Staying on top of privacy regulation has turned from a compliance checkbox into a business strategy. When you understand where regulators are heading, you can strategize instead of react. That’s precisely why we publish Regulation Station, our quarterly update highlighting key changes across the privacy landscape.

In our latest edition, clear trends show how regulators are expanding the scope of privacy protections, targeting overlooked areas, and placing more control in users’ hands. Let’s take a look at what’s rising to the surface and what businesses should take away from it.

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Children’s rights take center stage

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Children’s privacy is a clear focal point, as it should be. New regulations, such as the revised COPPA rules in the U.S. and strict clauses in New Jersey’s data law, impose fundamental limitations on how companies collect and use data from minors. 

The key shift here is the understanding that proper consent requires a level of awareness that minors often don’t have. Regulators may require obtaining valid consent from a parent or guardian through verified channels before allowing a child to create an account. 

The impact of online footprints is lasting, making these seemingly small decisions more critical than many think. For businesses, this means reviewing how platforms like apps, social media networks, or eCommerce sites handle younger users, even if children are not the primary audience. 

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A true omnichannel approach

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Until recently, some communication channels flew under the radar. For example, robocalls and robotexts received little regulatory attention. That has changed. The new TCPA rules from the FCC make it clear that written consent is required before using automated messaging systems, regardless of how harmless the message may seem.

This shows that regulators are shifting their focus from only web-based data collection to include all channels where user interaction occurs. Businesses have to think of every interaction with users and ensure they have a fitting privacy strategy. No rock is left unturned when it comes to data privacy. 

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Keeping pace with innovation

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When AI became integral to companies’ operations, over 80% of users expressed concern that this technology would violate their privacy. Public representatives were paying attention, and AI regulation is no longer a theoretical discussion. The EU’s AI Act goes into effect this summer and introduces one of the first detailed frameworks for AI deployment. The law also discusses connected devices, edge computing, and government access during emergencies. 

These laws show that regulators are not afraid to tackle the complexities of new technologies. What used to take years to address now becomes an existing law within months. The main lesson for businesses is that they should not wait until laws catch up. This early adaptation is actually good news, as it allows businesses to implement new technologies with clear boundaries in mind and fewer unpleasant surprises later on. 

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Third-party management is mandatory

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Third-party vendors play a crucial role in data management, and recent laws show that regulators understand this simple truth. These include the Delaware DPDPA, Minnesota MCDPA, and Maryland MODPA, among others. Upon request, companies must provide users with access to lists of third parties that process their data and ensure contracts are in place that define how data is handled.

This shift underscores the importance of an up-to-date, accessible data inventory like the one offered by MineOS. Manual methods simply cannot scale, and companies need real-time discovery and strong data mapping capabilities.

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Putting users in the driver’s seat

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Many of the new regulations offer users more ways to manage their data. Opt-outs are expanding to cover profiling, data sales, targeted advertising, and more. Minnesota’s law goes further, allowing consumers to review how data profiling results were reached and even challenge those conclusions. If profiling based on online data has a legal or similar effect, users have the right to access said data and correct it when necessary.  

Regulators understand that today’s users want to understand how their data is used and to have meaningful tools to manage that use. Businesses need to deliver those tools in a way that’s easy to access and understand.

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Small businesses, big expectations

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Data privacy used to be an issue that only large enterprises had to worry about, but that’s clearly no longer the case. New Hampshire’s NHDPA, for example, applies to companies processing data from just 35,000 residents, with even lower thresholds under certain conditions. Other states are setting similar limits, signaling a broader shift in regulatory scope that businesses must pay attention to.  

This trend shows that regulators are moving beyond headline-grabbing tech giants, and online privacy is a day-to-day practice all businesses must consider early on. Smaller businesses need to prepare, especially those operating in multiple states. 

While each state or region has its own approach to regulation, the bigger picture is consistent. Laws are growing more detailed, thresholds are dropping, and data mapping is now a legal requirement. 

Following legal updates is critical, but it’s only part of building a solid privacy strategy. Regulation can guide your foundation, but it shouldn’t be the only thing driving your data privacy strategy. True privacy maturity comes from understanding your data, users, and technology.

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