U.S. diplomats ordered to resist data sovereignty rules. A February 18 diplomatic cable instructs U.S. envoys to counter foreign data localisation and sovereignty initiatives that could restrict cross‑border flows for AI and cloud services, framing such measures as burdensome and risky for cybersecurity and civil liberties (Reuters)
Anthropic scraps core safety commitment; outlines new transparency focus. The AI developer has dropped the flagship safety pledge from its Responsible Scaling Policy while committing to enhanced transparency and risk reporting, a move critics say reduces binding safeguards in the absence of external regulation (TIME)
Canada rebukes OpenAI over critical threat reporting policies. Canadian federal AI ministers expressed disappointment after OpenAI failed to introduce new safety measures or improve law enforcement referral protocols following a school shooting linked to an account banned previously under content rules (Reuters)
Regulation
State association comments on New York chatbot bill. The Computer & Communications Industry Association has submitted written comments opposing overly broad scope in the proposed New York AI chatbot bill, warning that it could unintentionally encompass general conversational interfaces and research tools. (CCIA)
Events
DNPA Conclave 2026 in New Delhi (26 Feb). The Digital News Publishers Association’s conclave will convene policymakers and industry figures to discuss governance and innovation in the news sector amid expanding AI influence, indicating sector‑level engagement ahead of the reporting window close. (The Economic Times)
Takeaway
Governance tensions are escalating: national governments are balancing resistance to regulatory fragmentation and data localisation with internal pushback on industry safety practices, while emerging AI legislation remains contested over scope and technological specificity—underscoring clear demand for precise, enforceable rules that align with sectoral risk profiles.
Sources: Reuters; Time; CCIA; Economic Times (DNPA Conclave)