2026年数据法律趋势报告：探索法律、AI与全球数据的交汇前沿（英文版）

Data law trends 2026Exploring the interface of law, AI, and global data.22Contents1The global surge in data privacy mass claims2An increasingly fractured global rulebook for data, cyber, and AI3Why businesses must rethink their approach to young people’s data4Rising risks and shifting rules for international data transfers5AI now a board-level imperative for public companies and investors6Regulatory convergence grows across sectors and borders7The fragmented global landscape for anonymization3This year’s developments build on last year’s momentum but come with new urgency. Enforcement is more aggressive, regulatory silos are breaking down and issues – from algorithmic fairness to cross-border data flows and content safety – are broader than ever.Inside, you will find: 1. The global surge in data privacy mass claims2. An increasingly fractured global rulebook for data, cyber, and AI3. Why businesses must rethink their approach to young people’s data4. Rising risks and shifting rules for international data transfers5. AI now a board-level imperative for public companies and investors 6. Regulatory convergence grows across sectors and borders 7. The fragmented global landscape for anonymizationThis report is your early warning system, your trend-map and your strategic briefing rolled into one. It helps you see what’s coming, understand what matters and respond effectively.The next chapter of data law is being written. Your guide to navigating it starts here.The 2026 Data Law Trends report reveals a world in which businesses confront an increasingly complex, multi-polar regulatory environment.Data law has become a global fault line: divergent rules, intensifying enforcement and competing agendas across jurisdictions are fracturing what businesses once considered predictable. From the expansion of AI oversight to new limits on data transfers, child privacy regulations and cybersecurity guardrails, the legal landscape is evolving rapidly – and no market is immune.Where change is accelerating, old assumptions no longer hold. Many businesses are discovering that yesterday’s compliance playbooks won’t work in today’s multi-polar environment. Data laws are shaping everything from risk management to growth opportunities, and staying ahead of these shifts is critical.In 2026, data law has become a geopolitical and commercial chessboard for nations and businesses alike. Success now depends on mastering a fragmented global landscape. This report provides the strategic foresight needed to turn divergence and complexity into a competitive advantage.Giles Pratt and Christoph WerkmeisterGlobal Co-heads of the Freshfields data privacy and security practice.Executive summary 1.The global surge in data privacy mass claims Data law trends 20265The global pictureFew threats have escalated with the speed, scale and financial menace of mass data privacy litigation. Once a niche concern, collective privacy claims have become a primary drive