Discover the upcoming tech regulations set to take effect in 2026.
In 2025, the US faced significant congressional gridlock, but state legislatures were busy enacting laws that impact everything from AI to social media and the right to repair. Many of these regulations, along with those from previous years, will come into effect in 2026, either immediately or in the upcoming months.
Starting January 1st, Americans in states like Colorado will gain rights to crypto ATM refunds, broader electronics repair options, and enhanced AI system transparency in California. However, a recent court ruling has temporarily halted Texas’ controversial App Store age verification law.
Here’s a closer look at the tech regulations set to take effect in 2026, including a key federal law known as the Take It Down Act.
**January 1st**
**California: AI Transparency and Chatbots**
California introduced a suite of AI regulations last year, with SB 53 being the most notable. This transparency law mandates that major AI firms disclose safety and security information while also protecting whistleblowers. It’s a revised version of SB 1047, which was vetoed by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2024, and will take effect on January 1st, 2026. Other bills, like SB 243, focus on companion chatbots, requiring them to implement protocols to prevent self-harm and remind underage users that they’re interacting with a non-human entity. SB 524 mandates law enforcement to clearly disclose their AI usage.
California is positioning itself as a testing ground for state-level AI laws, especially as the Trump administration seeks to ban them entirely, a conflict expected to unfold in 2026.
**Colorado: Right to Repair and Crypto ATMs**
Colorado’s comprehensive right-to-repair law, HB24-1121, will finally be enforced this year, compelling manufacturers to support repairs for a wide range of electronic devices. Additionally, SB25-079 introduces consumer protections for cryptocurrency ATMs, which have been exploited by scammers. This law sets daily transaction limits and refund options for first-time users who may have fallen victim to fraud.
**Idaho: Speech Protections**
Idaho has joined the ranks of states implementing anti-SLAPP laws with SB 1001. While not strictly a tech law, these measures are crucial in combating strategic lawsuits that can lead to online censorship, a tactic often used by tech moguls.
**Illinois: Public Officials’ Privacy**
Illinois will now restrict the sharing of personal information for public officials upon their request. HB 576 covers various officials and aims to protect them from harassment while they perform their duties.
**Indiana: Data Privacy**
Indiana’s Consumer Data Protection Act seeks to establish a “data consumer bill of rights,” allowing individuals to access, correct, and delete their personal information held by companies. However, critics argue the law lacks teeth, earning an F in a 2025 privacy report card.
**Kentucky: Data Privacy**
Kentucky’s HB 15 also failed to impress in the 2025 privacy evaluation, following the “Virginia model” that critics say allows companies to continue data collection as long as they disclose it in a privacy policy.
**Maine: Click-to-Cancel**
Maine is stepping up with LD 1642, which aims to simplify subscription cancellations, requiring companies to clearly disclose terms and provide an easy cancellation method.
**Nebraska: Age-Appropriate Design**
LB 504 introduces “age-appropriate design” rules, limiting app features that could lead to compulsive use among children. A similar initiative was blocked in California, so legal challenges may arise.
**Nevada: AI and Elections**
Nevada’s AB 73 aims to regulate undisclosed AI-driven electioneering, allowing candidates to take legal action against unauthorized AI-generated ads.
**Oklahoma: Data Breach Notifications**
Oklahoma is expanding its data breach notification laws with SB 626, now covering biometric data and introducing new safe harbors to avoid legal repercussions.
**Oregon: Deepfakes, Data Privacy, and Ticket Scalpers**
Oregon’s HB 2299 adds AI-generated imagery to its ban on nonconsensual sexual content. HB 2008 prohibits data collectors from selling personal information of users under 16, while HB 3167 targets ticket-scalping bots.
**Rhode Island: Data Privacy**
Rhode Island’s HB 7787 mandates transparency in how personal information is collected and sold, joining the ranks of “Virginia model” laws that have faced criticism.
**Texas: AI Rules — But Not App Store Age Verification (Yet)**
Texas was poised to implement a new age verification system for app stores, but a court has temporarily blocked SB 2420. Meanwhile, HB 149 establishes an AI regulatory framework that prohibits harmful uses of the technology.
**Virginia: Social Media Time Limits**
Virginia’s SB 854 requires social media platforms to verify users’ ages and limit screen time for those under 16, although this regulation is currently facing legal challenges.
**Washington: Right to Repair**
Washington has enacted two right-to-repair laws, HB 1483 and SB 5680, mandating that companies provide repair materials for consumer electronics and protect wheelchair users.
**March**
**New York: RAISE Act**
The RAISE Act, aimed at regulating large AI model developers, was significantly watered down before its March 19th implementation.
**Michigan: Anti-SLAPP and Taylor Swift**
Michigan will introduce a new anti-SLAPP law, HB 4045, alongside a package of rules targeting ticket bots, effective March 24th.
**May**
**Federal Take It Down Act**
The Take It Down Act criminalizes the distribution of AI-generated nonconsensual intimate imagery at the federal level, though it includes a controversial provision requiring rapid removal of such content, raising concerns about censorship.
**Utah: App Store Age Verification**
Utah’s SB 142 requires app stores to verify user ages and obtain parental consent for minors, with a provision allowing legal action against non-compliance set to take effect on December 31st.
**June**
**Colorado: AI Regulations**
Colorado’s SB 24-205, a target of the Trump administration’s opposition to state AI laws, mandates AI companies to disclose information about high-risk systems and protect consumers from algorithmic discrimination, now set to take effect on June 30th.
**July**
**Arkansas: Children’s Privacy**
Arkansas’ HB 1717 mirrors the federal COPPA law, prohibiting online services from collecting unnecessary data from minors, effective July 1st.
**Utah: Data Portability**
Utah’s HB 418, the Digital Choice Act, aims to facilitate data portability across social media platforms, with enforcement starting July 1st.
**August**
**California: AI Detection**
California’s SB 942, which requires the development of standards for AI detection systems, has been delayed, with initial provisions now kicking in on August 2nd, while further requirements will follow in 2027 and 2028.
