Tracker
AI laws and rules tracker 2026
AI laws, bills, executive orders, court rulings, regulator proposals and international agreements from our reporting, with their status and next deadlines, and the sourced story behind each one.
A proposal is not a law, an investigation is not a finding, and a fact sheet is not a working agreement. The status pill says how far each item has come.
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Showing 12 entries of 50. Show all
October 2026
- US Treasury proposes wider limits on tech investment in China and other rivalsUS Department of the TreasuryProposed; comments until Dec 7Regulator proposalCopy the link to this entry
A draft rule under the COINS Act would ban US investment in companies in China and other countries of concern that develop any AI system. It adds supercomputing, hypersonic systems and biotechnology, and Russia, Iran, North Korea and Cuba.
Next step Comments close December 7, 2026; a final rule will set the start date, and the current rules apply until then
US Treasury proposes wider bans on AI investment in China - UK proposes strategic market status for Microsoft’s business softwareUK Competition and Markets AuthorityProposed; comments until Nov 13Regulator proposalCopy the link to this entry
The CMA proposes the status for Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Teams, Copilot and Microsoft’s security, server and operating system products. It would let the CMA set conduct rules later. Microsoft disagrees.
Deadline Final decision by February 13, 2027; first areas: AI tools and Copilot, security bundling, cloud licences
UK watchdog wants special status for Microsoft and Copilot - China proposes export limits on 23 AI technologiesChina’s Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Science and TechnologyDraft; comments until Nov 15Regulator proposalCopy the link to this entry
A draft adds 40 technologies to China’s list of banned or licensed exports, 23 of them in AI: large models, agents and computing clusters. Offering a model abroad through an API or an app would not count as an export.
Next step Comments close November 15; until the new list takes effect, exporters must register these technologies
China proposes export limits on 23 AI technologies - Germany backs EU approval of Tesla’s driver assistance after a renameGerman transport ministryEU vote pendingRegulator moveCopy the link to this entry
The ministry called the FSD name somewhat misleading; Tesla now calls the system Tesla Assisted Driving in Europe. Germany will support EU-wide approval, with at most 10% above the speed limit.
Next step EU committee vote in December at the earliest; no date set
Tesla renames Full Self-Driving in Europe after German push - New York City Council questions four AI labs under oathNew York City CouncilHeld; no voteHearingCopy the link to this entry
Anthropic, OpenAI, Google and Meta sent policy and safety staff to a hearing of all 51 Council members on AI risks. SpaceXAI stayed away despite a subpoena.
Next step 10 bills under consideration; the Council plans to ask a court to enforce the SpaceXAI subpoena
AI labs testify under oath in NYC; SpaceXAI stays away - California attorney general serves an investigative subpoena on OpenAICalifornia Attorney GeneralSubpoena servedInvestigationCopy the link to this entry
Rob Bonta’s office is asking OpenAI more questions about cybersecurity incidents and risks involving its AI models, after its agents broke into Hugging Face. No charge has been filed.
Not public Which documents are demanded and the deadline
California’s attorney general subpoenas OpenAI over AI hacks
September 2026
- FTC confirms an investigation into OpenAI, Anthropic and other AI labsUS Federal Trade CommissionOpen; demands being draftedInvestigationCopy the link to this entry
The consumer-protection agency plans to request information from the labs and the research group METR. Officials say it wants executives to testify.
Next step Formal demands for documents and testimony
FTC is investigating OpenAI and Anthropic over AI risks - New York City Council subpoenas SpaceXAINew York City CouncilNot obeyed; court action plannedSubpoenaCopy the link to this entry
Issued after SpaceXAI did not answer the Council’s questions on AI risks, ahead of the October 5 hearing. Anthropic, OpenAI, Google and Meta testified under oath; SpaceXAI stayed away.
Four AI labs testify to New York City lawmakers on Monday - Altman and Amodei asked to appear before Australia’s Senate AI inquiryAustralian SenateBoth declinedParliamentary inquiryCopy the link to this entry
The inquiry chair, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young, sent written requests to both CEOs after an OpenAI agent reached a Medicare portal in June.
Outcome Neither attended the October 1 hearing in Canberra; both companies cited the short notice (Reuters, September 28)
Australia’s Senate calls Altman and Amodei to a hearing - Beijing signals approval for Nvidia RTX Pro 5500 purchasesChina’s Ministry of Industry and Information TechnologyReported, unconfirmedRegulator moveCopy the link to this entry
The ministry asked ByteDance, Alibaba and others to report their purchase plans and told some it intends to approve them, The Information reports. Reuters could not verify the report, and Nvidia did not confirm it.
China may let firms buy Nvidia’s RTX Pro 5500, report says - AI assistants on Google’s search choice screensUK Competition and Markets AuthorityProposedRegulator proposalCopy the link to this entry
A choice screen for new Android phones and for Chrome that can list up to 12 services, including AI assistants that meet technical and security criteria.
Next step Comments due October 9
UK regulator wants AI assistants on Google’s choice screens - Justice Department examines Nvidia’s Groq dealUS Justice DepartmentUnder reviewInvestigationCopy the link to this entry
Reports say the department is studying a licensing deal that moved Groq leaders to Nvidia without buying the company. An investigation is not a finding of wrongdoing.
US officials are examining Nvidia’s unusual Groq deal
How this tracker works
An entry appears when one of our stories covers a law, a bill, an executive order, a court ruling, a regulator’s move or an international agreement on AI. The date is the one the story gives; when a story gives none, it is the story’s own date. We add entries with each edition and correct them under the story when a fact changes.
Reusing this list: you may quote it with a link to this page. Facts belong to the sources each story cites.