26 January - 01 February 2026
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Cullen International's Weekly Highlights provide a concise overview of the key regulatory developments covered by our analysts in the past week.
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Digital Networks Act (DNA) proposal explained
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Telecoms Cullen International's latest in-depth reports on the Digital Networks Act show a mix of continuity and targeted reform. While the proposal largely preserves the current SMP access framework and EU net neutrality rules, it strengthens proportionality in regulatory remedies and clarifies the treatment of specialised services. More significant change is foreseen for satellite services, with the introduction of a centralised EU-level framework for authorisation and spectrum use.
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Telecoms Stakeholders shared their initial views on the proposed Digital Networks Act (DNA) during an event in Brussels on 27 January 2026, one week after the European Commission put forward its vision for an updated EU telecoms framework. There were some positive reactions to further centralisation and harmonisation, including from the Cyprus Council presidency. However, industry called for more simplification, while regulators called to maintain national flexibility.
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Postal ComReg, the Irish communications regulator, is consulting on draft measures that aim to apply a standardised approach to complaint handling, including the introduction of standardised timeframes and definitions to postal operators' codes of practice.
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Commission steps up enforcement under the Digital Services Act but faces Parliamentary criticism
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Media On 26 January 2026, the European Commission designated WhatsApp's Channels feature as a very large online platform under the Digital Services Act. On the same day, the Commission opened new formal proceedings against X related to the use of the AI chatbot Grok to generate non-consensual sexual deepfakes, and extended an existing investigation to examine the impact of X's announced shift to a Grok-based recommender system. However, members of the European Parliament criticised the Commission for not acting more decisively under the DSA to protect minors, including to tackle the sale of child-like sex dolls, weapons, and other illegal products on the SHEIN marketplace.
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Antitrust & Mergers The consultation, which is open until 6 March, is part of a sector inquiry that examines advertising within conversational agents, their integration into other services provided by the same company, and their growing role in e-commerce (so-called agentic commerce).
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Digital Economy
Artificial intelligence (AI) firm xAI, owned by Elon Musk, filed a lawsuit against the state of California to invalidate the California AI Transparency Act. This law requires that AI developers disclose details about the data used to train any generative AI system made available to the public since 2022. The company alleges the law forces it to publish valuable trade secrets that give its models advantages over others in the market, in violation of US constitutional protections.
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Media ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, completed a divestiture that established a largely American-owned entity to control TikTok's US operations. The transaction was necessary to comply with a 2024 federal law which banned foreign-adversary-controlled applications. ByteDance retains minority ownership in the new company but ceded operational control of several aspects of the business.
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Postal The proposed amendments concern regulatory obligations on postal operators when handling dangerous postal items. If the proposals are adopted, postal operators would be entitled to compensation from senders for costs incurred in handling items containing hazardous goods.
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Online - 5 February 2026 4PM - 4:45PM CET/GMT+1
This free webinar provides a high-level overview of key digital policy and regulatory trends to watch in 2026, focusing on critical infrastructure, strategic digital technologies and the regulation of online platforms across multiple regions.
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Online - 10 February 2026 1PM - 2PM CET/GMT+1
In this free one-hour webinar, Cullen International will bring together analysts and regional policy experts to discuss the evolution of IoT regulation and policy across the Middle East and North Africa. The webinar will also explore how different jurisdictions are approaching connectivity, data and digital services.
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Online - March-April 2026 24 hours of interactive online sessions
Early-bird ends on 17 February!
EU telecoms regulation continues to evolve - and staying on top of the key debates has never been more important. Our online Telecoms Masterclass helps you navigate the EU regulatory framework, understand current policy discussions, and place them in a broader international context where relevant.
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