Compliance Stuff

In 2026, organizations will face a markedly more complex privacy and cybersecurity landscape. Numerous individual states continue to expand substantive requirements, federal regulators are asserting broader enforcement authority and emerging technologies are reshaping compliance expectations. This alert previews the privacy compliance developments most likely to affect businesses in the coming year and outlines practical implications for compliance and risk management. 1. Expansion of State Privacy Laws and Accelerated Enforcement With the addition of Indiana, Kentucky and Rhode Island’s new statutes on Jan. 1, 2026, a total of 20 states have comprehensive consumer privacy laws in effect. Although these laws share many structural similarities, their divergent definitions, exemptions and rights create operational challenges for any organization handling data across multiple jurisdictions. Unsurprisingly, California remains the most demanding privacy jurisdiction. Its  newly effecti...

Privacy law evolved at a dizzying pace in 2025. Regulators brought headline-making enforcement actions, courts continued to shape the boundaries of existing statutes, and state legislatures advanced new laws. Much of that activity centered on familiar pressure points: privacy notices and opt-out mechanisms, telemarketing and text messaging practices, and the collection and use of sensitive data, particularly biometric information, health data (such as the Healthline CCPA enforcement), and children’s and teen’s personal information (including actions against Roku in multiple jurisdictions). Newly effective laws echoed those same priorities. For example, Maryland’s comprehensive privacy law and several children’s privacy statutes in states like New York and Colorado place new limits on how children’s data may be used for advertising and related purposes, while Colorado also expanded consent requirements for certain biometric processing affecting both consumers and employees. In parallel,...

A number of employment-related laws recently passed in various states that impact the workplace will take effect on July 1, 2025. Quick Hits New state laws will impact minimum wage, leaves of absence, restrictive covenants, child labor, and other workplace issues. These laws will take effect on July 1, 2025. Here is a roundup briefly summarizing the new state laws: Alaska Ballot Measure 1  increases the minimum wage to $13.00 per hour , establishes paid sick leave, and prohibits employers from holding mandatory meetings to share political or religious opinions. Employers will be required to provide one hour of paid sick leave per thirty hours worked. In California, Los Angeles County passed a  Fair Workweek Ordinance , which includes predictive scheduling provisions. It requires employers to provide advance notice of schedule changes, premium pay for schedule changes, and rest time between shifts. It applies to retail businesses that have at least 300 employees worldwide. In a...