10 legal trends in technology that will shape 2026
2026 will mark a definitive maturity point in the relationship between technology, regulation and business. After years of accelerated experimentation, especially in artificial intelligence, data and automation, the market is entering a phase where compliance is no longer enough: it will be imperative to demonstrate control, traceability and accountability.
The legal future of technology
For the legal sector, this change implies a profound transformation of the role of the lawyer. Advice ceases to be reactive or merely interpretative and becomes a structural function that accompanies the business, capable of integrating technology, regulation and corporate strategy.
As the ECIJA team points out in this report: "Technological regulation is no longer a brake on innovation, but the framework that allows it to be scaled in a safe and sustainable way".
1. AI Regulation compliance redefines the legal marketplace
By 2026, the full implementation of the European Artificial Intelligence Regulation will make AI legal advice a top priority for businesses and administrations. The intensive use of predictive systems, decision algorithms and generative AI in business, labour, financial and creative processes will significantly increase exposure to legal, reputational and sanctioning risks.
The focus of advice will shift towards algorithmic auditing, human oversight, traceability, system lifecycle management and liability for automated decisions, biases or security breaches. Companies will demand lawyers who can translate a complex regulatory framework into compliance strategies that allow them to innovate without blocking business.
"Companies are not looking to know if they comply, but how to comply without paralysing the business," says the ECIJA team.
2. Regulatory simplification and practical adjustments in the implementation of the IA Act
Delays in the implementation of the IA Regulation by Member States will force the European Commission to introduce simplification measures and practical adjustments during 2026. These measures aim to reduce compliance costs, especially for SMEs, without undermining the security and trust objectives of the European framework.
Among the most relevant changes are the easing of documentary requirements, the adaptation of the schedule of obligations for high-risk systems to the availability of standards, the centralisation of the supervision of certain models in the European IA Office and greater consistency with data protection regulations, especially in terms of detection and correction of biases.
"2026 will be the year when the AI Act ceases to be read as a legal text and starts to be applied as an operational framework," the firm says.
3. Generative AI, digital content and advertising under regulatory control
August 2026 will mark a turning point in content creation and digital advertising. With the full enforceability of the AI Regulation, companies will need to ensure end-to-end traceability, human oversight and verifiable documentation in the generative systems used to produce text, images, videos or advertising campaigns.
In an environment where AI becomes a central creative tool, proving the origin of content, respect for copyright and absence of deceptive practices will be mandatory. Regulatory compliance will no longer be a formal requirement but a strategic element of the business model.
4. Data Act and GDPR: sharing data without infringing rights
Full implementation of the Data Act in 2026 will transform the management of data generated by connected products, digital services and cloud environments. Companies will be obliged to facilitate access and portability of certain data, allow switching providers and avoid contractual clauses that block sharing.
This new scenario will coexist with the requirements of the GDPR, making it necessary to correctly identify which data are personal, how to anonymise or pseudonymise effectively and what guarantees to implement in the processes of access, reuse and sharing. The correct management of shared data will become one of the biggest legal challenges of the year.
5. Regulated cybersecurity and extended corporate responsibility
The transposition of theNIS2 Directive through the new Cybersecurity Coordination and Governance Act will significantly expand the number of entities obliged to comply with strict cybersecurity requirements.
Cybersecurity is no longer a technical issue but a corporate governance obligation.
In addition, the Cyber Resilience Act, which incorporates security as an essential requirement in the design and marketing of digital products, will be adapted. In 2026, manufacturers and suppliers will have to prepare for new reporting obligations, vulnerability management and liability for cybersecurity-related defects.
6. European Digital Identity and Wallet ID
The entry into force of eIDAS2 will consolidate digital identity as one of the key axes of the legal-technological ecosystem. The European Digital Identity Wallet will transform the processes of identification, electronic signature, consent management and access to regulated digital services.
Businesses will have to adapt to new obligations in terms of interoperability, security, preservation of evidence and sharing of responsibilities between providers, verifiers and users. Successful implementation of these systems will require legal advice to integrate the technical and regulatory framework into secure operational decisions.
7. Legal Operations and structural efficiency of the legal sector
By 2026, Legal Operations will establish itself as a strategic function in law firms. Regulatory complexity, the massive adoption of AI and the pressure to offer more predictive and cost-effective services will force the professionalisation of the internal management of the legal area.
Legal Ops will enable the effective integration of technology, optimise processes, improve financial planning and coordinate multidisciplinary teams. Its aim is not to replace the lawyer, but to free up time from repetitive tasks and increase the strategic value of legal advice.
8. Legaltech and AI integrated into legal practice
Artificial intelligence will cease to be an experimental tool and become a structural component of legal practice. Automation, predictive risk and litigation analysis, and assisted contract generation will be fully integrated into workflows.
Thelawyer-in-the-loopmodel will become the standard, ensuring that technological efficiency is combined with legal judgement and regulatory control. The integration of document and contract management systems will enable greater traceability and consistency in compliance and data governance.
9. Sensitive data: biometrics, neurodata and health
The processing of biometric, neurodata and health data will remain one of the areas of greatest legal risk in 2026. Authorities will maintain a particularly strict approach, requiring strong grounds of legitimacy, reinforced impact assessments and a rigorous judgement of necessity, appropriateness and proportionality.
The emergence of the European Health Data Space and the development of neurotechnologies without sector-specific regulation will require the most rigorous application of the GDPR and the guidelines of the European Data Protection Supervisor.
10. Branding, digital avatars and new intangible assets
Synthetic influencers, AI-created avatars and dynamic brands will establish themselves as strategic assets for companies. Legal protection will no longer be limited to static signs, but will encompass features, movements, style and behaviour of complex digital identities.
This phenomenon will require new branding strategies, specific contracts and a thorough review of intellectual property, image and commercial exploitation rights in highly automated digital environments.
Conclusion
2026 will not be a year of disruption, but of smart consolidation. Technology will continue to advance, but it will do so within more demanding governance frameworks, where trust, traceability and accountability will be the real enablers of growth.
For the legal sector, the challenge - and the opportunity - will be to lead this transition, accompanying companies and administrations in the construction of innovative, secure and legally sustainable technological models.
"The future belongs not to the one who innovates fastest, but to the one who innovates best with others.
Technology, Media and Telecommunications
We advise companies leading the digital transformation, combining legal expertise, strategic vision and a deep understanding of highly regulated technological environments.