The regulatory insider

The European Commission's DMA review, published on 28 April, declared the law fit for purpose after two years of full application, pointing to tangible early gains such as choice screens, cross-platform messaging and advertising transparency, while fines against Apple and Meta signal enforcement willingness, though consumer groups warn that gatekeepers are deliberately engineering friction into compliance and that data-sharing obligations are still not being met in practice. Stricter enforcement rather than legislative revision is the stated priority, with ongoing investigations into cloud computing and proceedings against Alphabet on AI interoperability, though the Commission stopped short of extending interoperability to social networks despite industry calls to do so. Looking ahead, the rapid integration of AI into platforms is emerging as the next major enforcement frontier, with consumer groups pushing for the DMA's interoperability rules to cover social networks and AI infrastructure.

The European Commission launched on 8th May a targeted consultation on draft guidelines designed to help providers and deployers of AI systems comply with the transparency obligations set out in Article 50 of the AI Act, covering requirements such as informing users when they interact with an AI system, labelling AI-generated content, and disclosing the use of deepfakes. The draft guidelines also clarify key concepts and scope, including the exclusion of personal use cases, and are intended to complement the voluntary Code of Practice on AI-generated content currently being finalised. Stakeholders have until 3 June 2026 to submit their feedback, with the rules set to become applicable on 2 August 2026.

The European Commission has set out preliminary measures under the Digital Markets Act requiring Google to share key search data, including ranking, query and click data, with rival search engines on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms. The measures cover technical details such as eligibility criteria for data recipients, including AI-based search services, dataset scope and format, access frequency, anonymisation requirements and pricing. The proposals are open for public consultation until 1 May, with a final binding decision expected by July 2026.

The European Commission has launched an age-verification app letting users prove they are over 18 without sharing personal data, billed as a free, privacy-first tool to help platforms comply with child-safety rules under the Digital Services Act (DSA). Its debut was immediately undermined when a video showed the prototype could be bypassed in under two minutes, and child rights advocates warn it risks becoming a "quick technical fix to a structural problem," arguing that the real harm to children online stems from platforms' addictive design and behavioural advertising, none of which age verification addresses. Meanwhile, the Commission's slow pace has already allowed member states to forge ahead with their own national rules, creating the very fragmented patchwork of loopholes the EU was supposed to prevent.

A coalition of EU media trade bodies (including egta) sent a letter to commissioner McGrath and Virkkunen on April 21, urging EU regulators to ensure the upcoming Digital Fairness Act targets Big Tech rather than broadcasters and publishers already subject to heavy regulation. The goal is to warn that a one-size-fits-all approach risks harming democracy-sensitive media sectors by applying the same rules to structurally distinct actors regardless of their risk level or market power. We notably argue that features like autoplay, recommender systems, and personalised advertising are vital revenue streams for the media industry, and that the legislation should take a proportionate, evidence-based approach to avoid undermining the business models that sustain journalism and media pluralism across Europe.

A US federal judge has dismissed X Corp's antitrust lawsuit against the World Federation of Advertisers and other major advertisers, who the platform had accused of conspiring to withhold billions of dollars in advertising revenue following Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter in 2022. Judge Jane Boyle ruled that X had failed to demonstrate any harm under federal competition law, finding that the advertisers had acted independently in their spending decisions rather than as part of an illegal boycott. The dismissal is a significant blow to Musk's legal offensive against the advertising industry, which had seen X lose more than half its ad revenue within a year of his takeover amid sweeping content policy changes on the platform.

egta and other European broadcasting associations (including ACT, EBU and AER) have jointly called on the European Commission to designate major connected TV operating systems (Android TV, Amazon Fire OS and Samsung's Tizen OS) and virtual assistants as gatekeepers under the Digital Markets Act, arguing that these platforms play an increasingly central role in how audiences discover and access media content. We warn that the Commission's current approach is overly fragmented, having so far limited OS designations to mobile and PC devices, and urge it to open market investigations where quantitative thresholds are not met. We also call for a broader definition of "business users" to cover all entities that rely significantly on virtual assistants to reach end users, ahead of the upcoming DMA review.

