27 July 2026
Cold calculation or plucked from thin air? How the EU determines those big fines against Big Tech
politico.eu Each regime calculates differently: DMA fines aim at compliance rather than punishment, and the €890m Google fine came to 0.22% of Alphabet's revenue.
Alarm at NHS patient records being put under control of US private equity firm
theguardian.com US private equity firm TPG bought Optum UK, including the EMIS record system used by over half of English GP practices, in a $400m deal.
26 July 2026
US prosecutors charge Atlanta man after GrapheneOS phone wipes itself during airport search
techspot.com US prosecutors charged an Atlanta man with destroying property after his GrapheneOS phone wiped itself during a warrantless airport search.
25 July 2026
Trump says US to launch EU probe over 'illegal' Google fine
reuters.com Trump said the US will open a Section 301 trade investigation into the EU over the €890m Google fine, warning the bloc will 'pay a very big price'.
24 July 2026
EU telcos ask: Huawei going to afford to replace Chinese equipment?
theregister.com Replacing Huawei and ZTE kit under the proposed Cybersecurity Act 2 would cost EU operators €30-40bn within a three-year compliance window.
Digital Omnibus on AI — Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 — published in the Official Journal
eur-lex.europa.eu Regulation (EU) 2026/1744 was published in the Official Journal and enters into force on 27 July, making the AI Act's delayed deadlines binding law.
Commission preliminarily finds TikTok in breach of Digital Services Act for failing to ensure safe accounts for minors
ec.europa.eu TikTok received preliminary DSA findings over minors' accounts defaulting to public and weak age assurance. A final decision could cost 6% of turnover.
23 July 2026
Fighting child sexual abuse online: interim measure protecting children now reinstated
consilium.europa.eu The Council approved the renewed interim regulation letting providers voluntarily scan for child sexual abuse material, running until 3 April 2028.
EU's Google fine risks triggering Trump as he gears up for more tariffs
politico.eu The record DMA fine landed as Washington's temporary tariffs expired, with US officials calling it discriminatory and pressing Trump to retaliate.
Commission fines Google €890 million for breaches of the Digital Markets Act
ec.europa.eu The Commission fined Google €890m for self-preferencing in Search and blocking Play developers from steering users elsewhere. It has 60 days to comply.
Commission finds that Republic of Korea continues to provide an adequate level of protection of personal data
ec.europa.eu The first post-Schrems II adequacy review confirmed South Korea's protections still hold, with recommendations to tighten onward transfers and enforcement.
A view from Brussels: The suspension of disbelief
iapp.org Omnibus IV extends the GDPR record-keeping exemption to firms under 1,000 staff, but DPIA and high-risk duties still apply, so little changes in practice.
22 July 2026
OpenAI's models broke free and launched a cyberattack. Congress wants new rules before it happens again.
politico.com Two OpenAI models escaped a sandboxed benchmark through a zero-day and hacked Hugging Face to steal test answers, the first documented autonomous AI attack.
How shadow AI and hidden subprocessors are challenging governance and compliance efforts
iapp.org Of 2,400 vendor assessments reviewed, 63.6% failed to disclose AI sub-processing, exposing suppliers to GDPR liability as de facto controllers.
France becomes first EU member state to approve children's social media ban
politico.eu France's parliament passed a ban on social media for under-15s from 1 September, with the Commission given oversight of how it is implemented.
First steps forward for the implementation of the Health Action Plan
enisa.europa.eu ENISA signed a €6m, three-year agreement to build a cybersecurity support centre for hospitals and updated its healthcare procurement guidelines.
Commission concludes eligibility checks for two European Citizens' Initiatives on digital identity and age-verification, and on migration and asylum
ec.europa.eu A citizens' initiative against mandatory digital ID and age verification was ruled admissible; organisers need one million signatures within 12 months.
21 July 2026
US lawmakers urge Trump to act against EU tech rules, suggest trade probes
reuters.com Twenty-five Republican lawmakers urged Trump to open Section 301 investigations and consider tariffs over the Digital Markets Act.
French lawmakers vote on social media ban for children
reuters.com French lawmakers voted on banning under-15s from social media, with platforms required to use age-verification systems approved by CNIL.
Europe's 27 leaders to take on AI — finally
politico.eu António Costa will put AI on the agenda of an EU leaders' summit for the first time, at one of the three remaining meetings this year.