The Competition and Markets Authority has set out its initial plans for the new digital markets competition regime. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act received Royal Assent in May 2024 and the new digital markets competition regime came into force on 1 January 2025. The CMA issued guidance about its substantive and procedural approach…
UK government cracks down on explicit deepfakes
The UK government has announced that it intends to crack down on explicit deepfakes. It will introduce new offences covering both creating and sharing deepfake images. This reflects the government’s manifesto commitment to ban the creation of sexually explicit deepfakes as well as recommendations from the Law Commission relating to intimate images. The government will…
Read More… from UK government cracks down on explicit deepfakes
New Year’s Resolutions For Procuring Technology Solutions in 2025
Jagvinder Singh Kang provides some timely advice for your procurement projects this year. IntroductionTechnology procurement has evolved over the decades. Gone are the days of just procuring IT hardware alone, or standard software. Organisations have become more dependent upon Cloud solutions, usually in the form of SaaS, and now there will be an inevitable movement…
Read More… from New Year’s Resolutions For Procuring Technology Solutions in 2025
EDPB issues opinion on AI models
The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) has adopted an opinion about using personal data when developing and deploying AI models. The opinion looks at: It also considers the use of first and third party data. The Irish Data Protection Commission requested the opinion with a view to seeking Europe-wide regulatory harmonisation. Anonymity The opinion says…
Ofcom issues review of Public Service Media 2019-23
Ofcom has published its review of public service broadcasting and says that broadcasters are delivering well for UK audiences, in challenging times. As part of its role to support and strengthen the quality of public service broadcasting (PSB), Ofcom has a duty to periodically review how television services provided by the BBC, ITV, STV, Channel…
Read More… from Ofcom issues review of Public Service Media 2019-23
This week’s Techlaw news round-up
Online Safety Act 2023 (Commencement No 4) Regulations 2024 made The Online Safety Act 2023 (Commencement No 4) Regulations 2024 (SI 2024/1333) have been made. These Regulations are the fourth commencement regulations under the Online Safety Act 2023. They bring into force on 17 January 2025 the duties about regulated provider pornographic content in section…
Ofcom publishes final version of illegal harms guidance under Online Safety Act
Ofcom has published its first-edition codes of practice and guidance on tackling illegal harms, such as terror, hate, fraud, child sexual abuse and assisting or encouraging suicide, under the UK’s Online Safety Act. The Act places new safety duties on social media firms, search engines, messaging, gaming and dating apps, and pornography and file-sharing sites….
Read More… from Ofcom publishes final version of illegal harms guidance under Online Safety Act
European Commission opens formal proceedings against TikTok on election risks under the Digital Services Act
The European Commission has opened formal proceedings against TikTok for a suspected breach of the Digital Services Act in relation to TikTok’s obligation to properly assess and mitigate systemic risks linked to election integrity, notably in the context of the recent Romanian presidential elections. The investigation will focus on management of risks to elections or…
Irish Data Protection Commission fines Meta €251 Million
The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) has announced its final decisions following two inquiries into Meta Platforms Ireland Limited. The DPC launched own-volition inquiries following a personal data breach, which was reported by MPIL in September 2018. The data breach affected approximately 29 million Facebook accounts globally, of which approximately 3 million were based in…
Read More… from Irish Data Protection Commission fines Meta €251 Million
AI Christmas Carol 2.0
(with apologies to Charles Dickens) Sarah Harris, Henry Goodwin and Ashley Winton update the perennial themes of Scrooge to a 21st century setting where Scrooge is struggling to stay relevant….. Published shortly before Christmas in 1843, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol was an instant hit in 19th century Britain, telling the salutary tale of Ebenezer…