Human rights principles Archives | Digital Watch Observatory

EU court challenges French police data practices

The Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled that aspects of France’s biometric data collection system breach the EU law. Judges found that taking fingerprints and photographs of suspects under broad conditions fails to meet strict proportionality standards.

The case examined rules allowing police to collect and store data in the French Traitement des antécédents judiciaires and the Fichier automatisé des empreintes digitales. The court said collection cannot be routine and must meet a threshold of absolute necessity.

Judges also criticised the lack of clear justification for data collection, stating that individuals should receive explanations to exercise their legal rights. Existing rules were found to lack safeguards to ensure the limited and proportionate use of sensitive biometric information in France.

The ruling requires national courts to reassess the framework and could lead to changes in policing practices. It also raises broader questions about large-scale data retention and the balance between security and privacy.

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New Mexico wins major case against Meta

A jury has found Meta Platforms liable for misleading consumers and endangering children in a landmark case brought by the New Mexico Department of Justice. The verdict marks the first successful trial by a US state against a major tech firm over child safety concerns.

Jurors awarded civil penalties totalling 375 million dollars after finding violations of consumer protection law. The case focused on claims that platform design choices exposed young users to harmful and exploitative content.

Evidence presented in court included internal company documents and testimony suggesting awareness of risks to children. Allegations centred on failures to prevent exploitation, as well as features linked to addictive behaviour and exposure to harmful material.

Further proceedings in the US are scheduled, with authorities seeking additional penalties and mandated changes to platform safety measures. Proposed actions include stronger age verification and improved protections for minors online.

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OpenAI details Sora 2 safeguards for likeness, audio, and harmful content

OpenAI has published a new overview of the safety measures built into Sora 2 and the Sora app, setting out how the company says it is approaching provenance, likeness protection, teen safeguards, harmful-content filtering, audio controls, and user reporting tools. The Sora team published the note on 23 March 2026.

OpenAI says every video generated with Sora includes visible and invisible provenance signals, and that all videos also embed C2PA metadata. The company adds that many outputs feature visible moving watermarks that include the creator’s name, while internal reverse-image and audio search tools are used to trace videos back to Sora.

A substantial part of the update focuses on likeness and consent. OpenAI says users can upload images of people to generate videos, but only after attesting that they have consent from the people featured and the right to upload the media. OpenAI also says image-to-video generations involving people are subject to stricter safeguards than Sora Characters, and that images including children and young-looking persons face stricter moderation. Shared videos generated from such images will always carry watermarks, according to the company.

OpenAI also sets out controls linked to its characters feature, which it says is intended to give users stronger control over their likeness, including both appearance and voice. According to the company, users can decide who can use their characters, revoke access at any time, and review, delete, or report videos featuring their characters. OpenAI says it also applies additional restrictions designed to limit major changes to a person’s appearance, avoid embarrassing uses, and maintain broadly consistent identity presentation.

Protections for younger users form another part of the update. OpenAI says teen accounts are subject to stronger limitations on mature output, that age-inappropriate or harmful content is filtered from teen feeds, and that adult users cannot initiate direct messages with teens. Parental controls in ChatGPT can also be used to manage teen messaging permissions and to select a non-personalised feed in the app, while default limits apply to continuous scrolling for teens.

OpenAI says harmful-content controls operate at both creation and distribution stages. Prompt and output checks are used across multiple video frames and audio transcripts to block content including sexual material, terrorist propaganda, and self-harm promotion. OpenAI also says it has tightened policies for video generation compared with image generation because of added realism, motion, and audio, while automated systems and human review are used to monitor feed content against its global usage policies.

Audio generation is treated separately in the note. OpenAI says generated speech transcripts are automatically scanned for possible policy violations, and that prompts intended to imitate living artists or existing works are blocked. The company also says it honours takedown requests from creators who believe an output infringes their work.

User controls and recourse are presented as the final layer. OpenAI says users can choose whether to share videos to the feed, remove published content, and report videos, profiles, direct messages, comments, and characters for abuse. Blocking tools are also available, according to the company, to stop other users from viewing a profile or posts, using a character, or contacting someone through direct message.

OpenAI’s post is framed as a product-safety explanation rather than an independent assessment of the effectiveness of the measures in practice. Much of the note describes controls that the company says it has built into Sora 2, but it does not provide external evaluation data in the published summary.

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Zimbabwe advances AI national strategy with UNESCO support

Zimbabwe has launched a National Artificial Intelligence Strategy for 2026 to 2030, marking a significant step towards shaping its digital future instead of relying solely on traditional development pathways.

