Data, privacy, and cybersecurity developments we are watching in 2026
Without fail, each new year brings regulatory shifts and plaintiffs’-bar activity that push data, privacy, and cybersecurity in unexpected directions. As we look ahead to 2026, our Data, Privacy, and Cybersecurity Group is monitoring the following key trends and developments. These are issues we anticipate will demand significant client attention in the year ahead. In Depth The feds (and states) up the heat on kid privacy Earlier this year, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) finalized its revised Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) regulations. Those regulations required COPPA-regulated companies to provide greater transparency, introduced new data-sharing limitations, and enhanced security requirements, signaling a shift toward tighter control over how children’s data flows through digital ecosystems. But that’s not where the focus on children’s privacy stopped – states are filling gaps that COPPA leaves open, especially for teens. Across the countr...