Published in January 2026 by Deloitte’s EMEA Centre for Regulatory Strategy, the annual Digital Regulatory Outlook 2026 offers a strategic view of the major regulatory developments shaping the UK and EU digital landscape. With contributions from experts including Suchitra Nair, Robert MacDougall, Nick Evans, Matteo Orta, and Giulia De Bernardi, the 50-page report examines how companies across the digital ecosystem—from social media platforms to cloud providers—can navigate an increasingly politicised environment.
The core message is clear: digital regulation in 2026 will be driven by four intersecting geopolitical trends—information integrity, competitiveness, trade, and sovereignty—requiring agile, cross-functional responses to manage risk and capture opportunity.
Geopolitical Trends Shaping the Year Ahead
The report frames the central question: “What sort of digital environment do we want?” This breaks down into four considerations:
- A digital environment safe for children
- One consistent with broader societal values
- One that strengthens competitiveness and growth
- One that is sovereign and secure
Four key trends will influence regulatory direction:
- Information Integrity – Rising concerns over disinformation, content moderation, age assurance, and free speech (particularly relevant to online safety and media regulation).
- Competitiveness – Governments worldwide are leveraging AI, cloud, and data for economic growth, prompting both innovation-friendly rules and regulatory simplification (e.g., EU Digital Omnibus).
- Trade – Digital provisions are increasingly central to trade agreements and negotiations.
- Sovereignty – Ongoing geopolitical tensions embed sovereignty concerns into network infrastructure (submarine cables, satellites, terrestrial networks).
The report places UK/EU developments in global context, highlighting parallel initiatives in AI governance, child protection, and data flows across the US, Asia-Pacific, and beyond.
Navigating the Outlook
Helpful navigation tables map relevance by company type (end-user services vs. enabling technology) and list the major legislative initiatives under discussion in 2026, including the UK Online Safety Act, EU Digital Services Act, AI Act, Digital Markets Act, Data Act, and emerging frameworks such as the Digital Networks Act.
Chapter Highlights
1–2. Online Safety Priorities and Supervisory Trends
Child protection, fraud prevention, and disinformation remain top priorities. Age assurance, transparency reporting, risk assessments, and regime funding mechanisms will intensify under both the UK’s OSA and EU’s DSA. Trust & Safety teams will need to evolve beyond traditional moderation to address emerging AI-driven harms.
3. Media Regulation
2026 marks a pivotal year for media convergence, with UK Media Act implementation (prominence, accessibility, VOD codes) and EU review of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive.
4. Consumer Fairness
The UK’s DMCCA brings subscription contracts, pricing transparency, and fake reviews into sharp focus. The proposed EU Digital Fairness Act targets manipulative design practices.
5. Competition
The EU DMA faces review, while the UK prepares its first conduct requirements in search and mobile ecosystems. Cloud services may see future designation scrutiny.
6. AI Governance
Focus shifts to practical implementation of the AI Act, with potential delays via the Digital Omnibus. Companies should prioritise GPAI compliance, transparency obligations, and interplay with copyright and sectoral rules.
7. Cloud and the Data Economy
Data Act enforcement, smart data schemes (UK), and EU Data Union Strategy aim to unlock innovation while addressing interoperability and competition concerns.
8. Digital Networks and Sovereignty
Emerging frameworks (Digital Networks Act, Cloud Sovereignty Framework) signal a strategic push for resilient, sovereign infrastructure. Companies are urged to develop comprehensive risk roadmaps.
Strategic Implications for Companies
In a fluid and politicised environment, success will depend on coordinated, enterprise-wide responses involving policy, compliance, strategy, commercial, and technology functions. The report emphasises proactive engagement with regulators, robust governance, and turning regulatory obligations into drivers of trust and innovation.
As Ofcom’s Oliver Griffiths noted in December 2025: “The tide on online safety is beginning to turn for the better… But we need to see much more from tech companies next year.”
The Digital Regulatory Outlook 2026 is essential reading for any organisation operating in the digital space, offering clear-eyed analysis and practical guidance for the challenging—but opportunity-rich—year ahead.
