7-Eleven and its parent company Seven & i Holdings will pay a $4.5 million penalty to resolve Federal Trade Commission allegations that the convenience store giant violated a 2018 antitrust consent order by purchasing a competing fuel outlet in St. Petersburg, Florida without giving the agency prior notice.
Beginning the first week of January, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) will launch its first compliance sweep examining how everyday businesses handle personal information they request directly from customers. Real estate agents at weekend house tours, pharmacy counters offering paperless receipts, and car rental desks asking for IDs are among the common touchpoints now under heightened scrutiny.
Malaysia’s Advisory Committee on Sustainability Reporting (ACSR) has mapped out how it plans to address non-compliance with the country’s emerging sustainability disclosure rules, signaling a balanced approach that supports corporate readiness while keeping formal enforcement tools within reach.
Brussels has taken a noticeable step back from some of its most far-reaching sustainability ambitions. After a marathon round of negotiations, EU lawmakers reached a provisional deal to trim down the scope of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), a course correction shaped by delays, industry pressure, and a shifting political mood.
Norway’s financial system remains resilient heading into 2026, but beneath the strength sit familiar and growing fault lines. That’s what Finanstilsynet’s latest Risk Outlook is telling us, which shows that high household debt, stretched property values, and global instability are still Norway’s biggest vulnerabilities.
The European Commission said it has formally acknowledged Meta’s commitment to introduce a clearer, more meaningful decision point for Facebook and Instagram users across the EU. Beginning in January 2026, people will be offered two distinct paths—continue sharing their full data footprint for highly tailored advertising, or opt for a version of the apps that relies on less personal information and delivers more limited ad personalization.
After months of pressure on website operators, the Information Commissioner’s Office says more than 95% of the UK’s top 1,000 most-visited websites now meet legal requirements when asking users to consent to advertising cookies. It’s a shift the regulator estimates has given roughly 40 million people, about 80% of the population over 14, much more meaningful say over how companies can track their browsing for targeted ads.