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A Romanian Border Police patrol vessel with Frontex markings in the port of Crotone, Italy — Photo: Francesco Placco, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Policy Watch|European Union

Brussels proposes a bigger Frontex: 30,000 officers by 2041, a deportations hub and a centre to monitor social media and flag posts under the DSA

The Commission’s draft recast of the Frontex regulation (COM(2026) 1030) would grow the border agency’s standing corps to 30,000 by 2041, including a 17,000-officer reserve, make Frontex the EU’s central actor for returns, add a Quick Reaction Force, and create an Online Monitoring and Response Centre that would watch public social media, flag ‘illegal content’ as a DSA trusted flagger and track ‘disinformation’. €11.9 billion is earmarked for 2028–2034. MEPs and governments must now negotiate it.

Daily Teabag Desk·Centre
The House of Commons chamber in Ottawa’s West Block — Photo: Hutima, CC BY-SA 4.0

Policy Watch|Canada

Commons votes down Bloc motion to defend CRTC streaming levies and pay $600 million to culture, 298–23

On 26 October the House of Commons negatived a Bloc Québécois opposition-day motion (Division No. 181) calling on the government to uphold the CRTC’s levies on online streaming services under the Broadcasting Act and to make a promised $600 million interim payment to the cultural sector. Liberals and Conservatives voted no; the Bloc, four NDP MPs and Green leader Elizabeth May voted yes. Opposition motions are not binding either way.

Daily Teabag Desk·Centre
Meta’s headquarters in Menlo Park, California, from the air — Photo: InvadingInvader, CC BY-SA 4.0

Accountability|United States

New Mexico says court ordered Meta to pay $25 billion over 43.9 million consumer-law violations

New Mexico’s Attorney General announced on 21 October that a state court ordered Facebook to pay $25 billion in civil penalties. The order follows a jury verdict that Facebook violated the state Unfair Practices Act 43,899,725 times through its representations about user privacy, third-party data access, and its handling of misinformation and hate speech. We have not yet obtained the court order itself.

Daily Teabag Desk·Centre
Booking.com headquarters, Oosterdokseiland, Amsterdam — Photo: Ceescamel, CC BY-SA 4.0

Policy Watch|European Union

EU opens Digital Services Act case against Booking.com over fake listings, phishing and unlabelled paid rankings

The European Commission opened formal DSA proceedings against Booking.com on 21 October. It will examine whether the platform properly assessed and reduced the risk of fraudulent and non-compliant listings, whether reservation and guest data shared with hosts is fuelling phishing, and whether listings boosted by higher commissions are clearly labelled as ads. Opening a case is not a finding of a breach.

Daily Teabag Desk·Centre
Elbert P. Tuttle U.S. Court of Appeals Building (Eleventh Circuit), Atlanta — Photo: Warren LeMay, CC0

Accountability|United States

11th Circuit vacates injunction blocking Georgia’s social-media age-verification law

In NetChoice v. Attorney General of Georgia (No. 25-12436, filed 15 October 2026), a three-judge panel held that NetChoice failed its facial First Amendment burden under Moody, and failed on vagueness and § 230 preemption. The panel vacated the Northern District of Georgia’s preliminary injunction against SB 351 and remanded. The law’s age checks, parental consent under 16, and minor-ad targeting limits can be enforced while the case continues.

Daily Teabag Desk·Centre
The Rolls Building, Royal Courts of Justice, London — Photo: Muhammad Karns, CC BY-SA 4.0

Accountability|European Union

Meta takes Ofcom’s Category 1 Instagram/WhatsApp labels to the Upper Tribunal

In mid-September 2026 Meta served an appeal against Ofcom’s Category 1 designation of Instagram and WhatsApp under the UK Online Safety Act — joining a wave of platform challenges Ofcom told Lords peers it faces in a “highly litigious environment.”

Daily Teabag Desk·Slight right