Press Review - Week of 17 July 2026

Press Review – Week of 17 July 2026

This week, the press review looks at the first decision by the French Anti-Corruption Agency’s Sanctions Commission imposing a financial penalty, the European Commission’s preliminary findings in its investigation into Meta under the Digital Services Act, the communication to the French Government of Nicolas Sarkozy’s application before the European Court of Human Rights and the opening of an FBI investigation into the Argentine Football Association. It also looks at the International Chamber of Commerce’s 2025 dispute resolution statistics.

#Anti-Bribery and Corruption

Decision of the French Anti-Corruption Agency’s Sanctions Commission

On 9 July 2026, the Sanctions Commission of the French Anti-Corruption Agency (AFA) imposed, for the first time since its creation, financial penalties of €350,000 on a company and €60,000 its chairman for failing to comply with the anti-corruption obligations set out in the Sapin II Law. On that occasion, the Commission confirmed that the AFA may refer matters directly to it for the imposition of sanctions, without a prior compliance injunction having been issued, after finding that the seven alleged breaches were established as of the date of the final inspection report. The Commission also held the chairmen personally liable, considering him to be an experienced professional who was closely involved in the management of the company. > Read the article.

#Dispute resolution & regulatory investigations

Meta in the European Commission’s crosshairs for failing to comply with the Digital Services Act (DSA)

On 10 July 2026, the European Commission reached the preliminary conclusion that Meta had failed to comply with the Digital Services Act (DSA). Following an in-depth investigation launched in May 2024, the Commission found that certain features of Facebook and Instagram rely on an addictive design that may harm users’ well-being, including for example infinite scrolling or autoplay, whose associated risks Meta is alleged to not have sufficiently assessed. The Commission also considers that Meta’s mitigation measures, such as screen-time management tools and parental controls, are insufficient. Meta could face a fine of up to 6% of its worldwide annual turnover, although it still has the opportunity to present its defense and propose remedial measures at this stage. > Read the article.

#White collar crime

“Bismuth” Case: Nicolas Sarkozy’s appeal to the ECHR passes an initial stage

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has announced that it has communicated to the French government the application lodged by Nicolas Sarkozy in the “Bismuth” or “wiretapping case” case. The former President, who was definitively convicted of corruption in this case and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment, including one year to be served, argues that his rights to a fair trial and to respect for private life were violated. In particular, he argues that his conviction was based on the use of telephone interceptions with his lawyer, Thierry Herzog. The notification is intended to inform the French government that an application has been brought against it and to submit questions. This is a preliminary procedural step before any decision on either the admissibility of the application or its merits. > Read the article.

#Litigation and International investigation

World Cup: Five minutes to understand why the FBI is investigating the Argentine Football Federation

The FBI and federal prosecutors have opened a preliminary investigation into the Argentine Football Association (AFA), based on initial inquiries launched after a whistleblower brought the matter to light in 2025. The investigations focuses in particular on a U.S. – based company run by a former Argentine congressman that was engaged by the AFA to centralize the collection of the federation’s international commercial contracts (sponsorship, broadcasting rights, etc.). According to reports in the Argentine press, nearly USD 260 million is alleged to have passed through several U.S. banks, including approximately USD 57 million transferred to companies or beneficiaries whose economic justification does not appear clearly from the banking records reviewed. The beneficiaries of this payment are reportedly former federation executives, as well as individuals with no apparent connection to football. > Read the article.

#Arbitration and Mediation

ICC Dispute Resolution 2025 Statistics

The International Chamber of Commerce has released its 2025 Dispute Resolution Statistics. A total of 881 arbitrations were filed under the ICC Arbitration Rules. The cases involved 2,531 parties from 147 jurisdictions. ICC arbitrations remained highly international, with nearly 70% of cases involving parties from different countries. Disputes arose across a wide range of sectors, with construction and engineering accounting for the largest share of cases with 28%, followed by the energy sector with 15%. In 2025, the ICC International Court of Arbitration approved 607 awards drafted in 11 languages. > Read the article.