Announced by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in Harare, the strategy sets out a national framework for the responsible use of AI to support innovation, improve public services, and expand economic opportunities across sectors such as agriculture, healthcare, education, finance, and public administration.

The strategy places strong emphasis on building digital infrastructure, developing AI skills, and strengthening research and innovation ecosystems.

Officials highlighted the importance of governance frameworks to ensure that AI systems remain transparent, ethical, and aligned with national priorities instead of advancing without oversight.

The initiative reflects a broader effort to position Zimbabwe within the evolving technological landscape of the fourth industrial revolution while promoting sustainable economic growth.

Development of the strategy was supported by UNESCO, working alongside national institutions and stakeholders from academia, industry, and civil society.

The process was informed by the Artificial Intelligence Readiness Assessment Methodology and aligned with UNESCO Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence, promoting a human-centred approach that prioritises human rights, fairness, and transparency.

Regional initiatives across Southern Africa have also contributed to strengthening AI adoption readiness through similar assessment frameworks.

Looking ahead, Zimbabwe aims to translate the strategy into concrete investments in infrastructure, talent development, and innovation ecosystems.

International partners, including the UN, have expressed support for implementation efforts, emphasising the importance of inclusive growth and equitable access to digital opportunities.

By combining national leadership with international collaboration, Zimbabwe seeks to ensure that AI benefits communities across urban and rural areas rather than widening existing socioeconomic divides.

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New AI safety policies target teen protection in apps

OpenAI has released a set of prompt-based safety policies to help developers build safer AI experiences for teenagers. The tools work with the open-weight model gpt-oss-safeguard, turning safety requirements into practical classifiers for real-world use.

The policies address teen risks, including graphic violence, sexual content, harmful body image behaviour, dangerous challenges, roleplay, and age-restricted goods and services. Developers can use them for both real-time filtering and offline content analysis.

The framework was developed with input from organisations such as Common Sense Media and everyone.ai to improve clarity and consistency in teen safety rules. The initiative also responds to long-standing challenges in translating high-level safety goals into precise operational systems.

Open-source availability through the ROOST Model Community allows developers to adapt and expand the policies for different use cases and languages. The framework is a foundational step, not a complete solution, encouraging layered safeguards and ongoing refinement.

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UK tests social media bans for children in national pilot

The UK government has launched a large-scale pilot programme to test social media restrictions in the homes of 300 teenagers, aiming to improve children’s well-being instead of relying solely on existing digital safety measures.

The initiative, led by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and supported by Liz Kendall, will run for six weeks and examine how limits on digital platforms affect young people’s daily lives, including sleep, schoolwork, and family relationships.

Families across the UK will be divided into groups testing different approaches. Some parents will block access to social media entirely, while others will introduce a one-hour daily limit on popular platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat.

Another group will implement overnight curfews, restricting access between 9 pm and 7 am, while a control group will maintain existing usage patterns rather than introducing changes.

Participants will be interviewed before and after the trial to assess behavioural and practical outcomes, including how easily restrictions can be enforced and whether teenagers attempt to bypass controls.

The pilot runs alongside a national consultation on children’s digital well-being, which has already received nearly 30,000 responses. Government officials and academic experts will analyse data gathered from both initiatives to guide future policy decisions.

A programme that aims to ensure that any regulatory steps are evidence-based, reflecting real-life experiences rather than theoretical assumptions about digital behaviour.

Alongside the government trials, an independent scientific study funded by the Wellcome Trust will examine the effects of reduced social media use among adolescents.

Led by researchers from the University of Cambridge and the Bradford Institute for Health Research, the study will involve around 4,000 students aged 12 to 15.

Findings are expected to provide deeper insight into how social media influences anxiety, sleep, relationships, and overall well-being, supporting policymakers in shaping future online safety measures instead of relying on limited evidence.

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ICO and Ofcom issue guidance on age assurance and online safety

The Information Commissioner’s Office and Ofcom have issued a joint statement outlining how age assurance measures should align with online safety and data protection requirements.

A guidance that focuses on protecting children from harm online instead of treating safety and privacy as separate obligations, reflecting closer coordination between the two regulators.

The statement is directed at digital services likely to be accessed by children and falling within the scope of the Online Safety Act and UK data protection laws.

It provides a practical overview of existing policies, helping organisations understand how to meet both regulatory frameworks while implementing age assurance technologies.

Rather than introducing new rules, the guidance clarifies how current requirements interact in practice. It highlights the importance of designing systems that both verify users’ ages and safeguard personal data, ensuring that safety measures do not undermine privacy protections.

