Law & Regulation
Germany Ends Apple's Tilted Ad Consent Prompt
Germany's antitrust regulator ruled Apple's own tracking-consent prompt was designed more favorably than the one it forces on other apps. Apple has four months to fix it, EU-wide.
Law & Regulation
Law & Regulation
The EU Repair Law Took Effect as 27 Different Laws
The EU Right to Repair Directive became applicable on July 31, 2026, but there is no single text to comply with: 27 separate national laws carry it, with Croatia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Finland registered early and Germany passing its own version just five weeks before the deadline. A company's 'EU compliant' repair claim depends on which of the 27 it is actually built against.
Law & Regulation
France's Court Left a Blueprint, Not Just a Veto
France's Constitutional Council struck down the under-15 social media ban on August 14, 2026, citing two specific, fixable defects. France is also piloting the EU's own privacy-preserving age-verification app, built to fix exactly the gap the court cited.
Law & Regulation
EU Clears EA's Buyout, Skips Its Esports Overlap
Brussels cleared PIF's $55 billion take-private of Electronic Arts under merger rules and, eight days later, under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation. Neither filing mentions that PIF already owns the world's leading esports tournament operator.
Law & Regulation
UK's Top Court Strips Bahrain's Spyware Immunity
The UK Supreme Court ruled 3-2 on July 27 that Bahrain cannot claim state immunity for a 2011 FinSpy hack of London-based activists. The spyware itself was built by a UK company.
Law & Regulation
A 1947 Diary Just Set Europe's VPN Liability Rule
The EU's top court ruled that geo-blocking only needs to be state-of-the-art, not VPN-proof. The case was about Anne Frank's diary. The consequence is a compliance bar that keeps moving.
Law & Regulation
UK's Top Court Reopens a $32-Per-Car Patent Fee
The UK Supreme Court's July 27 ruling in Tesla v InterDigital revived a FRAND challenge to patent-pool pricing. The real precedent reaches every UK-patent SEP licensee, not just automakers.
Law & Regulation
A Meta Ruling That Reaches Every UK Platform
The Court of Appeal ruled Facebook users can claim damages without proving financial loss. The reasoning reaches any UK platform built on free, non-negotiated data.
Law & Regulation
EU Court Locks In DMA Rules for All Six Gatekeepers
The General Court dismissed Apple's DMA gatekeeper appeal on July 8. The real precedent isn't about Apple losing - it closes a procedural escape route for all six designated gatekeepers.
Law & Regulation
First Rival App Store Enters Google Play in 10 Years
Aptoide's app store is now installable directly inside Google Play in the US under a court-ordered program - here is what it means for EU and UK Android distribution strategy under the DMA.
Law & Regulation
9th Circuit Clears Way for 3,000+ Addiction Suits
The 9th Circuit ruled Section 230 is a defense, not immunity, clearing more than 3,000 suits against Meta, TikTok, Google and Snap over addictive design.
Law & Regulation
Revolut Adds France as a Second EU Banking Base
Revolut received a full French banking licence on 10 August 2026 via the ACPR and the ECB Governing Council, its second standalone EU charter after Lithuania's 2018 licence. Paris becomes the Western Europe hub in 2027 after a 1 billion euro investment.
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The Operator Brief
One considered note on infrastructure, governance, and measurement, most mornings. No theory.