An Overview Of The New General Data Protection Regulation

California Governor Newsom has signed Senate Bill 574 into law, establishing the nation's first statutory framework governing how attorneys and arbitrators use generative AI in their professional practice. The legislation creates specific obligations around confidentiality protection, accuracy verification, and disclosure requirements that take effect January 1, 2027.

Although being challenged by an injunction filed on August 20, 2026, by a coalition of 17 states, California’s SB 54 Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act is now in effect, and companies that sell, distribute, import, or ship packaged products into California should be evaluating whether they have compliance obligations.

Connecticut’s Governor has signed into law Public Act No. 26-64, “An Act Concerning Consumer Privacy and Protection,” which introduces substantial new compliance obligations for businesses that operate as data brokers...

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed several significant privacy bills that will reshape how businesses handle consumer data, including expanded deletion rights under the CCPA, shortened data broker response cycles, and sweeping new insurance sector privacy requirements. While one landmark bill banning the sale of sensitive personal information was vetoed, the approved legislation requires companies to update their deletion workflows...

Four states have adopted laws regulating data brokers, but only one – California – has established a universal deletion mechanism whereby consumers are able to request that all data brokers...

Legal risk intensifies for companies offering online interactive features to minors across Georgia, Florida, and Alabama as the Eleventh Circuit vacates preliminary injunctions against state social media laws. With Florida's HB 3 and Georgia's SB 351 now enforceable and Alabama's HB 161 set to take effect January 1, 2027, businesses face divergent compliance requirements including age verification, parental consent mechanisms, and account deletion protocols.

Scott L. Vernick was quoted in The Legal Intelligencer article, "Did UPMC Data Breach Ruling Lock Plaintiffs Out of State Court?" on January 23, 2017.

California's 2026 legislative session concluded with Governor Newsom signing several landmark privacy and AI bills into law, including comprehensive child safety measures, AI auditor oversight frameworks, and expanded data protection requirements. How will these new regulations reshape digital advertising, workplace AI deployment, and online platform obligations for businesses operating in California?

On September 26, 2025, the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) announced a $1.35 million fine against Tractor Supply Company, resolving allegations that the company violated the California...

In the last few months, California and New Jersey enacted legislation to protect children online: California’s 13-bill package targets risks to children arising from emerging technologies, while New Jersey’s 3-bill package includes an age-appropriate design code. Despite their differences, these laws share a common focus on protecting children as technology evolves.

On September 30, 2026, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued two rule proposals and five notices aimed at expanding investors’ access to private markets. The package would add ways to qualify as an accredited investor, including passing a new exam administered by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), broaden performance-based compensation and modernize regulated funds, including interval funds and business development companies (BDCs).

California employers face a new wave of workplace legislation covering artificial intelligence oversight, expanded leave rights, enhanced privacy protections, and increased penalties for violations. From mandatory human supervision of AI-driven employment decisions to anti-hate-speech training requirements, these laws reshape compliance obligations across multiple domains.

The CFTC has proposed classifying event contracts as swaps while excluding traditional casino-style gambling products, directly responding to ongoing federal-state disputes over prediction markets and sports betting jurisdiction. These regulatory actions seek to clarify the agency's authority over event contracts amid conflicting appellate court decisions and pending Supreme Court review.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division has withdrawn its controversial proposal to remove nine parts of longstanding Fair Labor Standards Act interpretive guidance from the Code of Federal Regulations. What does this reversal mean for employers who have relied on these decades-old interpretations, and how does the Supreme Court's Loper Bright decision reshape the legal weight of agency guidance going forward?

In a landmark decision, a nine judge bench of the Supreme Court of India ruled today that privacy is a fundamental right protected by the Constitution of India.

Medicare Advantage faces unprecedented regulatory scrutiny as federal agencies deploy aggressive audit strategies, Congress investigates alleged fraud schemes, and courts challenge CMS's authority over payment structures.

The European Parliament's Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs has adopted its position on the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation reform, establishing key divergences with the European Commission and Council on professional investor exemptions and fossil fuel investment criteria. With trilogue negotiations set to begin in October 2026, private markets managers face critical decisions about how to position their funds under the new three-category framework expected to take effect in early 2029.

New York State Legislature has passed a bill that would require employers to provide employees with a minimum 21-day review period and 7-day revocation window for separation agreements involving the release of claims. The proposed "No Severance Ultimatums Act" extends procedural protections similar to those under federal age discrimination law to all covered severance agreements, regardless of employee age, and awaits Governor Hochul's signature.

New York has enacted legislation granting private and public sector employees unprecedented access to their personnel records, including the right to review, dispute, and potentially correct negative information that could impact their employment status. The law, which takes effect in November 2026, establishes strict timelines for employer notification and record access while providing enforcement mechanisms through the State Attorney General.

Recent California and federal court decisions address critical employment law issues including the extraterritorial application of California labor statutes, mass joinder in workplace harassment cases...