Digital Privacy 26 January 2026 - 28 January 2026

Apple Faces Fresh German Fine Threat After Publishers Reject App Tracking Changes

Apple Faces Fresh German Fine Threat After Publishers Reject App Tracking Changes

On Tuesday, German publishers and advertisers amped up their demands on Apple, calling on the country's cartel office to block the tech giant’s proposed tweaks to App Tracking Transparency—known as ATT—and instead hit the company with a fine. ATT forces apps to get iPhone users’ permission before tracking them across third-party apps and sites. Still, the trade groups argue that Apple’s planned changes would leave it holding too much sway over advertising data in the mobile ad business. The stakes are climbing. Germany hasn’t decided if Apple’s December proposal is sufficient, and a ruling against the tech giant could draw heavier European attention to a feature Apple touts as boosting privacy. France already hit Apple with a 150 million euro
March 10, 2026
UK watchdog puts Google Search on notice: publishers may get an AI Overviews opt‑out

UK watchdog puts Google Search on notice: publishers may get an AI Overviews opt‑out

London, 28 Jan 2026, 13:09 GMT On Wednesday, Britain’s competition watchdog put forward new rules demanding that Google allow publishers to opt out of having their content included in AI Overviews—those AI-generated summaries that show up at the top of Search results. The Competition and Markets Authority has set a deadline of Feb. 25 for feedback before finalizing its decision.
January 28, 2026
EU launches fresh X probe after Grok sexual deepfake outcry, widens algorithm case

EU launches fresh X probe after Grok sexual deepfake outcry, widens algorithm case

Brussels, 26 January 2026, 16:15 On Monday, the European Commission opened a new probe into Elon Musk’s social media platform X, zeroing in on the spread of manipulated, sexually explicit images tied to its Grok chatbot. Simultaneously, regulators widened an ongoing investigation into X’s recommender systems—the algorithms that decide what content users see.
January 26, 2026