As ML is becoming ubiquitous and creating new and impressive artifacts, regulatory agencies around the world are grappling with the unique properties of this new category of technology. In order to properly address these challenges, we argue for an approach centered on the dual pillars of rights and transparency to ensure that the technology is subject to the appropriate democratic governance. We outline some of the recent developments and proposals made by policymakers in this direction, how they connect to AI, and provide both organizational and technical tools to support well-informed regulation aligned with technology development now and in the future.