News
IT legislation and regulation
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August 22, 2022
22
Aug'22
Lloyd’s to end insurance coverage for state cyber attacks
Lloyd’s of London has instructed its members to exclude nation state cyber attacks from insurance policies beginning in 2023, saying they pose unacceptable levels of risk
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August 18, 2022
18
Aug'22
LexisNexis sued by immigration advocates over data practices
Four immigration advocacy groups launch lawsuit in Illinois alleging data broker’s collection, aggregation and sale of people’s personal data, including non-public information, to corporations and government bodies
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August 15, 2022
15
Aug'22
Lawyers and journalists sue CIA and Mike Pompeo over Assange surveillance claims
CIA and its former director sued over allegations that they authorised unlawful spying on US citizens when they visited WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London
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August 15, 2022
15
Aug'22
How clean data helps Southern Water identify vulnerable customers
Escalating prices means households around the country are having to tighten spending, with many struggling to pay their bills. Water4All, a consortium led by Southern Water, is using data to identify low-income and vulnerable households so they can ...
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August 15, 2022
15
Aug'22
England and Wales councils unprepared for PSTN withdrawal in 2025
Freedom of information act request reveals worrying finding that over half of councils in England and Wales have no strategy for the prospective withdrawal of traditional PSTN communications networks
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August 15, 2022
15
Aug'22
Report reveals consensus around Computer Misuse Act reform
A study produced by the CyberUp campaign reveals broad alignment among security professionals on questions around the Computer Misuse Act, which it hopes will give confidence to policymakers as they explore its reform
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August 15, 2022
15
Aug'22
UK government aims to allow struggling families access to cheaper broadband
New support scheme designed to enable customers to give permission to broadband providers to confirm their eligibility for cheaper deals
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August 15, 2022
15
Aug'22
FCSA appoints independent panel to bolster dispute resolution protocols for umbrella firms
In a statement to Computer Weekly, the Freelancer and Contractor Services Association says the panel will provide umbrella companies with a route to appeal against the decisions made by its CEO
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August 12, 2022
12
Aug'22
Department of Health investigates bias in medical devices and algorithms
The government has launched a review to look at the problem of discrimination in medical devices and decision-making software
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August 12, 2022
12
Aug'22
Online Safety Bill ‘not fit for purpose’, say tech experts
IT specialists lack confidence that legislation compelling tech firms to tackle online harms will work as intended, with only a small minority believing ‘harmful but legal’ content can be effectively and proportionately policed by internet platforms
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August 10, 2022
10
Aug'22
UK to surveil convicted migrants with facial recognition
A Home Office scheme to biometrically scan the faces of convicted migrants who have already carried out punishments has come under fire from privacy and human rights groups for being discriminatory
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August 09, 2022
09
Aug'22
HS2 sets aside £9.5m to cover cost of IR35 non-compliance
HS2 has become the latest public sector entity to have fallen foul of the IR35 rules, with its accounts confirming that it is anticipating a tax bill of £9.5m for failing to assess the status of contractors provided to it by a third party
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August 08, 2022
08
Aug'22
Internet giants in favour as Ireland tightens rules on datacentres
Irish premier Michael Martin has insisted its temporary squeeze on datacentre construction is not a moratorium on the industry
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August 04, 2022
04
Aug'22
Financial services regulator opens digital delivery centre in Leeds
The Financial Conduct Authority is increasing the number of tech experts in its workforce through a new digital delivery centre in Leeds
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August 03, 2022
03
Aug'22
New EU due diligence law needs amending to stop tech sector abuse
European corporate due diligence directive seeking to transform how companies approach their human rights and environmental risk is welcome, but without further changes, it will fail to effectively curb tech firms’ harmful practices, claims ...
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August 02, 2022
02
Aug'22
UK regulator urged to address broadband loyalty penalty issue
Citizens Advice calls on UK comms regulator to take action after loyalty penalties of £451m were revealed for broadband customers and £83m for mobile customers paying a bundled contract including a handset
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August 02, 2022
02
Aug'22
UK safety tech sector sees strong revenue and employment growth
Safety tech is now one of the fastest-growing sectors in the UK tech industry, with jumps in revenue, investment and employment
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July 29, 2022
29
Jul'22
Austrian data firm accused of selling malware, conducting cyber attacks
Microsoft has accused DSIRF, an Austrian data services firm, of involvement in a string of cyber attacks
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July 28, 2022
28
Jul'22
Hibs push for the backup premier league with Acronis
Hibernian FC signs Acronis to get top division data protection and make the most of ticketing information and match footage as it tries to gain more value from the data it holds
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July 27, 2022
27
Jul'22
Government slammed for slow response to IR35-related consultation on zero-rights employees
The government has taken four years to publish its response to a three-month consultation on whether employment status and tax laws should be more closely aligned, and concluded that now is not the right time to make any changes
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July 27, 2022
27
Jul'22
US doubles bounty on Lazarus cyber crime group to $10m
US State Department doubles a previously announced reward for information on North Korean cyber criminals, including the notorious Lazarus group
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July 26, 2022
26
Jul'22
Secret court asked to quash a decade of MI5 surveillance warrants following ‘systemic breaches’
The culture at MI5 was to ‘prioritise’ missions ‘over everything else’, including compliance with safeguards designed to protect the public, the UK’s most secret court heard yesterday
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July 25, 2022
25
Jul'22
Home Office ‘unlawfully’ approved MI5 bulk surveillance warrants
MI5 provided ‘false information’ to the Home Office to secure bulk surveillance warrants, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal heard
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July 25, 2022
25
Jul'22
Umbrella IT contractors could get back-dated holiday pay windfall following Supreme Court ruling
