On 7 May 2026, negotiators from the Council of the European Union, the European Parliament, and the European Commission reached a provisional agreement on the terms of the Digital Omnibus on AI, marking the first set of amendments to the EU AI Act since its adoption in June 2024. The final package of amendments reflects a mix of pragmatic timeline extensions, focused simplification measures, and a small number of substantive policy changes.
Continue Reading EU AI Act Update: Timeline Relief, Targeted Simplification, and New ProhibitionsEuropean Commission Publishes “ESRS 2.0” for Public Consultation: Draft Closely Follows EFRAG’s Technical Advice with Additional Simplifications for Companies
The European Commission (“Commission”) has launched a four-week feedback period — open until June 3, 2026 — on a draft delegated act to revise the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (“ESRS 2.0”). Ultimately, EU companies in scope of the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (“CSRD”) will have to draft their annual sustainability statements in accordance with the ESRS 2.0. Non-EU ultimate parent companies may also use the ESRS 2.0 to publish one globally consolidated CSRD sustainability statement.
Continue Reading European Commission Publishes “ESRS 2.0” for Public Consultation: Draft Closely Follows EFRAG’s Technical Advice with Additional Simplifications for CompaniesConnecticut Passes Comprehensive AI Law
On May 1, the Connecticut legislature passed an artificial intelligence (“AI”) safety, transparency, and consumer protection bill (“SB 5”). While the Colorado legislature takes steps to streamline existing requirements for developers and deployers of AI systems, Connecticut has passed a multi-part framework that will impose requirements on large frontier developers…
Continue Reading Connecticut Passes Comprehensive AI LawMaryland Enacts Law on Personalized Food Pricing
By Laura Kim, Lindsey Tonsager, Jayne Ponder & Natalie Maas on
Posted in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Consumer
On April 28, 2026, Maryland Governor Moore signed HB 895 (the Protection From Predatory Pricing Act) into law, which will impose limitations on the use of personalized pricing in the food retail and grocery delivery context. The law will go into effect on October 1, 2026. As we have detailed in prior blog posts, there has been a wave of personalized pricing proposals at the state level, and the FTC is focusing attention on pricing in the grocery sector.
Continue Reading Maryland Enacts Law on Personalized Food PricingBrazil’s House Approves New Critical and Strategic Minerals Legal Framework
By Daniel Erikson, Diego Bonomo & Gabe Neville on
On May 6, 2026, Brazil’s House of Deputies approved the text of the Critical and Strategic Minerals Bill. The bill establishes a new legal framework for critical and strategic minerals production with a focus on national security, local manufacturing, and sustainability. The bill was approved with wide political support and…
Continue Reading Brazil’s House Approves New Critical and Strategic Minerals Legal FrameworkItalian DPA Publishes Guidelines on Email Tracking Pixels
On April 17, 2026, the Italian data protection authority (the “Garante”) published Provision No. 284 setting out guidelines on the use of “tracking pixels” in emails (the “Guidelines”). This publication closely follows the recommendation issued by the French data protection authority on the same topic, which is discussed in a separate blog post available here.
Tracking pixels are commonly used to measure email open rates and to enable marketing automation tools. Under Italian law, the use of tracking pixels generally requires the recipient’s prior consent, unless a specific exemption applies. In its Guidelines, the Garante provides practical examples to help organizations assess when consent is (and is not) required and clarifies the compliance obligations applicable to businesses relying on these technologies in email communications. This post summarizes the key takeaways.
Continue Reading Italian DPA Publishes Guidelines on Email Tracking PixelsThe UAE’s New Merger Control Framework: What the 2026 Executive Regulations Mean for Dealmakers
By James Marshall, Haykel Haykel & Mélanie Perez on
Posted in Competition
On 30 April, the UAE adopted Cabinet Decision No. (59) of 2026 (“the 2026 Executive Regulations”), setting out the executive regulations for Federal Decree-Law No. (36) of 2023 on the Regulation of Competition. The 2026 Executive Regulations replace the previous implementing regulations adopted in 2014 under the former UAE competition law. They are expected to enter into force on 30 July 2026.
Taken together, the adoption of Federal Decree-Law 36 on Regulating Competition of 2023, Cabinet Resolution No. (3) of 2025 establishing the new filing thresholds, and the subsequent adoption of the 2026 Executive Regulations complete a long-anticipated overhaul of the UAE merger control framework. These measures mark a decisive shift towards a fully operational and modern merger control regime. The 2026 Executive Regulations significantly streamline the notification process, introduce enhanced timing certainty, and create a clear pathway for third parties to engage with the Competition Department of the Ministry of Economy & Tourism (“Competition Department”) to influence the outcome of merger reviews.
More broadly, the 2026 Executive Regulations introduce important changes to various aspects of UAE’s competition law framework, including measures relating to behavioural competition enforcement and procedures. In combination with other recent competition policy and enforcement actions, the 2026 Executive Regulations signal the UAE’s ambition to bring its competition and merger control framework in line with international best practice.
This article focuses on the main revisions to the UAE merger control framework, before briefly outlining the wider changes introduced to the UAE’s behavioural competition regime by the 2026 Executive Regulations.
Continue Reading The UAE’s New Merger Control Framework: What the 2026 Executive Regulations Mean for DealmakersToday’s Press Release Could Be Tomorrow’s Subpoena: Bracing For the Possibility of Democratic Congressional Investigations
With fewer than 180 days until the midterm elections, Democratic Members of Congress are laying the groundwork for future congressional investigations in the event the party regains control of one or both chambers next year. Even as Democratic Members prepare for the possibility of winning the majority, developments such as…
Continue Reading Today’s Press Release Could Be Tomorrow’s Subpoena: Bracing For the Possibility of Democratic Congressional Investigations10 Takeaways: European Commission Draft Guidelines on AI Transparency under the EU AI Act
By Jadzia Pierce, Marty Hansen & Sam Jungyun Choi on
Posted in Artificial Intelligence (AI), European Union
On May 8, 2026, the European Commission (“Commission”) published draft guidelines (“Guidelines”) on the implementation of the transparency obligations under Article 50 of the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (“AI Act”), opening a targeted consultation that runs until June 3, 2026.
The Guidelines are non-binding, but they are the first Commission instrument to provide interpretive guidance across the full scope of Article 50. They were prepared in parallel with the related, but more narrowly scoped, Code of Practice on Transparency of AI-Generated Content (“Code of Practice” or “Code”), the second draft of which was published on March 5, 2026.
Continue Reading 10 Takeaways: European Commission Draft Guidelines on AI Transparency under the EU AI ActProposed Rule Issued to Implement Expanded FOCI Disclosure and Risk Mitigation Requirements for Defense Contractors
On May 7, 2026, the Department of Defense (“DoD”) issued a proposed rule that would fundamentally expand the scope of foreign ownership, control, or influence (“FOCI”) disclosure and risk mitigation requirements for a significant number of companies that serve the national defense. The proposed rule, together with DoD Instruction (“DoDI”)…
Continue Reading Proposed Rule Issued to Implement Expanded FOCI Disclosure and Risk Mitigation Requirements for Defense Contractors