Policy & Regulation
190 articles RSS
Congress Converges on Children's Online Safety as House Passes KIDS Act and Court Revives California Design Code
The House advanced the 12-bill KIDS Act on a party-line vote, the Senate passed COPPA 2.0 unanimously, and the Ninth Circuit revived California's design code, setting up a collision between federal preemption and state enforcement.
Federal Wearable Push Collides with FDA Deregulation and an Unresolved Privacy Gap
The U.S. government is simultaneously encouraging universal wearable adoption through an HHS advertising campaign and loosening FDA oversight of wellness devices, while the health data these sensors generate remains largely unprotected by federal privacy law.
Federal Courts Split on AI and Legal Privilege as Supreme Court Settles the Copyright Question
Two federal courts reached opposite conclusions on whether AI-generated legal materials are protected from discovery, while the Supreme Court declined to extend copyright to AI-authored works, leaving the legal profession to navigate a patchwork of emerging rules with no clear federal framework.
Right to Repair Gains Ground on Three Fronts as State Laws Multiply, EPA Backs Farmers, and Congress Stalls on Military Equipment
Seven U.S. states now enforce consumer electronics right-to-repair laws, the EPA has clarified that farmers can fix their own diesel equipment, and defense contractors blocked military repair provisions from the 2026 defense bill.
FDA Pursues Most Sweeping Food Chemical Safety Overhaul in Decades as GRAS Reform, Dye Phase-Out, and PFAS Limits Converge
The FDA is simultaneously overhauling its GRAS ingredient notification system, phasing out petroleum-based food dyes by year-end, and confronting PFAS contamination in produce, marking the broadest transformation of US food chemical regulation since the 1958 Food Additives Amendment.
Accessibility Technology Converges on AI, Wearables, and Regulation as ADA and EAA Deadlines Loom
A convergence of AI-powered assistive tools, smart wearable devices, and looming regulatory deadlines in the US and EU is reshaping the accessibility technology landscape in 2026.
FCC Votes March 26 to Dismantle Copper Retirement Barriers as AT&T Prepares to Shut Down 30 Percent of Its Wire Centers by 2029
The FCC will vote on March 26 to eliminate Section 214 and Section 251 barriers that slow copper network retirement, potentially freeing billions in carrier capital for fiber and wireless broadband.
Buy Now, Pay Later Faces Its Regulatory Reckoning as UK Finalizes Rules and New York Proposes Nation's First Licensing Regime
The UK's FCA will enforce full oversight of BNPL products from July 15, while New York has proposed the first comprehensive state licensing framework — filling a gap left by the CFPB's withdrawal of federal consumer protections.
2026 Farm Bill Offers 90 Percent Subsidies for Precision Agriculture as Critics Warn of Big Tech Entrenchment in American Farming
The 2026 Farm Bill would subsidize 90 percent of precision agriculture adoption costs and let the tech industry set standards, drawing criticism over corporate control of farming.
SEC and CFTC Issue Joint Crypto Taxonomy, Classifying 16 Tokens as Digital Commodities in Landmark Regulatory Shift
U.S. regulators end a decade of ambiguity by jointly defining five crypto asset categories, explicitly naming Bitcoin, Ether, and Solana as commodities — not securities.
U.S. Army Nears Dark Eagle Fielding but Pentagon Testers Say Data Is Insufficient to Verify Combat Effectiveness
The Army says its first hypersonic missile battery is weeks from full fielding, yet the Pentagon's testing office warns it lacks the data to assess whether the weapon actually works in combat.
Bipartisan Bill Seeks Warrant Requirements for Section 702 Searches as FISA Surveillance Authority Nears April Expiration
Senators Lee and Wyden introduce the Government Surveillance Reform Act to close warrantless search loopholes and ban government data broker purchases, with Section 702 set to expire on April 20, 2026.