Publishing & social media

European Commission takes action against Meta under the Digital Services Act

News • May 21, 2024

The European Commission has opened formal proceedings to assess if Meta (Facebook/Instagram) may have breached the Digital Services Act with regards to the protection of minors. The Commission is concerned that Facebook and Instagram’s systems, including their algorithms, may promote behavioural addictions in children, as well as create so-called ‘rabbit-hole effects’. In addition, the Commission…

This Week’s Techlaw News Round-up

News • May 10, 2024

UK law Automated Vehicles Bill ready for Royal Assent The Automated Vehicles Bill returned to the House of Lords to consider the House of Commons amendments. The House of Commons had proposed 11 amendments to Clauses 40, 43, 89, 93 and 100, as well as amendments to Schedule 1. The Bill has now been passed…

Ofcom publishes draft children’s code under Online Safety Act 2023

News • May 8, 2024

Ofcom has published its draft Children’s Safety Codes of Practice, which sets out how it expects online services to meet their legal responsibilities to protect children online. This is the second key consultation under the Online Safety Act and includes Ofcom’s proposals for how internet services that enable the sharing of user-generated content (user-to-user services)…

This Week’s Techlaw News Round-up

News • May 3, 2024

UK law Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Act 2024 receives Royal Assent The Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Act 2024 has received Royal Assent. It updates the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 with the aim of ensuring that the UK’s investigatory powers framework remains fit for purpose in the face of evolving threats. It follows the Home Secretary’s statutory report…

Commission opens formal proceedings against Facebook and Instagram under the Digital Services Act

News • May 2, 2024

The European Commission has opened formal proceedings to assess if Meta (Facebook and Instagram), may have breached the Digital Services Act. As regular SCL readers will be aware, Facebook and Instagram were designated as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) on 25 April 2023 under the DSA, as they both have more than 45 million monthly…

Public statement by social network user about sexual orientation means data is public but that does not mean it can be used for personalised advertising

News • April 26, 2024

The Advocate General has delivered his opinion in Case C-446/21 | Schrems. In 2018, Meta Platforms Ireland started using new Facebook terms of service in the EU. Consent to those terms is required to sign up for, or access, Facebook’s accounts and services. Mr Maximilian Schrems (S) a Facebook user and well-known activist in the…

European Commission opens proceedings against TikTok regarding Tiktok Lite

News • April 25, 2024

Last year, the European Commission designated TikTok as a Very Large Online Platform under the Digital Services Act. TikTok Lite is a new app which has been launched in France and Spain and is aimed at users aged 18+. It includes the “Task and Reward Program”, which allows users to earn points while performing certain…

This Week’s Techlaw News Round-up

News • April 19, 2024

UK law UK government announces new law to tackle deepfake creation The Ministry of Justice has announced a new offence for individuals who create a sexually explicit deepfake even if there is no intent to share. Offenders will face prosecution and an unlimited fine and if the image is shared, offenders may be subject to…

ICO sets out priorities for Children’s Code strategy

News • April 5, 2024

Since the introduction of its Children’s code of practice in 2021, the ICO has been working with online services including websites, apps and games to provide better privacy protections for children, aimed at ensuring their personal information is used appropriately within the digital world. The ICO says that there has been significant progress and many…

This Week’s Techlaw News Round-up

News • March 28, 2024

UK law Artificial Intelligence (Regulation) Bill receives second reading The Artificial Intelligence (Regulation) Bill has received its second reading in the House of Lords. Committee stage is yet to be scheduled. The Bil is a private member’s bill which would introduce a new body, the AI Authority, which would have various functions designed to help…