Wilson Sonsini partners Cédric Burton, Deirdre Carroll, Maneesha Mithal, along with associates Michelle Zang and Hattie Watson, and Gil Zhang and Michael Han of Fangda Partners, have co-authored a chapter in the third edition of the GCR Data & Antitrust Guide examining the accelerating convergence of data protection, competition, artificial intelligence (AI), and cybersecurity regulation across major jurisdictions. The chapter, “Regulators Target AI as Evolving Technology Threatens Fair Competition in the Digital Economy,” highlights a widespread recognition that traditional privacy and antitrust frameworks are increasingly insufficient on their own to address data-driven market power and AI-enabled competition concerns. In response, regulators are adopting a wide range of approaches, from sector-specific and self-regulatory models to highly prescriptive ex ante regimes.

The European Union remains the most developed example of this shift, with an interconnected framework anchored by the GDPR, DMA, DSA, AI Act, and Data Act, which is entering a more mature phase of enforcement and refinement. Regulators are increasingly examining the intersection of competition, privacy, and platform regulation as AI and cloud infrastructure become central to market power, with recent DMA enforcement reflecting increased enforcement of gatekeeper obligations. Elsewhere, approaches remain more fragmented but active: the United States continues with a sector-based model and limited federal legislation, while Asia-Pacific, the UK, Latin America, and China are advancing varying combinations of ex ante regulation, enforcement-led oversight, and platform-specific rules. Across jurisdictions, common themes are emerging around data and compute as sources of market power, heightened AI-driven competition concerns, and growing regulatory emphasis on interoperability, data access, and significant compliance complexity arising from overlapping legal regimes.

This article was first published on GCR on 29 May 2026; for further in-depth analysis, please visit the GCR - Data & Antitrust Guide; Edition 3.