Minnesota Consumer Data Privacy Act Takes Effect July 31

The UK has started enforcing its Online Safety Act, which requires digital platforms to conduct risk assessments and prevent children from accessing harmful or adult content, with penalties including fines up to £18 million or 10% of global turnover, and potential personal liability for executives. Although intended to protect children online, critics argue the Act's broad scope risks state censorship, particularly with vague categories like "legal but harmful" content, prompting political opposition such as Reform UK's call to repeal the law. Platforms like Reddit have implemented strict age verification measures to comply, demonstrating the complexity and compliance burden for digital service providers. Meanwhile, Minnesota has enacted the Minnesota Consumer Data Privacy Act, effective July 31, which grants residents rights to access, correct, and delete their personal data, and opt out of data selling and profiling, marking it the 19th U.S. state with comprehensive data privacy legislation. The law also imposes stricter data protection requirements on businesses and aims to curb invasive data broker practices, with enforcement led by the Attorney General's office. These developments reflect growing global efforts to regulate online safety and data privacy amid rising concerns over content moderation and personal data misuse.