Driverless and autonomous vehicles (“AVs”) are moving from test tracks and pilot schemes to commercial deployment around the world. In the U.S. and China, robotaxi fleets and autonomous trucking services are proliferating. Similar developments are happening in the EU and UK. In London, the first commercial autonomous ride-hailing service launched in early September 2026, with
Continue Reading Overview of EU and UK Regulatory Developments relating to Autonomous Vehicles
The EU KIDS Act Proposal: Towards a New Regulatory Framework for the Protection of Children Online
On September 17, 2026, the European Commission (the “Commission”) published its proposal for a new EU framework on child safety online (the “KIDS Act”). The proposed Regulation aims to introduce EU-harmonized age-based account restrictions, safety-by-design rules, and age-assurance obligations across a broad range of digital services and systems.
The proposal is the latest of a growing body of initiatives aimed at strengthening children’s safety and privacy in the digital world, both in the EU and globally, as discussed in our recent blog post.
This post summarizes some of the KIDS Act’s key features.
Continue Reading The EU KIDS Act Proposal: Towards a New Regulatory Framework for the Protection of Children OnlineHorizon Scan: Children’s Online Safety and Privacy (EU and Beyond)
In recent months, children’s online safety and privacy have moved to the top of the EU’s digital agenda. The European Commission is expected to outline its proposal on minors’ access to social media this week, a potentially significant development that would build on the recommendations of the Commission’s Special Panel on child safety online and mounting pressure from Member States.
The EU is not moving in isolation. Similar debates on minors’ access to online platforms, age assurance, and safety-by-design obligations are emerging in other jurisdictions. These include Australia and the United Kingdom, as well as a rapidly developing patchwork of state-level age-verification, app-store, and device-based age-assurance requirements in the United States.
This post provides a horizon-scanning update on the principal regulatory developments at the EU level, selected national developments, and some relevant developments outside the EU.
Continue Reading Horizon Scan: Children’s Online Safety and Privacy (EU and Beyond)Looking beyond the tech sovereignty package: how the EU is moving to ensure tech sector resilience
On 3 June 2026, the European Commission published several legislative and policy measures wrapped up in one “tech sovereignty” package (see our posts summarising the package as a whole here, and diving deeper into the Cloud and AI Development Act here). But the EU’s tech sovereignty drive has a long history, and is by no means limited to this package.
In this post, we take a closer look at the current and forthcoming EU legislative measures aimed at increasing the resilience of services provided in the EU against external, malicious influence, a key aspect of tech sovereignty. Relevant legislation falls into two broad categories: (1) laws promoting cyber resilience generally, to prevent malicious actors from disrupting services and critical infrastructure; and (2) laws focused on building supply chain resilience and reducing dependencies on certain external actors by building European industrial capacity in key tech sectors.
Continue Reading Looking beyond the tech sovereignty package: how the EU is moving to ensure tech sector resilience
Singapore Updates Model AI Governance Framework for Agentic AI
Since our prior post on Singapore’s Model AI Governance Framework for Agentic AI, Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (“IMDA”) has published an updated version (Version 1.5) (the “Updated Framework”), incorporating feedback from over 60 organizations.
The Updated Framework, published on May 20, 2026, retains the same four-pillar structure—(1) assess and bound the risks upfront, (2) make humans meaningfully accountable, (3) implement technical controls and processes, and (4) enable end-user responsibility—but expands the guidance in several notable respects. These include a new discussion of multi-agent systemic risks, more granular guidance on technical controls, and real-world case studies illustrating how the Framework can be applied across sectors. We summarize some of the key updates below.
Continue Reading Singapore Updates Model AI Governance Framework for Agentic AIEU AI Act Update: The European Commission Publishes Draft Guidelines on HRAIs
On 19 May 2026, the European Commission published its long-awaited draft, non-binding guidelines on the classification of high-risk AI systems (“HRAIs”) under the EU AI Act (the “Guidelines”). Across three documents—covering general principles, high-risk classification in the context of regulated products (Annex I), and high-risk use cases (Annex III)—the Commission sets out its approach to one of the AI Act’s central questions: when does an AI system fall within the high-risk regime (and, just as importantly, when does it not)?
Continue Reading EU AI Act Update: The European Commission Publishes Draft Guidelines on HRAIs10 Takeaways: European Commission Draft Guidelines on AI Transparency under the EU AI Act
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 ActUN Regulation and GTR on Automated Driving Systems: Current State of Play
International regulators are finalizing the first global safety standards for Automated Driving Systems (“ADS”). In January, the UN Working Party on Automated/Autonomous and Connected Vehicles (“GRVA”) approved a draft UN Regulation (“UNR”) under the 1958 Agreement and a draft Global Technical Regulation (“GTR”) under the 1998 Agreement, submitting both for adoption by the UN World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations.
Developed in parallel to ensure harmonized technical requirements across jurisdictions, the UNR and GTR are expected to be adopted at the 199th WP.29 session in June 2026. In the meantime, work continues on finalizing the accompanying Guidance and Interpretation Document. This post provides an overview of the UN regulatory framework, the legislative status of the ADS instruments as of May 2026, an outline of the key provisions, and implications for companies across the ADS value chain.
Continue Reading UN Regulation and GTR on Automated Driving Systems: Current State of PlayUK Financial Services Regulators’ Approach to Artificial Intelligence in 2026
Artificial intelligence (“AI”) continues to reshape the UK financial services landscape in 2026, with consumers increasingly relying on AI-driven tools for financial guidance and firms deploying more autonomous systems across their businesses.
The Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”), Prudential Regulation Authority (“PRA”) and Bank of England (“BoE”) (together “the Regulators”) have consistently signalled that AI will be overseen through existing regulatory frameworks, rather than through bespoke AI-specific rules. At the same time, political scrutiny is intensifying, supervisory expectations are rising, and the Regulators are investing heavily in sandbox initiatives and long-term reviews to test whether those frameworks remain fit for purpose.
This article explores the latest policy signals, supervisory initiatives and regulatory tools shaping the UK’s evolving approach to AI in financial services.
Continue Reading UK Financial Services Regulators’ Approach to Artificial Intelligence in 2026Ofcom and ICO Issue Joint Statement on Age Assurance
On March 25, 2026, the UK’s Office of Communications (“Ofcom”) and the Information Commissioner’s Office (“ICO”) published a joint statement setting out their common expectations for age assurance on online services (“Joint Statement”). The Joint Statement is aimed at services likely to be accessed by children that fall within the scope of the Online Safety Act 2023 (“OSA”) and UK data protection legislation, and is designed to help providers comply with both their online safety and data protection obligations when deploying age assurance.
The Joint Statement arrives alongside a broader push from both regulators—including Ofcom’s recent call to action directed at major tech firms, an open letter from the ICO urging platforms to strengthen their age checks, and several enforcement actions by both regulators.
Continue Reading Ofcom and ICO Issue Joint Statement on Age Assurance