Series 5: Tech Law Standard Newsletter
An exclusive newsletter on AI regulation, data and privacy law, cybersecurity, digital assets governance, and internet law.
Welcome to the Series 5 round-up edition of Tech Law Standard. Tech laws are being reformed at an unprecedented pace. Therefore, we make sure you are up-to-date on the latest laws and regulations.
Our subscribers include tech founders, entrepreneurs, developers, engineers, legal professionals, compliance officers, policy analysts, academics and tech investors.
In this newsletter series, there are seven new developments in tech law that will excite you 🤩
1️⃣ Law Reform: AI Agents And Digital Assistants Are Now Legally Accountable
After three years of detailed drafting, revisions, and comprehensive commentary, on 19 May 2025, the European Law Institute (ELI) officially published the Guiding Principles and Model Rules on Digital Assistants for Consumer Contracts (DACC) was published.
These innovative rules introduce clear guidelines for the design and use of digital assistants, tools increasingly used by consumers to automate their contractual transactions.
2️⃣ Law Reform: Lawmakers Want to Take the Algorithm Out of Your Child’s Feed
The Kids Online Safety Act has returned to the spotlight in the United States Senate. The bill, known as SB 1748, was recently reintroduced after a previous version in the House of Representatives, HR 7891, failed to move forward before the 118th Congress adjourned.
The reintroduction reflects a renewed sense of urgency to establish protections for children and teenagers who use digital platforms.
The key motivation is concern about the growing influence of social media and online platforms on young users. Lawmakers are increasingly alarmed by the design of apps that can lead to compulsive use, expose minors to harmful content, and allow interaction with strangers without proper safeguards.
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3️⃣ Law Reform: Making a Will Could Soon Be as Easy as Sending an Email
Making a will is one of the most important things a person can do to ensure their property and wishes are respected after they pass away. For many years, doing so has required paper, pen, and two witnesses physically present to sign off.
That is now changing.
The England and Wales Law Commission has proposed reforms to bring the law of wills into the digital era.
4️⃣ Legal Update: TikTok May Have Breached the Digital Services Act by Hiding Key Details About Ads and Targeting
On 15 May 2025, the European Commission notified TikTok that it might be in breach of the Digital Services Act. At the centre of the Commission’s complaint is TikTok’s advertising repository, or more specifically, what it fails to do.
According to the European Commission, TikTok's advertisement repository fails to meet the standards set out under the Digital Services Act. These standards are not optional; they form part of the core transparency obligations that apply to Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) operating in the EU. TikTok, given its size and reach, falls into that category.
The law requires platforms to maintain a public repository of all ads shown on their service. This repository should clearly state what the ad is promoting, who paid for it, and which user groups were targeted.
5️⃣ Law Reform: Senate Bill 1638 Will Cut Off Foreign AI From Federal Infrastructure
A new bill was recently introduced in the United States Senate. Senate Bill 1638, formally titled the Protection Against Foreign Adversarial Artificial Intelligence Act of 2025. It seeks to stop any artificial intelligence system linked to a "foreign adversary" from being used in federal procurement.
This is not the first time lawmakers have tried to draw a line around who gets to supply software to the federal government, but this proposal makes it clear that the target is artificial intelligence.
The bill wants to stop certain foreign entities from offering their AI systems to public U.S. agencies.
6️⃣ Legal Update: They Tax the Phone, the Data, and the Service
Digital Services Tax, often called DST, is a type of tax that governments apply to companies offering digital services.
These include online advertising, video streaming, e-commerce platforms, social media, and other services that operate through digital networks.
DST targets the revenue generated by these services within a country, even if the company offering them is based elsewhere.
The reason many governments have introduced DST is to address what they see as a gap in the traditional tax system. Digital companies can operate and earn significant income in a country without having a physical presence there.
Under older tax rules, this allowed them to pay very little or no tax in the countries where they had many users or customers. DST aims to correct this by taxing part of their revenue locally.
7️⃣ Legal Update: SEC Investigates Nasdaq’s Proposed Canary Litecoin ETF For Its Legal Standards and Market Integrity
The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has initiated formal proceedings to assess a proposed rule change filed by the Nasdaq Stock Market. The change seeks approval to list and trade shares of the Canary Litecoin ETF under Nasdaq Rule 5711(d), which governs commodity-based trust shares.
The proposal plans to offer investors exposure to Litecoin (LTC) through a regulated financial product, without requiring them to directly hold the digital asset. 📊
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