A Berlin court has ordered X to grant researchers API access under the Digital Services Act. Daniela Alvarado Rincón, Simone Ruf and Jürgen Bering explain how they won the case, and why it’s a major step for researcher data access.
The expanding war in Iran brought to the fore questions about the role of technology in armed conflict, including the controversial use of new artificial intelligence technologies. Tech Policy Press invited perspectives from experts on what they are watching for as the situation unfolds.
NSO Group’s 🇺🇸lobbying efforts provide a stark case study of how #spyware firms deploy vast resources to influence government & democratic decision-making in pursuit of their commercial interests.
➡️ Here’s my analysis for @techpolicypress.bsky.social.
www.techpolicy.press/will-nsos-us...
Speaking of chaos agents… the CJEU’s Russmedia ruling leaves some gnarly open questions about what regulator is in charge of this, and what law applies.
X is going to have a field day complaining about that in their briefs.
@owbennett.bsky.social, @gzf.bsky.social
Privacy regulators from four continents have aligned around a clear position that AI-generated sexualized deepfakes are a data protection violation.
For Grok, already under investigation in multiple jurisdictions, that alignment increases the likelihood of sustained and parallel regulatory action.
"It's not a legal story, but a question of political attitude," Thierry Breton told the European Parliament yesterday.
He said he’d spent years explaining the law to platform CEOs and US govt officials, that they understood it, and that their current posture was a deliberate political choice.
Two months after Washington imposed visa bans on four individuals over the EU’s Digital Services Act, the European Parliament summoned them on Wednesday to account for what many MEPs see as a direct challenge to Europe’s regulatory authority, reports Ramsha Jahangir.
NEW on @indicator.media:
I found an AI-generated podcast network that has published 350,000 episodes in the past month. That's 11,000 episodes a day, or about one year's worth of audio content.
You'll be shocked to find out it's not generating original material.
"Banning children’s access to social media...shifts the responsibility for safety from the platforms that create the environment to the children who navigate it." - Council of Europe High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michael O'Flaherty
Impressive joint-statement by over 60 (!) intl data protection regulators re the harms that can arise from AI image-generating tools (apropos to nothing).
Sets clear expectations for industry and signals a commitment to supervisory coordination across borders.
www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
@ramshajahangir.bsky.social and I had pieces in @techpolicypress.bsky.social last month, dealing with the descriptive and aspirational elements to this intl coordination question, as it applies to online safety regulators
www.techpolicy.press/regulators-a...
www.techpolicy.press/how-a-small-...
thanks for flagging!! about time they did!
A interactive world map titled "Global Social Media Age Restriction Tracker," updated February 20, 2026, showing 40 countries with legislation to restrict or ban teen social media access. Countries are color-coded by status: 3 implemented (dark blue, including China and Australia), 5 passed, 13 in consideration, 4 proposed, and 15 under discussion. Europe has the most activity with 21 countries tracked, followed by Asia-Pacific (12) and the Americas (3).
Make sure to try out the tracker: www.techpolicy.press/tracking-eff...
Governments worldwide are moving to restrict youth access to social media — from Australia’s nationwide under-16 ban to fast-moving proposals in Europe, Asia, and the United States. Tech Policy Press is tracking these legislative efforts across continents and jurisdictions. 40 countries on the map:
This week marks the second DSA and Platform Regulation conference in Amsterdam, where participants will revisit the Digital Services Act (DSA) two years after it entered full effect across the European Union. Senior editor Ramsha Jahangir spoke to the organizers: www.techpolicy.press/the-digital-...
The European Commission’s first DSA fine against X reveals an enforcement strategy focused on corporate ownership and control, interface design, and barriers to data access, writes Matteo Fabbri.
How are governments integrating AI into their decision-making and legislative processes? I spoke to those on the front line, including the Estonian prime minister, for my latest for @techpolicypress.bsky.social techpolicy.press/governments-...
Governments don’t “break” the internet during shutdowns—they use powers already baked into law and infrastructure, writes Dinah van der Geest. Iran’s 2026 shutdown shows why Starlink and satellite internet were never the censorship-proof fix they were sold as.
