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.
Rep. Brian Jack (R-GA) is spearheading a new congressional caucus to advocate for a federal film and television tax incentive, citing the need to reverse the migration of domestic production to international markets. The proposed initiative is projected to generate $250 billion in economic growth and create 140,000 jobs, though it faces scrutiny regarding the use of government subsidies for the entertainment industry.
Verizon and T-Mobile have filed for FCC experimental authorizations to test the 4.8-4.9 GHz spectrum band for potential 6G use cases. These tests, involving hardware from Ericsson and Samsung, follow recent NTIA initiatives to study the 4.4 GHz band for future commercial licensed use.
House Energy and Commerce Committee leaders have introduced the Communications and Technology Transparency Act to expand the FCC's authority to bar malicious equipment from foreign adversaries. The bill clarifies that hardware from China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran is eligible for the FCC's covered list, impacting infrastructure security for U.S. communications networks.
The EU AI Act's transparency obligations are now enforceable, requiring organizations to label AI-generated content and disclose AI interactions. Streaming and media companies must implement machine-readable marking for synthetic media or face significant financial penalties.
A report from IAB UK and Public First projects that the UK digital advertising sector could grow by 40% to £242bn by 2035, driven by AI and emerging technologies. The report emphasizes that this growth is contingent upon the UK government establishing a supportive policy framework for innovation, data, and skills.
The FCC has released a Frequently Asked Questions document to clarify new cybersecurity requirements for Emergency Alert System (EAS) equipment, which take effect on September 29. The rules mandate that broadcasters implement 15-character passwords, firewalls, and updated software across their program chains to prevent unauthorized access and false alerts.
The Australian government has proposed a Digital Duty of Care framework that mandates proactive risk mitigation for online service providers, including AI and recommender systems. The regime grants the eSafety Commissioner authority to enforce compliance with safety-by-design standards, with potential civil penalties reaching A$109.2 million.
The Greek government has proposed a 'European Spectrum Union' to levy telecom licence allocations, aiming to raise €15 billion for the EU budget. The funds would be used to support strategic technology priorities, including 6G, artificial intelligence, and telecommunications infrastructure.
V-Nova SVP Simone Ferrara discusses the challenges of applying traditional technical standardization to AI-driven systems. The article argues that the probabilistic nature of AI necessitates a shift toward verifiable frameworks and policy-led interoperability rather than rigid specifications.
Governors Greg Abbott of Texas and Gavin Newsom of California have introduced new regulations for data center expansion, focusing on grid reliability, water conservation, and renewable energy usage. These mandates aim to mitigate the infrastructure strain caused by the rapid growth of AI and cloud computing services.
A report from DataDome indicates that malicious bot traffic grew 124% annually, significantly outpacing human traffic growth. The findings highlight increasing risks for streaming and digital platforms regarding credential stuffing, account abuse, and unauthorized scraping by AI agents.
Terri Davies, President of the Trusted Partner Network, has launched the 'Fix It or Risk It' campaign to promote improved security hygiene across media production and post-production workflows. The initiative encourages industry-wide adoption of multi-factor authentication, regular software patching, and stricter vendor access management to mitigate content security risks.
The European Union's proposed Cloud and AI Development Act (CADA) is facing pushback from defense officials who argue that strict sovereignty requirements could hinder NATO interoperability and limit access to essential hyperscaler AI capabilities. The legislation aims to establish a four-level sovereignty framework for public-sector cloud usage, forcing a potential trade-off between jurisdictional control and operational efficiency.
Meta has filed a legal appeal against Ofcom's decision to impose additional regulatory duties on WhatsApp and Instagram under the UK's Online Safety Act. The challenge specifically contests the regulator's authority to calculate potential fines based on global revenue rather than UK-specific operations.
The U.S. House Judiciary Committee has approved the No Racketeers on Our Shores Act, which would allow the U.S. to deny visas to foreign officials who engage in economic discrimination against American companies. The legislation specifically cites regulatory actions taken by the EU and South Korea against firms including Microsoft and Coupang.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has confirmed that his government will not proceed with a 3% digital services tax or a 15% revenue levy on streaming services. The decision follows the collapse of trade negotiations with the United States, where Canada refused to alter its online content discoverability rules.
Dominion Harbor Group has expanded its patent portfolio to over 22,000 assets through the acquisition of mobile internet and LED lighting patents from SEVEN Networks and an unnamed lighting firm. The company intends to pursue licensing agreements with 30 to 50 entities without resorting to litigation.
