Global Scans · Legal · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Substantive regulatory change is likely to happen in the next decade as a result of the recent U.S. Presidential election, Brexit and efforts to reduce the impacts of climate change, increase trade and reduce bureaucracy while legislating for new forms of technological advancement such as robots, driverless cars and drones.

• [New] Pending legislation that would clarify how digital assets are classified in the United States has already moved prices on headlines alone, and further delays or setbacks could weigh on the entire category regardless of which coin an investor holds. Coin Gabbar
• [New] The US constitution's fourth amendment protects against unreasonable searches and seizures and law enforcement generally must show a judge or a grand jury they have probable cause to believe the materials they want to search will produce evidence of a crime. The Guardian
• [New] A new law in Louisiana, which went into effect earlier this month, allows courts to fine parents or guardians up to $5,000 if a youth age 14 or older is convicted of making a school threat. Stateline
• [New] Following the Commonwealth's world leading action on artificial intelligence (AI) to develop national laws by early 2027, First Ministers agreed the emerging technology represents a generational opportunity for Australia if properly harnessed. Prime Minister of Australia
• [New] Companies that use Labour Law 2026 as a catalyst to modernise HR systems, digitise records, and clarify decision rights will not only reduce risk but also improve efficiency. Consultancy Middle East
• [New] By embedding regulatory adherence directly into the MLOps lifecycle, IBM aims to reduce the burden of compliance and lower the legal and financial risks associated with operating AI in a tightly regulated environment. AI Conference London
• [New] The EU AI Act is expected to shape AI regulation in the UK, Singapore, and beyond. WalledAI
• [New] IBM's annual Cost of a Data Breach Report has consistently found that the average data breach costs organizations several million dollars globally when investigation costs, operational disruption, regulatory penalties, legal expenses and reputational damage are included. Los Angeles Times
• [New] Across Los Angeles, accounting firms, law firms and business consultancies are increasingly deploying AI-powered analytics to identify financial risks, regulatory compliance issues, litigation exposure and operational weaknesses before they become expensive problems. Los Angeles Times
• [New] States have multiple checks in place to prevent non-U.S. citizens from voting, yet multiple states have enacted laws premised on the myth of widespread noncitizen voting that will block some eligible American citizens from casting ballots. Brennan Center for Justice
• [New] There has been an increase in opportunities for law students, also reported in Canadian provinces such as Quebec, and early career lawyers to become involved in diverse work and most importantly a deeper understanding of 'people-centred' lawyering. Legal Futures
• [New] By 2040, Earth Observation is routinely used to support policy decisions, regulatory frameworks, and legal processes. Indico at ESA / ESTEC (Indico)
• [New] The Circular Economy for Plastics proposed a Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation effective as of 2025 (Regulation 2025/40, 2024) that requires all packaging (including plastic) to be recyclable or reusable by 2030, and to set recycled content targets for plastics. Scientific Advice Mechanism
• [New] The short-term goal of the Net-Zero Industry Act aims to achieve net-zero manufacturing capacity to meet at least 40% of the EU's annual deployment needs by 2030 (Regulation 2024/1735, 2024). Scientific Advice Mechanism
• [New] The FBI has repeatedly warned about fraudulent cryptocurrency recovery services and fictitious law firms that approach previous victims promising to recover their funds. TechBullion
• [New] Chris Bowen insists federal Labour's new national laws on datacenter power supply will not include carve-outs for Queensland and the Northern Territory, with states that are eager to use coal and gas required to make their case to the national regulator. The Guardian
• [New] President Tokayev called for broader use of artificial intelligence to improve legislative analysis and minimize corruption risks, while stressing that digital technologies cannot replace professional legal expertise. The Astana Times
• [New] Repro Uncensored has an ongoing legal case against Meta in the Netherlands for alleged discrimination against queer accounts, and plans further action in other European countries. The Guardian
• [New] Architectures that take raw pixels and output steering commands run the risk of black box failures, and Waymo has added an independent onboard validation layer that checks every proposed trajectory against physics and traffic law - a choice it calls non-negotiable for safely scaling at L4. EV
• [New] By firm size, Large Law Firms retained 69.94% in 2025, while Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) Law Firms are projected to advance at a 5.87% CAGR through 2031. Mordor Intelligence
• [New] By application, Corporate, Financial & Commercial Law held 32.69% in 2025, while Other Applications are projected to grow at 6.89% to 2031. Mordor Intelligence
• [New] The California Department of Motor Vehicles confirmed that it will be imposing new regulations for driverless vehicles. thetruthaboutcars.com

Last updated: 08 September 2026