Umbrella industry stakeholders weigh-up the financial implications of a Supreme Court ruling, which could pave the way for IT contractors to submit back-dated claims for holiday pay
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July 22, 2022
22
Jul'22
Forrester: European cloud adoption accelerates
The rise in public cloud usage across the UK and EU will speed up new cloud-specific regulations
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July 21, 2022
21
Jul'22
GCHQ experts back scanning of encrypted phone messages to fight child abuse
Ian Levy, technical director of the NCSC, and Crispin Robinson, technical director of GCHQ, back client-side scanning software on mobile phones to detect child abuse
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July 21, 2022
21
Jul'22
UK government introduces data reforms legislation to Parliament
Proposed changes to UK’s data protection regime include new grounds for data processing, significant powers for the secretary of state to direct the regime’s application, and fewer restrictions on law enforcement’s use of data
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July 20, 2022
20
Jul'22
Barnet Council to bring work outsourced to Capita back in-house by 2026
London borough is bringing swathes of outsourced services back in-house next year, with more to follow by 2026
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July 19, 2022
19
Jul'22
MPs slam FCSA for declining to answer questions on umbrella companies withholding holiday pay
Freelance and Contractor Services Association under fire from MPs for declining to answer questions about the umbrella companies that make up its membership and their stance on ensuring contractors receive their holiday pay entitlements
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July 18, 2022
18
Jul'22
US cyber agency CISA to open London office
The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has chosen London to host its first office outside America
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July 18, 2022
18
Jul'22
Government proposes pro-innovation AI framework
In contrast to the EU’s more centralised approach to artificial intelligence regulations, the UK government is giving regulators more freedom to adapt rules
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July 18, 2022
18
Jul'22
Data and tech platforms helping finance regulator spot problems earlier
The UK financial services regulator is increasingly using data platforms to proactively regulate the finance sector
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July 15, 2022
15
Jul'22
Drivers’ union calls for immediate dismissal of Uber executive
Uber’s continued employment of an executive directly involved in efforts to resist regulatory oversight puts the ride-hailing firm in breach of its 2018 licence conditions, says drivers’ union
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July 14, 2022
14
Jul'22
ICO wants to ‘empower people through information’
Information Commissioner’s Office sets out commitment to safeguard the information rights of the most vulnerable people in UK society
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July 13, 2022
13
Jul'22
ICO calls for review into government use of private email and WhatsApp messages
Information Commissioner’s Office reprimands Department of Health and Social Care after ministers and officials conducted government business on their own email accounts and messaging apps
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July 12, 2022
12
Jul'22
Brits say social media must do more to block harmful content
UK citizens want social media companies to do more to prevent harmful content appearing on their platforms
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July 12, 2022
12
Jul'22
Is time running out for legacy payments technology used by banks?
The company bringing Google-like processing to core banking for banks has added the same proposition in payments
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July 11, 2022
11
Jul'22
Oracle to open first sovereign cloud regions for EU-based users in 2023
Database software giant Oracle has set out plans to provide private enterprises and public sector organisations with access to sovereign cloud regions, with the first set to open in Spain and Germany next year
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July 08, 2022
08
Jul'22
Ofcom publishes Online Safety Roadmap
The roadmap sets out how the online harms regulator will approach implementing the UK’s online safety regime, and tells tech firms to start preparing for the new rules
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July 08, 2022
08
Jul'22
Stop telling clients to pay ransomware gangs, solicitors told
The NCSC and the ICO are calling on solicitors to help tackle the rising number of ransomware payments being made, and to stop giving erroneous advice to victims
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July 08, 2022
08
Jul'22
Sweden and GDPR – four years on
Swedish data protection coordinator talks to Computer Weekly four years into the General Data Protection Regulation
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July 07, 2022
07
Jul'22
MI5, FBI chiefs warn of Chinese cyber espionage threat
In a joint appearance in London, MI5 director general Ken McCallum and FBI director Chris Wray warn of the growing threat posed by the Chinese government to UK and US interests
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July 07, 2022
07
Jul'22
UK signs ‘in principle’ data adequacy agreement with South Korea
Bilateral adequacy agreement will allow businesses to conduct cross-border data transfers with minimal restrictions
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July 05, 2022
05
Jul'22
Legacy UK customs system stops accepting registration requests
HMRC closes new applications to legacy customs system as its shutdown nears
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July 05, 2022
05
Jul'22
Netherlands’ AMdEX seeks to democratise the internet
Last year, five Dutch organisations launched an initiative to set up the Amsterdam Data Exchange to simplify data sharing and help democratise the internet
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July 05, 2022
05
Jul'22
NCSC CEO: Why we should run towards crises to elevate cyber security
National Cyber Security Centre CEO Lindy Cameron, the 2022 Computer Weekly UKtech50 Most Influential Person in UK IT, reflects on a career immersed in crisis management, and how she is using this to elevate cyber security standards across the country
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July 04, 2022
04
Jul'22
MPs call for ban on Chinese surveillance camera technology
Nearly 70 MPs have called on the government to ban Chinese camera technology that is widely used by UK government agencies despite links to human rights abuses in China
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July 04, 2022
04
Jul'22
Government rejects Lords police tech inquiry recommendations
The government has largely rejected the findings and recommendations of a House of Lords inquiry into police tech, which called for an overhaul of how police deploy artificial intelligence and algorithmic technologies
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June 30, 2022
30
Jun'22
ICO to cut back on fines for public sector data breaches
Information commissioner John Edwards sets out a revised approach to how the ICO handles data breaches in the public sector, saying fining victims risks punishing the public twice over
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June 29, 2022
29
Jun'22
Urgent need for new laws to govern biometrics, legal review finds
Independent review says new framework is needed to clear up legal and ethical concerns over the use of biometric data and technologies, which can impact privacy, freedom of expression and other human rights