The approach encourages organisations to integrate compliance into service design instead of addressing obligations separately.

By aligning regulatory expectations, the ICO and Ofcom aim to support organisations in delivering safer online environments for children while maintaining strong data protection standards.

The joint effort signals a broader move towards coordinated digital regulation, where safety and privacy are addressed together to reflect the complexities of modern online services.

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EU watchdogs launch GDPR transparency sweep

The European Data Protection Board has launched a Europe-wide enforcement initiative to examine transparency and information obligations under the GDPR. The programme forms part of its Coordinated Enforcement Framework for 2026.

Twenty-five national data protection authorities will assess how organisations inform people about the processing of their personal data. Reviews will involve formal investigations and fact-finding exercises across multiple sectors.

Authorities plan to exchange findings later in the year to build a shared picture of compliance trends. A consolidated report will guide follow-up measures at both the national and EU levels.

The framework supports closer regulatory cooperation and consistent GDPR enforcement. Previous coordinated actions examined cloud services, data protection officers, access rights and the right to erasure.

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EU privacy bodies back cybersecurity overhaul

The European Data Protection Board and the European Data Protection Supervisor have backed proposals to strengthen the EU cybersecurity law while safeguarding personal data. Their joint opinion addresses reforms to the Cybersecurity Act and updates to the NIS2 Directive.

Regulators support plans to reinforce the mandate of the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity and expand cybersecurity certification across digital supply chains. Clearer coordination between ENISA and privacy authorities is seen as essential for consistent oversight.

Advice also calls for limits on the processing of personal data and for prior consultation on technical rules affecting privacy. Certification schemes should align with the GDPR and help organisations demonstrate compliance.

Additional recommendations include broader cybersecurity skills training and a single EU entry point for personal data breach notifications. Proposed changes would also classify digital identity wallet providers as essential entities under the EU security rules.

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EDPB summarises conference on cross-regulatory cooperation in the EU

The European Data Protection Board has published a summary of its 17 March conference in Brussels on cross-regulatory interplay and cooperation in the EU from a data protection perspective. According to the EDPB, the event brought together representatives of the EU institutions, European Data Protection Authorities, academia, and industry.

Three panels structured the conference discussion. One focused on data protection and competition, another on the Digital Markets Act and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and a third on the Digital Services Act and the GDPR.

Discussion in the first panel centred on cooperation between regulatory bodies in data protection and competition, including lessons from the aftermath of the Bundeskartellamt ruling. The EDPB said speakers emphasised the need for regulators to align their approaches and recognise synergies between the two fields. Speakers also said data protection should be considered in competition analysis only when relevant and on a case-by-case basis. The EDPB added that it had recently agreed with the European Commission to develop joint guidelines on the interplay between competition law and data protection.

The second panel focused on joint guidelines on the Digital Markets Act and the GDPR, developed by the European Commission and the EDPB and recently opened to public consultation. According to the EDPB, speakers described the guidelines as an example of regulatory cooperation aimed at developing a coherent and compatible interpretation of the two frameworks while respecting regulatory competences. The Board said participants linked the guidelines to stronger consistency, legal clarity, and easier compliance. Some speakers also suggested changes to the final version, including points related to proportionality and the relationship between DMA obligations and the GDPR.

The final panel examined the interaction between the Digital Services Act and the GDPR. The EDPB said panellists referred to the protection of minors as one example, arguing that age verification should be effective while remaining fully in line with data protection legislation. Speakers also highlighted the need for coordination between the two frameworks, including cooperation involving the EU institutions such as the European Board for Digital Services, the European Commission, the EDPB, and national authorities. Emerging technologies such as AI were also mentioned in the discussion.

The event also featured keynote speeches from European Commission Executive Vice President Henna Virkkunen and European Parliament LIBE Committee Chair Javier Zarzalejos. According to the EDPB, Virkkunen said the Commission remained committed to cooperation between different frameworks and highlighted the need to support compliance through stronger coordination among regulators. Zarzalejos said close cross-regulatory cooperation was essential for consistency, effective enforcement, and trust, and pointed to the intersections among data protection law, competition law, the DMA, and the DSA.

EDPB Chair Anu Talus closed the conference by reiterating that the EDPB and European Data Protection Authorities are committed to supporting stakeholders in navigating what the Board described as a new cross-regulatory landscape. The EDPB said future work will include continued cooperation with the Commission on joint guidelines on the interplay between the AI Act and the GDPR, finalisation of the joint guidelines on the interplay between the DMA and the GDPR, and work on the recently announced Joint Guidelines on the interplay between data protection and competition law.

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