Computers & Law is the Society’s magazine available online, and in downloadable digital editions. To get full access to the content on this site plus the digital editions of C&L magazine, become an SCL member.
Latest Analysis
View more analysis >
Generative AI: Redefining Access To Justice
Amanda Chaboryk examines how policies and organisations may need to adapt if generative AI is to be used to improve access to justice. Introduction The legal field has consistently faced a growing and essential demand for innovation to tackle persistent issues related to access to justice. At a high level, the primary factors that impact access…
Some comebacks work: the reformed Public Sector Tech Group
Mark O’Conor and Nick de Lacy Brown, co-chairs of the revived Public Sector Tech Group, on the reasons for the initiative and what the Group seeks to achieve. There has never been a more exciting time to work in technology law – we all know that. But it is not just the private sector taking…
Read More… from Some comebacks work: the reformed Public Sector Tech Group
The SCL AI Conference: Key Takeaways
Mauricio Figueroa summarises the key points from the SCL AI Conference hosted by Herbert Smith Freehills on 8th October. Practitioners, lawmakers, academics, trainees, in-house lawyers, and civil society representatives gathered at Herbert Smith Freehills’ offices in London for the annual Society for Computers and Law AI conference. The event brought together experts to explore the…
IA Before AI: Facilitating Generative AI Adoption within Legal Teams
Amanda Chaboryk and Nicholas Cook highlight the importance of reviewing your information architecture before using your data for generative AI The advent of artificial intelligence (AI), and generative AI (GenAI) in particular, has resulted in a dawning era of transformative potential in the legal domain. It has been met with a range of reactions from…
Read More… from IA Before AI: Facilitating Generative AI Adoption within Legal Teams
AI literacy on the agenda: EU, UK and US
Tom Whittaker and Ryan Jenkins look at the increasing importance of AI literacy in the EU and more globally AI literacy in simple terms is about developing skills and understanding regarding how to develop and use AI, its opportunities and risks. Contracts, governance and internal policies may require or encourage some form of AI literacy….
Latest News
View more news >UK government unveils new Data (Use and Access) Bill
A new Data (Use and Access) Bill has been introduced to the UK parliament with the aim of unlocking the secure and effective use of data for the public interest. This follows previous attempts at amending UK data protection law under the previous government. Improving public services The Bill aims to use the power of…
Read More… from UK government unveils new Data (Use and Access) Bill
Ofcom consults on fees and penalties under online safety regime
The Online Safety Act requires that Ofcom’s operating costs for the online safety regime are covered by providers of regulated services through a fees regime, and that the calculation of fees should be based on providers’ qualifying worldwide revenue (QWR). The Act also stipulates that the same determination of QWR for fees is also used…
Read More… from Ofcom consults on fees and penalties under online safety regime
This Week’s Techlaw News Round-up
UK law Court of Appeal rules that UK courts can grant declaration for interim FRAND licence The Court of Appeal recently delivered its ruling in the case of Panasonic Holdings Corporation v Xiaomi Technology UK Limited & Ors [2024] EWCA Civ 1143. The case involved standard essential patents owned by the complainant (Panasonic) and was…
European Data Protection Board holds its latest plenary
During its latest plenary, the EDPB adopted an Opinion on certain obligations following from the reliance on processor(s) and sub-processor(s), Guidelines on legitimate interest, a Statement on laying down additional procedural rules for GDPR enforcement and the EDPB work programme 2024-2025. It adopted an Opinion on certain obligations following from the reliance on processor(s) and…
Read More… from European Data Protection Board holds its latest plenary
UK Regulatory Innovation Office launched
The UK government is launching a new Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO), which aims to reduce the burden for businesses hoping to bring new products and services to the market in some of the UK’s fastest-growing sectors. The RIO will support regulators to update regulation, with the aim of speeding up approvals, and ensuring different regulatory…
Latest Cases
View more cases >Court of Justice rules in another case brought by Max Schrems
The Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled in Case C-446/21 | Schrems. It said that an online social network such as Facebook cannot use all the personal data obtained for targeted advertising, without restriction as to time and without distinction as to type of data. In 2018, Meta Platforms Ireland started using…
Read More… from Court of Justice rules in another case brought by Max Schrems
CJEU considers police access to data in a mobile telephone
The CJEU has issued its ruling in Case C-548/21 | Bezirkshauptmannschaft Landeck. The Austrian police seized the mobile telephone of the recipient of a parcel following the discovery that the parcel contained 85 grams of cannabis. The police then tried unsuccessfully to unlock the mobile telephone to access the data it contained. The police were…
Read More… from CJEU considers police access to data in a mobile telephone
Online accommodation reservation platforms
The Court of Justice has ruled in Case C-264/23 | Booking.com and Booking.com (Deutschland) that price parity clauses cannot, in principle, be classified as “ancillary restraints” under EU competition law. Booking.com is incorporated under Netherlands law with its registered office in Amsterdam. It offers a worldwide online intermediation service to reserve accommodation. Hotels pay commission…
CJEU rules that a supervisory authority is not required to exercise a corrective power in all cases of breach of the GDPR
The Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled in the case of Case C-768/21 | Land Hessen. A German savings bank found that one of its employees had accessed a customer’s personal data on several occasions without authorisation. The savings bank did not inform the customer of this, as its data protection officer…
General Court annuls European Commission’s decision in Google Adsense case
The General Court has issued its ruling in Case T-334/19 | Google and Alphabet v Commission (Google AdSense for Search). The General Court has annulled a fine of nearly €1.5 billion on Google, even though it upheld the majority of the European Commission’s findings. It has annulled the fine because it says that the Commission…
Read More… from General Court annuls European Commission’s decision in Google Adsense case
Latest Event Reports
View more event reports >The SCL AI Conference: Key Takeaways
Mauricio Figueroa summarises the key points from the SCL AI Conference hosted by Herbert Smith Freehills on 8th October. Practitioners, lawmakers, academics, trainees, in-house lawyers, and civil society representatives gathered at Herbert Smith Freehills’ offices in London for the annual Society for Computers and Law AI conference. The event brought together experts to explore the…
SCL 50th Anniversary Conference 2023 – Rising Star Impression
Victor Gurr, Trainee Solicitor, Gisby Harrison Solicitors was nominated to attend the recent SCL 50th Anniversary Conference on 10 October 2023 as a tech law “rising star”. “Rising stars” are invited to record their impressions of the Conference in any form they choose (in previous years these have been event reports, infographs and even poems!). These…
Read More… from SCL 50th Anniversary Conference 2023 – Rising Star Impression
SCL 50th Anniversary Conference Event Report: “The Dragon Under the Sofa and other stories”
What separates humanity from technology? The sudden omniscience of ChatGPT in November 2022 has prompted a good deal of philosophising on that question with the apparent gap between the human and the machine growing ever less defined. There is as yet little common ground on where the boundary lies but one oft cited difference is…
The SCL 50th Anniversary Conference – a visual overview
Gerald Brent, Associate, Addleshaw Goddard, provides a visual summary of some of the key elements from the recent SCL 50th Anniversary Conference….
Read More… from The SCL 50th Anniversary Conference – a visual overview
Key Takeaways from the SCL Privacy and DP Group Event: Ad Tech – Bring Everyone to the Table
Speakers Anita Bapat (Kemp Little LLP) Tom O’Flynn (Google) James Evan (Verizon media) Alex Abrahams (DMGT) Karishma Brahmbhatt (Allen & Overy LLP) Event Overview With ad-tech a key focus for data protection authorities such as the ICO and CNIL, panellists James, Alex and Tom methodically described ad-tech infrastructure, and the various players involved within the…
