The 2026 Data Law Trends report reveals a world in which businesses confront an increasingly complex, multi-polar regulatory environment.

Data law has become a global fault line: divergent rules, intensifying enforcement and competing agendas across jurisdictions are fracturing what businesses once considered predictable.

From the expansion of AI oversight to new limits on data transfers, child privacy regulations and cybersecurity guardrails, the legal landscape is evolving rapidly – and no market is immune.

Where change is accelerating, old assumptions no longer hold. Many businesses are discovering that yesterday’s compliance playbooks won’t work in today’s multi-polar environment. Data laws are shaping everything from risk management to growth opportunities, and staying ahead of these shifts is critical.  

This year’s developments build on last year’s momentum but come with new urgency. Enforcement is more aggressive, regulatory silos are breaking down and issues – from algorithmic fairness to cross-border data flows and content safety – are broader than ever.

Inside, you will find:

1. The global surge in data privacy mass claims
2. An increasingly fractured global rulebook for data, cyber and AI
3. Why businesses must rethink their approach to young people’s data
4. Rising risks and shifting rules for international data transfers
5. AI now a board-level imperative for public companies and investors
6. Regulatory convergence grows across sectors and borders
7. The fragmented global landscape for anonymization

This report is your early warning system, your trend-map and your strategic briefing rolled into one. It helps you see what’s coming, understand what matters and respond effectively.

The next chapter of data law is being written.

Your guide to navigating it starts here.

Law stated as at 1 October 2025.