AT&T has petitioned the FCC for approval to lease 3.45 GHz spectrum from N Squared across 25 markets to expand its network capacity. Additionally, the carrier is seeking a regulatory change to increase device power limits in the 3.45 GHz band from 1 Watt to 2 Watts to improve fixed wireless access performance.
A Gartner survey of 297 cybersecurity leaders reveals that 41% of CISOs have encountered deepfake incidents during audio calls, with 36% reporting similar issues in video calls. The findings underscore the urgent need for streaming and media organizations to implement robust verification workflows and identity controls to mitigate AI-driven social engineering threats.
A report by Gaming Compliance International estimates that unregulated online gambling accounted for 72% of the EU market in 2025, generating €91.6 billion in revenue. The study highlights that 95% of illegal sports streams in Europe during the FIFA World Cup contained unlicensed gambling advertisements, prompting calls for broader ecosystem-wide enforcement.
The IEEE is developing the 802.11bn standard, branded as WiFi 8, which prioritizes connection reliability and consistent throughput over peak bandwidth. The standard introduces technologies like Unequal Modulation and Non-Primary Channel Access to mitigate latency spikes and packet loss in congested environments.
The UK government is increasingly utilizing 'Henry VIII powers' to bypass parliamentary scrutiny when amending the Online Safety Act and introducing new AI regulations. These powers grant ministers and Ofcom expanded authority to regulate AI-generated content and data protection standards without full legislative debate.
The UK government reports that Gigabit broadband coverage reached 88% as of January 2026, though independent analysis suggests the rollout curve is flattening. Achieving the 99% target by 2032 faces significant deployment challenges that may require increased site survey efforts and infrastructure investment.
UK ISP Aquiss has petitioned Ofcom and TOTSCo to mandate network-layer validation for One Touch Switching (OTS) identifiers to prevent unsolicited service transfers. The provider reports that 2-4% of migrations currently bypass the formal OTS process, creating a security gap that allows gaining providers to move services without proper customer consent.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a legislative package that prohibits social media platforms from using addictive features like autoplay and infinite scrolling for users under 16. The laws also establish strict regulatory frameworks, including mandatory risk assessments and independent safety audits, for AI companion chatbots.
The NTIA has delayed issuing guidance for $21 billion in remaining BEAD program funds, stalling state-level initiatives for digital literacy and broadband infrastructure. This delay impacts the expansion of the addressable rural audience and the deployment of high-speed networks essential for future streaming video delivery.
A report commissioned by the anti-piracy campaign BeStreamWise indicates that 54% of UK illegal streamers utilize social media platforms, shifting the focus away from modified hardware devices like Firesticks. The study estimates that piracy costs the UK economy £1.35 billion annually, with drama and comedy content being more frequently pirated than live sports.
Trade body techUK has submitted its response to the UK government's Green Paper, advocating for a full transition from digital terrestrial television to IPTV by 2034. The organization emphasizes the need for open standards, consumer choice, and a robust digital inclusion program to ensure no viewers are left behind during the switchover.
The FCC has revised its TCPA rules to allow businesses to designate exclusive opt-out mechanisms for automated communications and limit revocation requests to specific categories of informational messages. These changes aim to provide regulatory clarity for companies managing automated text and voice campaigns while reducing the potential for frivolous litigation.
The FCC has proposed a 120-day deadline and fee caps for local broadband permitting to accelerate network deployment. Municipal groups are opposing the plan, arguing it exceeds federal authority and ignores ISP permit-hoarding, while cable industry groups are lobbying for even shorter approval windows.
SK Telecom and KISTI have unveiled a digital twin technology at ECOC 2026 that simulates quantum key distribution (QKD) network environments. The system uses an ETSI-compliant interface to allow operators to verify network performance and interoperability within a Kubernetes-based environment before physical deployment.
The EU AI Act Digital Omnibus (Regulation 2026/1744) has entered into force, extending compliance deadlines for high-risk AI systems to late 2027 and 2028. While the amendment streamlines conformity assessments and expands penalty protections for small mid-cap firms, it also introduces new prohibitions on AI-generated non-consensual intimate imagery and expands the AI Office's regulatory competence.
The EBU News Committee met at the BBC to discuss strategies for audience engagement, crisis preparedness, and the responsible integration of AI in public service media. Broadcasters are actively supporting the 'FACTS IN: FACTS OUT' campaign to advocate for transparency and source attribution from AI developers.
