Global Scans · Civil Rights · Weekly Summary

• [New] South Korea will finalize stablecoin regulations in Q1 2026, mandating 100% reserves and guaranteed user redemption rights. BeInCrypto
• [New] Asia will take the lead on mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence legislation in 2026, with bills in play in Indonesia, South Korea and Thailand. JD Supra
• [New] Strand Consult anticipated China's shift toward greater aggression, now evident in military drills in the Taiwan Strait, intimidation across the East and South China Seas, the harassment of Philippine fishermen, and increasingly dangerous gray-zone encounters with US and allied aircraft. CYBER ERA: Catalyzing the Digital Economy
• [New] Gearing up for CPPA regulations to take effect in 2027, businesses will need to grapple with risk assessments, cybersecurity audits, pre-use notices, opt-out rights, and annual cybersecurity audits in 2026. JD Supra
• [New] The battle over states' rights on AI will remain the highest profile fight in 2026. Tech Policy Press
• [New] Beijing is pushing courts to adopt AI not just in drafting basic paperwork, but even in recommending judgements and sentences, which could deepen structural discrimination and weaken defence counsels' ability to appeal. Mirage News
• [New] A total of 36 states and three U.S. territories could elect new governors in 2026, many of whom will have significant influence over education policy, health care access, and the enforcement - or rollback - of civil rights protections. Washington Blade: LGBTQ News, Politics, LGBTQ Rights, G
• [New] From consequential Supreme Court cases and a potential House of Representatives leadership flip to preparations for the United States's 250th anniversary, 2026 is expected to be a critical year - particularly as LGBTQ rights, and transgender rights specifically, remain a focus of national debate. Washington Blade: LGBTQ News, Politics, LGBTQ Rights, G
• [New] Looking ahead to 2026, businesses using AI for significant decisions should anticipate state-level obligations around notice, opt-out rights and algorithmic accountability. JD Supra
• [New] The 2026 congressional elections will pose the next big test of the democratic system, and we can expect increasing challenges to voter rights and ballot counts. / USA Toda Peace Institute
• [New] Harvard's decision to oppose threats to academic freedom has provided a focal point for collective resistance from many other universities. Toda Peace Institute
• [New] The flood of new state-level AI bills threatens innovation, economic freedom, and America's competitive edge. Let People Prosper
• [New] The rise of anti-gender rights movements is jeopardising legal protections for women and girls around the world, threatening to undo decades of legal progress. Equality Now
• [New] Notable changes include California's expansion of leave protections for crime victims and the introduction of the mini-WARN Act, Illinois's new human rights protections for artificial intelligence, and Pennsylvania's CROWN Act. Ogletree
• [New] Tech insiders in 2026 reveal AI's dark realities: hallucinations leading to errors, embedded biases perpetuating inequality, exploitative labour, environmental strain, privacy erosion, job displacement, and rising security threats like deepfakes. WebProNews
• [New] Up to seven states will vote on abortion rights in 2026. The Guardian
• [New] AI in 2026 will not be a technological issue: it will be an issue of political inequality. L'Europeista
• [New] Until the federal government's indefinite moratorium on the issuance of new oil and gas rights in Canada's Arctic waters is rescinded, petroleum-related aviation activity in the far north will remain untapped. Skies Mag
• [New] As Uganda's January election nears, UN officials and rights groups sound alarms over mass arrests, violence at opposition rallies, and escalating threats to press freedom. Grand Pinnacle Tribune
• [New] In 2026, regulators and courts will increasingly focus on whether data subject rights can meaningfully apply to trained AI models. JD Supra
• [New] Chattel Slavery Endured Forced Labour, Land Theft, Racial Violence, Legalized Exclusion, and the Systematic Erasure of Identity, Wealth, and Opportunity-Under the Authority of State and Federal Governments. / USA Change.org
• [New] 77% expect third-party risk requirements to tighten materially in 2026, including subcontractor disclosure and audit rights. Big News Network.com

Last updated: 11 January 2026