5 Trends To Watch: 2025 EU Data Privacy & Cybersecurity

On November 21, the Data Protection Authority of Baden-Württemberg issued the first fine under the GDPR in Germany against a social media provider for violating data security requirements

On 19 November 2025, the European Commission published two proposed regulations as part of its Digital Package on Simplification...

The EU Data Act (Regulation (EU) 2023/2854), applicable as of Sept. 12, 2025, introduces a user‑centric access and sharing regime for both personal and non-personal data generated by IoT (Internet of Things) products, with a profound impact on how "data holders" design products, structure contracts, and monetize data.

The turn of the year, with the Brexit transitional period ending, finally brought some clarity about the future of data flows between the EU and the UK.

In its March 19, 2026, judgment in Case C-526/24 (Brillen Rottler), the CJEU ruled that even a first request for access to personal data under the GDPR may be deemed abusive if not made in good faith.

On 31 July 2024 the Higher Regional Court of Koblenz (Oberlandesgericht Koblenz) has rejected an appeal to a verdict of the Regional Court of Koblenz (Landgericht Koblenz) for deletion...

The decision does not introduce fundamentally new principles. Rather, it consistently combines elements that are well established in the Court's case law...

Two weeks ago, the German Conference of the Independent Data Protection Authorities of Germany (Datenschutzkonferenz or "DSK") released a report looking into Microsoft 365's...

On October 1,2019 the European Court of Justice ruled that website operators cannot obtain consent to the setting of cookies...

The Regional Court of Berlin held in a judgment of 16 January 2018 that Facebook's default privacy settings and parts of their terms and conditions were invalid.

The U.S. Department of State has released the October 2026 Visa Bulletin, marking the start of fiscal year 2027 with significant changes to employment-based immigrant visa categories. How will the advancement of priority dates, particularly the substantial four-year leap for mainland China-born EB-5 investors in the Dates for Filing chart, impact eligible applicants seeking adjustment of status benefits?

The Department of Homeland Security has not issued formal determinations for Temporary Protected Status designations for Ukraine and Sudan despite the October 19, 2026 expiration date, creating uncertainty for employers navigating Form I-9 compliance and employment authorization documentation. USCIS states that affected individuals retain TPS protections and work authorization, but has not updated operational guidance to explain how employers should document continued employment eligibility or handle

Following a federal court order in Medani v. Trump, the U.S. Department of State has resumed issuing Diversity Immigrant Visas after a nine-month pause that began in December 2025. DV-2026 selectees now face a critical deadline of September 30, 2026, to complete their visa processing or permanently lose their opportunity for permanent residence through the diversity visa lottery program.

The Federal Trade Commission is exploring whether digital platforms should bear greater responsibility for preventing impersonation ads that falsely pose as legitimate businesses or government agencies. Through an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the agency seeks public input on potential amendments to its existing Impersonation Rule, examining how ad-optimization tools and platform practices...

The European Commission has published draft guidelines interpreting the AI Act's transparency obligations, establishing when and how organizations must disclose AI-generated content, deepfakes, and automated interactions. These guidelines clarify that deepfake labeling applies regardless of intent to deceive, that AI systems must identify themselves at the point of interaction, and that the editorial review exception for AI-generated text requires substantive human oversight with clear accountability.

On Oct. 7, 2026, at 18:00 UTC, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will publish every new generic top-level domain (gTLD) application proceeding in the 2026 new gTLD Round, including who applied...

The U.S. Department of State's November 2026 Visa Bulletin brings forward movement in several family-sponsored and employment-based immigrant visa categories, with significant advances for certain countries and preference levels. USCIS has confirmed that applicants in all preference categories may use the Dates for Filing chart to determine eligibility for adjustment of status applications, potentially allowing earlier filing for those whose priority dates fall before the applicable cut-off dates.

Following two federal court decisions, the U.S. Department of State has lifted categorical pauses on immigrant visa issuance for nationals of 75 countries and diversity visa processing for DV-2026 selectees. While these policy changes allow cases to proceed through ordinary adjudication, they do not guarantee visa approval or admission, and timing remains critical as diversity visa eligibility expires September 30, 2026.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia has preliminarily enjoined the Department of War from enforcing WuXi AppTec's Section 1260H designation, finding the agency misread its evidence on state and military affiliation. However, this ruling does not close alternative pathways to biotechnology company of concern (BCC) designation under the BIOSECURE Act, and earlier supply-chain restrictions continue to drive near-term compliance decisions with a critical June 30, 2027 deadline for sub-tier supp

A federal court has postponed the Department of Homeland Security's fixed-term admission rule for F, J, and I nonimmigrants, preserving the duration of status framework and blocking requirements that would have imposed four-year caps on international students and exchange visitors. The ruling addresses concerns about arbitrary rulemaking, inadequate cost analysis, and potential disruption to U.S. educational institutions and their international programs.