The Canadian government has replaced a proposed revenue-based levy on streaming services with $600 million in annual direct public funding. This policy shift follows trade tensions with the U.S. and moves cultural funding from a platform-collected consumption tax to a transparent budget appropriation.
Meta is expanding its Community Notes feature to 16 Latin American countries, testing it as a potential replacement for traditional fact-checking programs. Critics and the Meta Oversight Board have raised concerns regarding the lack of transparency in success metrics and the potential for reduced enforcement against misinformation compared to previous fact-checking models.
3GPP RAN 1 delegates have agreed to maintain the 5G New Radio physical layer for 6G, focusing on software-upgradable modifications rather than new radio hardware. The proposed standard includes the addition of DFT-S-OFDM for improved upload performance and expanded bandwidths up to 400 MHz in the 7 GHz band to support high-demand video applications.
Australia's Online Safety Amendment Act 2024 mandates that social media platforms implement age assurance measures for users under 16. The regulation has forced platforms to navigate the technical challenges of balancing privacy-preserving identity solutions against low-friction, often ineffective, AI-based age estimation.
Twitch CEO Dan Clancy stated that the platform will not currently mandate generative AI disclosure labels, arguing that synthetic media is not yet prevalent enough to cause viewer confusion. Clancy noted that Twitch remains open to implementing such policies in the future if the landscape of AI-generated content on the platform changes.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has launched Plan IA360, a government initiative that rejects industry self-regulation in favor of a 'Social Contract for AI' to enforce legal accountability for algorithms. The plan includes the development of an AI gigafactory, stricter oversight of advanced models, and a focus on addressing intellectual property and mental health concerns.
The Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) argues that the proposed American Innovation and Choice Online Act (AICOA) would impose significant compliance costs and operational burdens on major tech platforms, citing the European Union's Digital Markets Act as a cautionary example. The report claims that similar regulations in the EU have resulted in high compliance costs, reduced product availability, and minimal consumer benefits.
The Hungarian Online Platform Dispute Settlement Board reports that major platforms like Meta frequently fail to provide adequate reasoning for account suspensions, violating Digital Services Act requirements. Despite the board's recommendations, platforms often ignore or fail to implement corrective actions, highlighting a need for stronger enforcement by the European Commission.
The Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT) has proposed a four-part framework for gaming platforms to address extremist exploitation through education, friction, redirection, and intervention. The research emphasizes moving beyond reactive content moderation toward proactive, behavior-based strategies that leverage existing gaming mechanics to build user resilience.
The European Commission has adopted an EU Action plan against cyberbullying and launched a public consultation to review the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD). These initiatives aim to harmonize online safety standards, strengthen protections for minors on video-sharing platforms, and update advertising rules for the digital media landscape.
U.S. states are implementing inconsistent regulations regarding the disclosure of AI-powered sales and customer service bots, creating a fragmented compliance landscape for companies. While some states like Maine offer private rights of action for non-disclosure, others have minimal requirements, leading to potential industry standardization driven by the EU AI Act's stricter transparency mandates.
A US District Court has rejected the Department of Justice's request to break up Google's advertising business, opting instead for behavioral remedies. Google is now required to connect its ad server and exchange to rival platforms like Prebid and share data with third parties to address anticompetitive conduct.
A U.S. District Court judge has dismissed a class-action lawsuit against Meta, ruling that Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act provides immunity for the platform regarding fraudulent third-party real estate advertisements. The decision reinforces existing legal protections for platforms against liability for content posted by third parties, despite arguments that technical verification safeguards were feasible.
The UK Parliament Communications and Digital Committee has issued recommendations for the 2028 BBC Charter, advocating for flexible third-party distribution and enhanced prominence safeguards. The proposal emphasizes the need for clear agreements between public service media and video-sharing platforms to manage evolving consumption habits.
The article argues that the shift of premium content from broadcast television to streaming platforms, coupled with restrictive FCC regulations and inadequate measurement, is undermining the viability of local broadcast affiliates. It suggests that broadcasters and regulators must re-evaluate their strategies to prevent the further erosion of the over-the-air ecosystem.
Ireland’s Data Protection Commission has fined Google €403 million for violating GDPR transparency and lawfulness principles regarding location data collection. The ruling specifically concerns the company's Web & App Activity, Timeline, and Google Location Accuracy features, requiring Google to bring its data practices into compliance within six months.
The FCC has accepted SpaceX's filing for a new constellation of 100,000 'Starmind' satellites, which are designed to provide high-capacity downlink and utilize advanced onboard computing. The acceptance marks the beginning of a formal review process and public comment period rather than an approval of the deployment.
