Governments and regulatory bodies across over 60 jurisdictions developed digital policy highlights throughout October 2026, focusing on content moderation, artificial intelligence, competition, and data governance. The developments were detailed in Digital Policy Alert, an independent repository that monitors international policy changes affecting the digital economy.
The October roundup highlights regulatory actions across four primary areas: content moderation, artificial intelligence, competition, and data governance. The extent of enforcement actions varies across different regions, with several nations introducing new legislative proposals while others issued substantial financial penalties and formal compliance proceedings.
Governments Implement New Measures for Online Child Safety
Measures concerning content moderation and child safety saw significant activity across multiple jurisdictions. Turkey introduced a regulation requiring social network providers to verify users’ ages and bar children under 15, while Mexico issued a decree focused on safe digital environments for children and adolescents. Australia introduced the Digital Duty of Care Bill, and the European Commission initiated formal proceedings against Booking under the Digital Services Act (DSA) to assess compliance with obligations regarding fraud and phishing risks.
Artificial Intelligence and Competition Enforcement
In the artificial intelligence sector, the European Commission launched a consultation on procedural rules for AI Act enforcement, Italy designated its national AI Act authorities via Legislative Decree, and the EU and Canada issued a joint statement on AI safety and governance. China initiated a consultation on adding 23 AI technologies to its export control framework, and Japan established the AI and Digital Reform Promotion Council.
Competition policy actions included South Korea imposing fines of ₩42.9 billion and ₩20.81 billion against Google and Apple over in-app payments. The United Kingdom's Competition and Markets Authority proposed designating Microsoft as having strategic market status in business software, Turkey launched an investigation and interim measures concerning Google's AI Overviews and AI Mode, and Poland issued a commitment decision requiring Apple to show neutral App Tracking Transparency consent notices.
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