The ODPA’s monthly round-up of data-related developments from around the world.
29 October 2025 - UK business leaders are planning to increase investment in cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI) over the next 12 months, according to PwC’s 2026 Global Digital Trust Insights survey: AI and cybersecurity investment rise to top of UK boardroom agendas, PwC research finds — Retail Technology Innovation Hub
1 November 2025 - The UK’s data protection regulator has launched a consultation to seek organisations’ views on the processes the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) follows when it suspects a breach of the UK GDPR or the Data Protection Act 2018. The consultation will run for 12 weeks until Friday 23 January 2026: ICO call for views on enforcement procedural guidance | ICO
4 November 2025 – The Irish Times reported on the harrowing High Court testimony of one of the thousands of police officers and civilian employees suing the Police Service of Northern Ireland over an unprecedented data breach which resulted in the release of their personal details in August 2023: Pregnant PSNI officer feared dissident republicans would attack home after data breach – The Irish Times
13 November 2025 - The EU Data Act marks a radical transformation in Europe's digital and data landscape and requires careful consideration from organizations as they navigate the requirements and obligations. In order to balance the risks and opportunities, organizations must strategically review how they use data, in terms of how data is accessed, shared, protected and monetized: EU Data Act operational impacts: Balancing risks and opportunities | IAPP
18 November 2025 - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron have appealed for more European innovation and agency in budding tech sectors like artificial intelligence. At a special summit in Berlin, Merz said Europe must seek greater digital sovereignty, "at least in those areas where it is possible and achievable." Germany news: Merz urges innovation at Berlin digital summit – DW – 11/18/2025
19 November 2025 - With the rapid rise of artificial intelligence and the proliferation of digital regulations in the EU, competitiveness concerns outlined in the Draghi report, and geopolitical pressure from the U.S. and China, the Commission is peeling back some rules it considers onerous: European Commission proposes significant reforms to GDPR, AI Act | IAPP
19 November 2025 – The European Commission says Europe's businesses, from factories to start-ups, will spend less time on administrative work and compliance and more time innovating and scaling-up, thanks to its new digital package: Simpler EU digital rules and new digital wallets to save billions for businesses
20 November 2025 - A Spanish court has ordered Meta to pay €479 million to 87 media outlets in compensation for breaching the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and competition rules: Spanish court orders Meta to pay €479 million to local media outlets | Euractiv
21 November 2025 - Ireland’s Data Protection Commission has launched a compelling campaign encouraging parents to “Pause before you Post.” The impactful short film highlights the hidden risks of ‘sharenting’—when well-intentioned parents share personal information and photos of their children online: "Pause Before You Post" Awareness Campaign
24 November 2025 - Dozens of civil liberties campaigners and legal professionals are calling for an inquiry into the UK’s data protection watchdog, after what they describe as “a collapse in enforcement activity” after the scandal of the Afghan data breach : Civil liberties groups call for inquiry into UK data protection watchdog | Data protection | The Guardian
26 November 2025 - Australia's landmark social media ban for children is being challenged in the nation's highest court, with two teenagers alleging the law is unconstitutional as it robs them of their right to free communication: Australia social media ban: Teens challenge law before High Court - BBC News