Tech UK welcomes Brexit deal
The EU and UK finally agreed a deal, the Trade and Co-operation Agreement (‘TCA’), on 24 December, but what does it mean for the UK’s tech sector? The UK Government’s Summary Explainer heralds the agreement as containing ‘some of the most... Read more
Internet giant Alibaba under Investigation in China
China’s competition regulator has long been cautious about enforcing antitrust rules against China’s digital economy, which has become a prominent force of China’s economic growth and benefited millions of Chinese consumers. However, the recent... Read more
EPO study reveals UK and European positions in global 4IR patent race
What do you know of Industry 4.0, or the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR)? Characterised by the growing utilisation of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, robotics, 3D printing, the Internet of Things and... Read more
Ushering in a new age of accountability for big tech- UK government response to Online Harms White Paper consultation
The UK government has taken the next step in its plan to “usher in a new age of accountability for tech companies”, publishing the response to its consultation on the Online Harms White Paper. It has committed to making the Online Safety Bill,... Read more
NIS 2 - new cyber rules would mean more critical sectors covered and enhanced security requirements
The NIS regime, which aims to boost the overall level of cyber security in the EU by improving the security of network and information systems across critical sectors, has been under review at both EU and UK level. On 16 December 2020, the... Read more
FireEye of the storm for cyber risk?
On Tuesday the PRA sent a letter to UK insurance CEOs, in which it explained its supervisory priorities for 2021. Unsurprisingly, financial resilience remains at the top of the list. Equally it's unsurprising to see operational resilience included... Read more
A New Dawn for Digital Markets: the European Commission’s new Digital Services Package
In a previous post (see here) we discussed that the European Commission (the “Commission”) has launched three consultations on new regulation that would form part of the proposed Digital Services package. Following these consultations, on 15... Read more
CDEI publishes review into bias in algorithmic decision-making
On 27 November 2020, the Centre for Data, Ethics and Innovation (CDEI) published its review into bias in algorithmic decision-making. While the report focusses on case studies in the financial services, local government, policing and recruitment... Read more
Mass claims in the data sphere: what will 2021 bring?
While there is plenty of uncertainty on the horizon, one thing we can expect in 2021 is some big developments in relation to collective action claims for data law breaches. These mass claims from large groups of aggrieved individuals for breaches... Read more
The CMA's vision for pro-competitive digital markets: the SMS regime
After much anticipation, on Tuesday, the CMA delivered the advice of its Digital Markets Taskforce to the government on the design and implementation of the UK's new pro-competitive regime for digital markets. The Taskforce's advice supports... Read more
Are you cookie compliant? €135 million in fines suggests now is the time to check...
For any organisations who are complacent about strict cookie compliance, yesterday’s announcement by the French data regulator (the CNIL) that it has fined Google and Amazon a total of 135 million euros for placing advertising cookies on user... Read more
The Collapse of cryptography – considering the quantum threat to blockchain
Is it possible for a blockchain solution to respect the fundamental principles of data protection and privacy? We have previously analysed this issue (see March of the Blocks) and concluded, generally speaking, yes. But does quantum change this?... Read more