Another day, another fact-check of the House Judiciary Committee.
If there's a line X can cross to lose Jim Jordan's support, apparently becoming one of the worlds top CSAM peddlers isn't it.
www.techpolicy.press/how-the-hous...
It’s hugely problematic that US lawmakers (ie Jim Jordan (R)) leak EU Commission documents outlining the fine of X.
It’s also problematic that the DSA instruments are not faster.
By @ramshajahangir.bsky.social and @justinhendrix.bsky.social
www.techpolicy.press/eu-decision-...
In the last days, there has been an unprecedented attack targeting investigative journalists trying to seize their Signal accounts. This has gone largely unreported. I have been repeatedly targeted by phishing, and I learned that also colleagues from other outlets were targeted, with the attackers unfortunately managing to compromise at least one colleague’s account. What’s worrying: this doesn’t seem like an isolated case. A broader wave is apparently hitting journalists (and some civil society actors) via Signal. How it works: Attackers message you on Signal pretending to be “Signal Support,” warning about “suspicious activity,” and urging you to “re-verify” your account. Once you accept the chat, you receive a real Signal SMS verification code, because the attacker is actively trying to register your number on a new device. If you share that code, you’re handing them the keys. Signal’s extra protection is the Signal PIN. If an attacker also tricks you into giving up your PIN (or you don’t have strong protections enabled), they can see your contacts and networks, potentially join chats going forward, and lock you out by changing settings. Quick protections worth doing today: - Signal will never contact you via a two-way in-app support chat. Treat those messages as hostile. - Never share SMS codes, Signal PIN, or anything called “registration lock.” - Turn on Registration Lock (Settings → Account → Registration Lock). - If you see a “safety number changed” alert: verify the person via a different channel (call/video), not just Signal text. - Report + block suspicious requests, and review linked devices. If you work with sensitive sources: this isn’t just about losing an account, it’s about exposing networks. Please share this with colleagues who rely on Signal day-to-day.
WARNING, fellow journalists: As @nicoschmidt.io explains, attackers are trying to hijack reporters' Signal accounts by tricking people into handing over their 2FA codes. www.linkedin.com/posts/nicosc...
Online safety regulators face global companies with national tools but the Grok scandal shows rulebooks alone are not enough, writes Owen Bennett. Basel shows how coordination, not new laws, can turn that imbalance around. www.techpolicy.press/how-a-small-...
South Korea, another GOSRN member, has begun a preliminary fact-finding review into xAI’s chatbot Grok. The review aims to verify whether any violation occurred and whether the case falls under the commission’s jurisdiction before deciding on a formal investigation.
The speed and scale of Grok's outputs require regulators to consider how to govern a technology that crosses jurisdictions and moves faster than enforcement systems can follow.
Can coordination bodies like the Global Online Safety Regulators Network (GOSRN) play a role?
The EU just joined the global crackdown on X’s Grok. But child safety enforcement still stops at the border.
Here's a look at where different government actions stand — and what the fragmented response reveals about the struggle to coordinate on online harms.
www.techpolicy.press/regulators-a...
Poland is becoming a key test case for Europe’s Digital Services Act after President Karol Nawrocki vetoed a bill that would have set up the national enforcement machinery required under the DSA, a move that exposes how domestic politics can undermine EU platform regulation, Fernanda Seavon reports.
Tech Policy Press is thrilled to announce its third fellowship cohort, selecting 10 fellows from around the world for the 2026 program: James Ball, Varsha Bansal, Liz Carolan, Tatiana Dias, Apar Gupta, Jake Laperruque, Lam Le, Petra Molnar, Vas Panagiotopoulos, and Chris Mills Rodrigo. Details here:
Iran’s Case Should Put an End to Illusions About Digital Sovereignty, by @azadehakbari.bsky.social for @techpolicypress.bsky.social. Important not just for #Iran, but to counter the growing tendency to see #nationalism as a solution to platform #capitalism.
www.techpolicy.press/irans-case-s...
