Legal News & Analysis
Breaking developments in recording laws, privacy legislation, digital rights, and legal technology.
515 articles
Supreme Court: After a Tax Foreclosure, You're Owed the Auction Price, Not Your Home's Value (Pung v. Isabella County, 2026)
Supreme Court rules in Pung v. Isabella County (June 23, 2026): after a tax foreclosure, just compensation is the auction surplus, not your home's market value.
Virginia's Protective-Order Gun Surrender Rules Take Effect July 1, 2026
Virginia's 2026 gun-safety package (HB 93, SB 38, HB 19) changes protective-order and domestic-violence firearm surrender rules. Here is what takes effect July 1, 2026.
Mississippi's 50/50 Joint Custody Law (HB 1662) Takes Effect July 1, 2026
Mississippi HB 1662, signed April 8, 2026, takes effect July 1, 2026, creating a rebuttable presumption of equal joint custody. What it changes for parents.
Rhode Island Opens a Child Sex Abuse Lawsuit Revival Window (2026)
Rhode Island Gov. McKee signed S 2616 Sub A on June 11, 2026, opening a two-year revival window (July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2028) for time-barred child sex abuse claims.
Sixth Circuit Revives Ohio's Parental-Consent Social Media Law (2026)
A divided Sixth Circuit revived Ohio's parental-consent social media law on June 18, 2026 and held NetChoice has no standing to assert minors' rights.
Supreme Court Limits the Federal Gun Ban on Marijuana Users (Hemani, 2026)
On June 18, 2026 the Supreme Court ruled in United States v. Hemani that prosecuting a marijuana user under federal 922(g)(3) was unconstitutional as applied. The statute stays in force.
Supreme Court Tosses Conviction Over a Secretly Recorded FaceTime Call (2026)
On June 22, 2026 the Supreme Court vacated and remanded Grayson v. United States (No. 25-851), reviving a Federal Wiretap Act fight over a secretly recorded FaceTime call.
Virginia's New Noncompete Limit (SB 170) Takes Effect July 1: No Enforcement After a No-Cause Firing Without Severance
Virginia SB 170 takes effect July 1, 2026, barring enforcement of a noncompete against a worker fired without cause who was not paid the disclosed severance. What the new Va. Code 40.1-28.7:8 rule requires.
Kyra's Law Explained: New York's Custody-Safety Overhaul Awaits the Governor's Signature
Kyra's Law passed the New York Legislature on June 5, 2026 and awaits Governor Hochul's signature. What the custody-safety bill would change, and its current pending status.
Washington Drops the Certified-Mail Rule for Eviction Notices as HB 2664 Takes Effect
Washington's HB 2664 took effect June 11, 2026, ending the certified-mail requirement for eviction notices and restoring first-class mail under RCW 59.12.040. What changed and what did not.
Virginia Clean Slate Record Sealing Takes Effect July 1, 2026: What Gets Sealed (2026)
Virginia's Clean Slate law begins July 1, 2026, automatically sealing certain misdemeanors after seven clean years and allowing petitions to seal more records, with no filing fees.
NO FAKES Act Advances Out of Senate Committee: Federal AI Voice and Likeness Right Explained (2026)
The NO FAKES Act (S.4591) advanced out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on June 18, 2026. It is not yet law. Here is what the federal AI voice and likeness bill would do.
Ohio Supreme Court: Mobile-Home-Park Owner Not a 'Harborer' for a Tenant's Dog Bite (2026)
The Ohio Supreme Court defined "harborer" under R.C. 955.28(B), holding a manufactured-home community owner was not strictly liable for a child bitten by a tenant's dog.
Federal Judge Lets Wiretap Claim Against Index Exchange Proceed Over Data Sent to Temu (2026)
A federal judge denied Index Exchange's motion to dismiss a Federal Wiretap Act claim, holding one-party consent may not shield website tracking that allegedly sent data to Temu.
San Francisco Police Audit: Flock License Plate Data Improperly Searched for Federal Agencies (2026)
An SFPD audit found a regional center ran roughly 299 searches of San Francisco's Flock license plate data for federal and out-of-state agencies, which California's SB 34 prohibits.
Australia's 'Stage 2' Defamation Reforms Take Effect, Rewriting When Online Platforms Are Liable for Other People's Posts
NSW and the ACT switched on Australia's Stage 2 digital-intermediary defamation reforms on July 1, 2024, with Victoria following that September.
Canada Tables Bill C-36 to Replace PIPEDA: What the Privacy Reform Bill Would Change
Canada introduced Bill C-36, the Protecting Privacy and Consumer Data Act, on June 15, 2026 to replace its aging federal privacy law. Status: first reading.
UK's Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 Rewrites UK GDPR Rules: What Changed and When
The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 reshapes UK GDPR, the DPA 2018 and PECR. Royal Assent on 19 June 2025, with key privacy rules in force from 5 February 2026.
Court of Appeal Reopens Laurence Fox Libel Fight, Reshaping the 'Serious Harm' Test in English Defamation Law
In Blake v Fox [2025] EWCA Civ 1321, England's Court of Appeal revived Laurence Fox's libel counterclaim, finding the trial judge misapplied the serious harm test.
Otter.ai Faces Consolidated Wiretap Class Action Over Its AI Meeting Notetaker and All-Party Consent
A consolidated class action accuses Otter.ai's AI notetaker of recording meetings without all-party consent under CIPA and the federal Wiretap Act. Explained.
The 2024 Overtime Rule Is Officially Dead: Courts Vacated It and the DOL Restored the $35,568 Salary Threshold
Federal courts vacated the DOL's 2024 overtime rule, and on May 15, 2026 the Labor Department formally restored the 2019 salary thresholds. What it means now.
New Jersey Supreme Court Orders Release of Police Body Camera Footage Under OPRA in Fuster v. Township of Chatham
New Jersey's Supreme Court ruled in Fuster v. Chatham that body camera footage is not a criminal investigatory record, ordering its release under OPRA.
Virginia Expands Speed Cameras to High-Risk Intersections Under a 2024 Law Now in Force
Virginia's SB 336 lets police add speed cameras at high-risk intersections starting July 1, 2024. Tickets require 10 mph over the limit, capped at a $100 penalty.
Illinois Law Bars Police From Stopping Drivers Solely for Windshield Obstructions Like Air Fresheners
Illinois HB 2389 amended 625 ILCS 5/12-503 so police cannot stop or search a driver solely for an object hanging from the mirror, unless it truly blocks the view.