The UK's junk food advertising ban, which came into force in January 2026 after eight years of delays, risks being a "paper tiger", according to Nesta agency, which finds that the regulations cover only around 8% of the £2.4 billion spent annually on food and drink advertising, and as little as 1% once companies shift budgets to unregulated channels. Key loopholes include exemptions for brand-only advertising, the exclusion of outdoor billboards and companies' own social media channels, and online restrictions limited to paid placements only.

Germany's competition authority is weighing whether to fine Apple over its App Tracking Transparency tool, after publishers, advertisers and media agencies rejected the company's proposed amendments as insufficient. The industry groups argue that Apple would remain the sole gatekeeper over advertising-relevant data, and are calling on the watchdog to reject the proposals outright and order the tool to be discontinued. Apple has pushed back, insisting the tool is privacy-compliant and that most iOS users actively support it.

France's Paris Commercial Court has ordered Google to pay nearly €23 million to broadcaster M6, finding the tech giant had favoured its own advertising platform at the expense of competing publishers. The ruling builds on a €220 million fine from France's competition authority in 2021 and a €2.95 billion EU fine, with harmful effects deemed to extend through 2026. Google plans to appeal, while several other French media groups have filed similar suits.

Marking two years since the Digital Services Act came into effect, the European Commission reports that the regulation is driving greater accountability online, with platforms reversing nearly 50 million content moderation decisions after user challenges. In just the first half of 2025, independent out-of-court dispute bodies reviewed more than 1,800 cases involving major platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, overturning 52% of them through quicker and more cost-efficient processes than conventional courts.

Hungary’s 12 April election campaign has been marked by a surge in AI-generated disinformation and an orchestrated push on social media, with deepfake content and smear ads flooding Facebook as the ruling Fidesz party struggles in the polls. Analysts warn that pro-government networks are being used to mobilise supporters and boost online reach, while AI-enhanced videos and posts aim to discredit opposition figures and shape public perceptions. This blend of technology-driven tactics and coordinated online activity reflects rising tensions in Hungary’s political landscape, difficulties when it comes to enforcement of rules and the evolving role of digital platforms in electoral contests.

The EU is targeting Google over concerns that its search advertising auction practices may unfairly inflate prices for advertisers, as regulators gather market feedback. The EC has contacted industry players and signalled it is prepared to open a formal antitrust investigation if evidence of anti-competitive conduct emerges, adding to broader scrutiny of Google’s dominance in digital advertising. Google maintains that its real-time auction model is fair and competitive, but the probe could further intensify regulatory pressure on its ad tech business in Europe.

EU legislators reached a deal on the AI Omnibus on 7th May, pushing back compliance deadlines for high-risk AI systems, banning nudifier tools, and carving out only the machinery sector from the AI Act's framework after intense lobbying from Germany, while leaving the core obligations of the legislation substantively unchanged. The most contentious issue was the treatment of industrial AI, with Parliament pushing to exempt all regulated product sectors and the Council resisting, ultimately landing on a limited compromise.

The European Commission held a high-level roundtable on May 4th, chaired by Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen, bringing together notably private and public broadcasters, VOD providers, and YouTube to discuss the likely revision of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive. Key priorities emerging from the discussions include simplifying advertising limits and transparency obligations, aligning video-sharing platform rules with the Digital Services Act, and establishing a clearer European definition for influencers, while broadcasters pushed hard to rebalance their regulatory obligations with those applied to platforms. Stakeholders remain divided on the scope of any revision, some favouring guidelines over a full reopening of the directive.

Warner Bros. shareholders have approved an $111bn takeover by Paramount Skydance, rubber-stamped without surprise at a general meeting on 23 April, after Netflix dropped out of the race to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery in February. The deal has alarmed parts of the industry, with more than 1,500 professionals signing an open letter warning it would further concentrate the media landscape and reduce competition, though Paramount has sought to reassure critics by pledging a full theatrical release for every film and a minimum of 30 feature films per year. The merger still requires sign-off from competition authorities including the US Federal Communications Commission and the European Commission.

