broadband and streaming infrastructure.
U.S. Senators Mark Warner and Ted Cruz have introduced the Telecommunications Cybersecurity and Resilience Act, which proposes voluntary cybersecurity best practices and an optional certification process for the telecom industry. The legislation follows the Salt Typhoon attacks, which compromised major U.S. telecommunications providers and exposed sensitive government data.
Outgoing ITU Radiocommunication Bureau director Mario Maniewicz expects the upcoming WRC-27 conference to establish a regulatory framework for direct-to-device services in mobile bands. While 151 operators are already pursuing satellite-to-mobile partnerships, the industry continues to navigate challenges regarding sustainable business models and potential spectrum interference.
A Wuhan court ruled that an AI-assisted short drama is copyrightable, awarding RMB 20,000 in damages for unauthorized copying. The ruling is notable for explicitly including AI computing token consumption and commercial tool licensing costs as factors in the statutory damages calculation.
The Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) has successfully shut down the pirate IPTV service LiveNetTV following a police raid in Istanbul and a subsequent legal settlement. The service, which previously served 2.4 million annual visits, has transferred its domains to the Motion Picture Association.
The Netherlands and Belgium have rejoined the Eurovision Song Contest following the European Broadcasting Union's implementation of new voting rules and host country eligibility criteria. These policy changes aim to address broadcaster concerns regarding safety and transparency, marking a shift in the contest's operational framework.
The EU's out-of-court dispute settlement (ODS) system, established under the Digital Services Act, is facing criticism for a lack of user fees that has led to a high volume of procedural rather than substantive decisions. Experts argue that the current fee-free model undermines the system's ability to effectively incentivize accurate content moderation by platforms.
