Data Bytes 67: Your EMEA Data Privacy Update for July 2026

According to Ashurst Perkins Coie, on 29 June 2026, privacy NGO noyb warned that the US Supreme Court's decision in Trump v. Slaughter[1] weakens the legal basis of the EU-US Data Privacy Framework. The firm notes that the European Commission's adequacy decision behind the framework relies on the independence of the FTC[1].The firm reports that on 14 June 2026, the UAE Artificial Intelligence and Data Authority ("Authority") was formally established.[1] Its new UAE team writes that the authority "could prove to be a real turning point for the onshore PDPL"[1]. The report sets out findings from consensual audits of 28 edtech providers carried out during 2024 and 2025[1]. According to the firm, providers reportedly accepted and implemented 98% of the 596 recommendations made.[1] That includes CCTV footage and, where justified, facial recognition technology[1].The firm says the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) adopted guidelines on processing personal data through blockchain technologies on 8 July, and that the guidance explains how different blockchain architectures operate and their implications for GDPR compliance.[1]Kasowitz LLP's own July round-up reports that two significant Supreme Court decisions addressed the independence of the Federal Trade Commission and constitutional protections for location data.[2]