Author: nslightowler

The European Commission has launched a public consultation on draft rules for the establishment and operation of AI regulatory sandboxes, as required under the AI Act.

These sandboxes allow providers to develop, train, and test innovative AI systems in controlled environments—including real-world conditions—under regulatory supervision. The objective is to foster responsible innovation while ensuring compliance with EU law.

The European Commission will adopt an implementing act to establish harmonised rules for the creation and operation of AI regulatory sandboxes, as is required under the AI Act.

The consultation is open from 2 December 2025 to 13 January 2026. Stakeholders are invited to participate and provide feedback.

#AIAct #RegulatorySandbox #ResponsibleAI #EUConsultation #RuneLexAIRegulationExperts

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The European Union and Canada have formalised a landmark Digital Partnership to advance innovation, competitiveness, and secure connectivity.

As the European Commission has stated:

“In line with the EU’s Apply AI Strategy and the Canadian framework, the partners will share  best practices to accelerate AI adoption in strategic sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing, energy, culture, science and public services, and support SMEs. They committed to work together on large AI infrastructures and support industry and academia’s access to AI compute capacity”.

This partnership reflects a shared commitment to a human-centric digital economy and robust regulatory frameworks, ensuring sustainable growth and security in an increasingly interconnected world.

#DigitalLaw #EUCanada #AIRegulation #CyberSecurity #TechGovernance #Innovation #RuneLexAIRegulationExperts

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On 12 December 2025, the EU emphasised that digital skills should be taught with the same importance as reading, mathematics, and science.

A recent Eurobarometer survey reveals that 92% of Europeans support integrating digital skills at all stages of education. Digital literacy is seen as crucial for tackling misinformation and preparing students for a technology-driven future. Most agree teachers need training to ensure safe and effective use of digital tools, alongside clear rules for AI in classrooms.

The EU’s Digital Education Action Plan promotes high-quality, inclusive learning, supported by Ethical AI Guidelines and resources to fight disinformation and strengthen digital literacy.

#DigitalEducation #EUActionPlan #AIinEducation #DigitalSkills #EdTech #FutureReady #DigitalLiteracy #RuneLexAIRegulationExperts

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As we explained in our recent post “Meta’s Big Shift: EU Users Will Decide on Ad Personalisation by 2026” the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) requires major technology platforms to respect user rights.

These platforms are designated as Gatekeepers under the DMA because they act as critical gateways between businesses and consumers, hold significant economic power, and operate core services used by millions every day.

The companies officially designated as gatekeepers are:

• Alphabet (Google)
• Amazon
• Apple
• Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp)
• Microsoft
• ByteDance (TikTok)
• Booking.com

Their size and reach allow them to influence the rules of entire digital markets, which is why the DMA imposes strict obligations to ensure fair competition and protect user rights.

#DigitalMarketsAct #Gatekeepers #BigTech #EURegulation #CompetitionLaw #RuneLexAIRegulationExperts

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Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, will soon offer EU users a significant choice. Beginning January 2026, individuals will be able to choose between two distinct options:

1. Share comprehensive data and receive fully personalised advertising.
2. Limit data sharing and view less personalised advertising.

This development follows the requirements of the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which mandates that major technology platforms respect user rights.

The objective is clear: empower individuals to control their personal information.

This announcement was made by the European Commission on 8 December 2025. The Commission has further stated: “Once implemented, the Commission will seek feedback and evidence from Meta and other relevant stakeholders on the impact and uptake of this new ad model.”

#Meta #DMACompliance #PrivacyFirst #EUUsers #TechNews #RuneLexAIRegulationExperts

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Following up on our recent posts “Australia Leads: World-First Social Media Law to Protect Kids” and “Australia Says No to Social Media for Under-16”, today – 10 December 2025 – marks a historic turning point.

Australia’s new law bans platforms like TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and X from allowing under-16s to create or maintain accounts.

Compliance is not optional—it is a legal obligation. Organisations must act decisively to mitigate risk and align with these new standards, as Non-compliance could cost tech giants up to $50 million.

Australia is setting the global standard for online safety, with the EU already moving in the same direction. A new era for social media begins today.

#AustraliaOnlineSafety #SocialMediaBan #Under16 #OnlineSafetyAct #ProtectOurKids #RuneLexAIRegulationExperts

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In a press release dated on 9 December 2025, the European Commission announced that it is investigating Google’s AI practices under EU competition law:

“The European Commission has opened a formal antitrust investigation to assess whether Google has breached EU competition rules by using the content of web publishers, as well as content uploaded on the online video-sharing platform YouTube, for artificial intelligence (‘AI’) purposes. The investigation will notably examine whether Google is distorting competition by imposing unfair terms and conditions on publishers and content creators, or by granting itself privileged access to such content, thereby placing developers of rival AI models at a disadvantage.

(…) The Commission is concerned that Google may have used:

• The content of web publishers to provide generative AI-powered services (‘AI Overviews’ and ‘AI Mode’) (…)
• Video and other content uploaded on YouTube to train Google’s generative AI models (…)

If proven, these practices could break EU competition rules on abuse of dominance under Article 102 TFEU and Article 54 of the EEA Agreement. Stay tuned to follow the next developments

#EUCommission #AIAct #CompetitionLaw #GoogleAI #DigitalRegulation #TechLaw #RuneLexAIRegulationExperts

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On 5 December 2025, the European Commission confirmed that TikTok’s proposed measures to improve advertising transparency are in line with the Digital Services Act (DSA):

“These commitments, which ensure full transparency, include the following:

• TikTok will provide the full content of the advertisement as it appears in users’ feeds, including the URLs in the link provided in the ad.

• TikTok will update its repository more quickly, ensuring information is available within a maximum of 24 hours.

• TikTok will provide the targeting criteria selected by advertisers, along with aggregated user data (including gender, age group and Member State where the users who were reached are located), enabling researchers to investigate how ads are targeted and delivered.

• TikTok will introduce additional search options and filters, allowing users to find advertisements more easily”.

This represents a major step towards enforcing transparency standards under the DSA.

#DigitalServicesAct #Compliance #TechLaw #RuneLexAIRegulationExperts

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On 4 December, the European Commission informed that “is preparing guidelines to ensure a smooth implementation of the AI Act”

These guidelines will help businesses understand how to classify high-risk AI systems, comply with transparency requirements, and report serious incidents.

They will also include templates for fundamental rights impact assessments and simplified compliance steps for SMEs.

The aim is to provide legal certainty, safeguard fundamental rights, and foster responsible innovation across the EU.

Stay tuned — we will inform you about the guidelines as soon as they are released.

#AIAct #EURegulation #Compliance #ResponsibleAI #DigitalStrategy

#RuneLexAIRegulationExperts

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As we mentioned in our last post: “EU Fines Elon Musk’s X: €120 Million for Online Safety Failures”, Elon Musk’s platform X was fined for failing to comply with the Digital Services Act (DSA).

But what is the DSA?

The DSA is an EU regulation adopted in October 2022 and enforced since February 2024. Its purpose is to create a safer, fairer, and more transparent online environment. It applies to digital services such as social media platforms, online marketplaces, and search engines.

Key Objectives

• Protect users from illegal and harmful content.
• Increase transparency in online advertising and algorithms.
• Hold large platforms accountable for systemic risks.

Failure to comply can lead to fines of up to 6% of global annual turnover. The recent fine against Elon Musk’s X, shows the EU is actively enforcing these rules.

#DigitalServicesAct #OnlineSafety #EULaw #SocialMedia #DigitalLiteracy #Transparency #ElonMusk #BigTech #RuneLexAIRegulationExperts

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