EU's Court of Justice ruled that Hungary violated the bloc's foundational values by passing a 2021 law that banned LGBT+ content for minors across films, TV, advertising and schools. The court found that it unlawfully discriminated against LGBT+ people and painted them as a threat to children simply because of their identity. The judgment, landing after Hungary's elections, deals a wider blow to the anti-gender movement across Europe, arriving just a week after Viktor Orbán's electoral defeat to Péter Magyar. Budapest can still appeal the ruling, but MEPs are already calling on incoming leader Magyar and Justice Commissioner McGrath to act decisively in upholding EU values and repealing the legislation.

An Amsterdam court has ordered X to block access to its Grok AI system in the Netherlands following a ruling on 26 showing that the tool can be used to generate non-consensual deepfake nude imagery, including of minors, in violation of GDPR and Dutch child protection laws. The court found X liable as the intermediary, on the grounds that xAI controls Grok's functionalities and has the capacity to prevent the generation of unlawful content. Failure to comply could result in fines of €100,000 per day. The ruling comes as the European Commission has separately opened a DSA investigation into Grok.

The European Commission has published a second draft Code of Practice on the marking and labelling of AI-generated content, which narrows the scope of the first version to better align with the AI Act's "deep fake" perimeter. Still, key definitions, including what constitutes a "deep fake" and an "evidently creative work," remain unresolved. While the Code is set to be finalised by late May or early June, the first draft of the Commission guidelines will come by late April/early May, meaning that guidelines will likely be adopted later than the Code of Practice. As such, disclosure obligations could be locked in before the definitions determining their exact scope are officially confirmed.

Meta and Google have been found liable in two separate US court cases over the harm their platforms cause to young users. On 24 March, a Santa Fe court ordered Meta to pay $375 million for child endangerment, with New Mexico's Attorney General stating that the company knowingly ignored internal warnings (with Meta has planning to appeal). The following day, a Los Angeles jury ordered Meta and Google to pay a combined $6 million to a young woman who argued that Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube had made her addicted to social media as a child through features like infinite scroll and algorithmic recommendations, a ruling experts say could open the floodgates to further litigation against the industry.

Elon Musk's X has submitted proposed remedies to the European Commission to overhaul its blue checkmark verification system, following the €120 million fine issued under the EU's Digital Services Act. The Commission fined X in December 2025 for deceiving users, arguing that allowing anyone to pay for a verified badge misled audiences about account authenticity and failed to meet advertising transparency requirements. The Commission is now assessing the proposed changes, while X has simultaneously appealed the fine at the EU's General Court, calling the investigation flawed and procedurally biased.

With Hungary's April 2026 election approaching, deepfake videos and misleading content targeting opposition leader Péter Magyar are spreading widely online, much of it amplifying narratives pushed by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's allies. AI labelling rules have not been consistently enforced, and EU actors have largely avoided confronting Orbán on domestic disinformation. The situation puts Brussels in an uncomfortable position, with its own digital rulebook being tested in real time.

The French Ministry of Culture has launched its own public consultation on the EU’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD), open until 15 April, to gather input from media and cultural stakeholders as France shapes its national position ahead of a possible 2026 revision. The AVMSD sets baseline rules for broadcasters, on-demand and video-sharing platforms, including protection of minors, and is currently under review at EU level, with the European Commission having launched its evaluation back in 10 February and running until 1 May.

Belgium’s competition authority has formally opened proceedings against Google over suspected anti-competitive conduct in the online advertising market, citing serious indications of possible abuse of dominance and/or economic dependence. The probe, still at a preliminary stage, will examine the general terms of use for certain Google intermediation services and whether differences in treatment may disadvantage users and rivals. The move follows major sanctions elsewhere, including a €3 billion fine from the European Commission last year and the 2025 U.S. case, both of which the company is appealing.

The European Commission’s Digital Omnibus proposal, aiming at simplifying/modifying some of the EU data protection rules, has hit early resistance, as Member States push back on key elements of the proposed GDPR tweaks. In a first Council compromise, the national governments scrapped plans to codify the SRB court ruling redefining personal data and rejected giving the Commission new powers over pseudonymisation criteria, siding instead with national data protection authorities who warned the changes went beyond mere clarification. Ministers also signaled that further guidance from the European Data Protection Board is needed on when a person is identifiable.