Ethics & Compliance
French Prime Minister’s instructions on combating breaches of integrity within French State administrations and public establishments
On 18 August 2026, the French Prime Minister sent directives (circulaire) to all ministers, on combating breaches of integrity within French State administrations and public establishments. Various measures are set out, divided into two categories. First, the Prime Minister provides for measures aimed at “better preventing and detecting breaches of integrity”, including strengthening training for public officials, facilitating whistleblowing reports, mapping applications and files deemed sensitive, and consolidating internal control and audit mechanisms. Then, other measures aim to “strengthen disciplinary policy regarding breaches of integrity”. In particular, the Prime Minister intends to strengthen ties with public prosecutors’ offices and improve the monitoring of disciplinary sanctions, which will need to take the official’s conduct into account. The administrations concerned must inform the Prime Minister, before 15 October 2026, of the actions implemented within their perimeter, which will be subject to annual monitoring by the French Anti-Corruption Agency. > Read the article.
Dispute resolution & regulatory investigations
Apple agrees to comply with European rules on digital markets
Apple announced a revision of its business terms to comply with the Digital Markets Act (“DMA”), after being sanctioned by the European Commission with a 500 million euros fine in 2025. Starting in October, these revisions will allow app developers to redirect users to their own services without going through the App Store. Apple has created four categories for distribution with commissions ranging from 26% (transactions on the App Store using Apple’s payment system) to 5% (installation via a competing marketplace). Doubts remain as to the actual redirection to other operators. The European Commission has said it intends to monitor the effective implementation of these new terms. > Read the article.
Meta goes on trial, accused of targeting children and downplaying dangers of Instagram
A civil trial against Meta, sued by 29 US states, has opened in California on 18 August 2026. Meta is accused of deceiving consumers and violating the federal law protecting children, which includes the prohibition of opening a social media account for those under 13. According to the prosecution, Meta engaged in several forms of concealment, including claiming that Facebook and Instagram were safe for children, minimizing the risks related to compulsive use of these platforms by prioritizing its financial interests over user safety. Meta denies the allegations and seeks to demonstrate that safety measures and tools were progressively adopted to address these risks. The trial is expected to last six weeks and could result in a substantial fine. > Read the article.
Arbitration
Air Canada enforces award against Venezuela
On 14 August 2026, the US District Court for the District of Columbia ordered enforcement of a US$25 million investment treaty award obtained by Air Canada against Venezuela. The dispute arose under the Canada-Venezuela bilateral investment treaty after Venezuelan authorities refused to convert the airline’s bolivar-denominated earnings into US dollars. In 2021, an ICSID Additional Facility tribunal awarded Air Canada US$20.7 million in damages, together with US$4 million in arbitration costs. Judge John Bates rejected Venezuela’s public policy defence, holding that enforcement neither recognised Nicolás Maduro’s government nor interfered with the US president’s recognition powers. The ruling highlights the particular difficulties surrounding the enforcement of arbitral awards against states whose governmental representation is disputed, while confirming the importance of international arbitration mechanisms in protecting foreign investors. > Read article.
