News
IT legislation and regulation
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April 14, 2021
14
Apr'21
Remote workers largely supportive of a UK right to disconnect
The introduction of a “right to disconnect” in the UK is popular among workers and has backing from trade unions
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April 14, 2021
14
Apr'21
EU set to tilt AI balance in favour of citizen rights
New draft EU regulations aim to protect people from biased decision-making
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April 13, 2021
13
Apr'21
EncroChat lawyers raise questions over use of PII secrecy orders on UK decryption capabilities
Lawyers claim that public interest immunity certificates may have been used to withhold information on UK intelligence agencies’ ability to decrypt encrypted communications
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April 09, 2021
09
Apr'21
Egypt, Italy and US most affected in Facebook leak
Researchers at VPN firm Surfshark have been analysing data on 533 million people leaked from Facebook
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April 09, 2021
09
Apr'21
Loan Charge Group MPs demand IR35 shake-up to stop contractors becoming ‘zero-rights employees’
Inquiry by Loan Charge All-Party Parliamentary Group calls on government to tweak IR35 legislation during passage of next Finance Bill
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April 08, 2021
08
Apr'21
Nation-state cyber attacks double in three years
Cyber attacks backed by nation states are becoming more frequent and varied, moving the world closer to a point of ‘advanced cyber-conflict’, according to a University of Surrey research project
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April 07, 2021
07
Apr'21
Facebook ducks calls to apologise over huge data leak
Facebook gives its side of the story as data on millions of its users leaks, but is yet to apologise for security lapses that put half a billion people at risk of compromise
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April 07, 2021
07
Apr'21
Digital Markets Unit starts work on codes of conduct for tech giants
Digital markets regulator officially launched to ensure tech giants such as Facebook and Google cannot exploit their market dominance to crowd out competition and stifle innovation online
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April 07, 2021
07
Apr'21
Irish employees’ ‘right to disconnect’ enshrined in code of practice
A code of practice giving employees the ‘right to disconnect’ from work and not engage in electronic communications outside of their normal hours has come into effect in Ireland
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April 06, 2021
06
Apr'21
Facebook data leak could be outside scope of GDPR
Regulators may be unable to do much about leaked data on 533 million Facebook users, as it seems to have been stolen before GDPR came into force
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April 06, 2021
06
Apr'21
US court issues Google API with Java ruling
US Supreme Court rules that specifying an API function call to enable third-party developers to access functionality should not be copyrighted
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April 06, 2021
06
Apr'21
IR35 reforms: Private sector start date prompts mixed picture of predictions for contracting market
The IR35 tax avoidance reforms take hold in the private sector, prompting a mixed picture of predictions from stakeholders about what the future holds for contractors in the UK
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April 01, 2021
01
Apr'21
Clearer service information could add 1.6 million full-fibre homes by 2025
Report finds that the speed at which Britain could benefit from the economic and social impact of billions of pounds of full-fibre infrastructure investment could be improved by clear labelling and information on broadband services
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April 01, 2021
01
Apr'21
EncroChat hearings delayed as lawyers seek disclosure on police hacking
Court hearings precipitated by police cracking the EncroChat secure mobile phone network have been delayed after defence lawyers request further disclosures on police decryption capabilities
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April 01, 2021
01
Apr'21
IR35 reforms: Loan charge and employers’ NI issues prompt calls for legislative revamp
As the government prepares to extend the IR35 reforms to the private sector, contracting stakeholders say it is high time the ‘flawed’ legislation was scrapped entirely
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March 31, 2021
31
Mar'21
IR35 reforms: HMRC denies ‘squandering’ datasets that could rid umbrella sector of rogue players
Concerns grow about the number of IT contractors at risk of joining non-compliant umbrella firms ahead of the IR35 reforms taking hold in the private sector
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March 31, 2021
31
Mar'21
Nordics run information sharing on digital vaccination passports
Nordic countries advance plans for digital Covid-19 vaccination passports in a bid to kick-start their economies
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March 30, 2021
30
Mar'21
IR35 reforms: Slow government progress on umbrella regulation exposes IT contractors to tax risks
With thousands of IT contractors set to start working through unregulated umbrella companies for the first time when the IR35 reforms take hold in the private sector, concerns are growing about the danger this could pose to their income and tax ...
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March 29, 2021
29
Mar'21
How far has open banking come in Europe?
Open banking is a relatively new concept, having come into effect in Europe only in the last couple of years. So what is the state of play?
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March 29, 2021
29
Mar'21
Backup survey: UK councils’ downtimes five times longer than average
Backup product supplier Veeam’s freedom of information request finds councils’ average downtime is seven hours and that backup and disaster recovery testing is not done frequently
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March 29, 2021
29
Mar'21
UK courts face evidence ‘black hole’ over police EncroChat mass hacking
French investigators have refused to disclose how they downloaded millions of messages from a supposedly secure cryptophone network used by organised criminals – leaving UK courts to grapple with a forensic ‘black hole’ of evidence
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March 26, 2021
26
Mar'21
Openreach defies Covid to hit full-fibre target
BT-owned broadband provision division includes more than 170 city locations in multi-billion-pound gigabit broadband build including cities of Birmingham, Belfast, London and Manchester
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March 25, 2021
25
Mar'21
Cyber security complacency puts UK at risk, says NCSC head
National Cyber Security Centre CEO Lindy Cameron, in her maiden speech in the role, warns of challenges ahead for the UK and sets out the future agenda for cyber
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March 23, 2021
23
Mar'21
IR35 reforms: Confusion over who pays employers’ NI leaves IT contractors out of pocket
Litigators are circling as thousands of contractors realise that the 2017 roll-out of IR35 reforms to the public sector may have resulted in unlawful tax deductions – and the private sector could be next
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March 22, 2021
22
Mar'21
Altnet association warns of threat to UK full-fibre roll-out
Independent Networks Co-operative Association warns that recent momentum in gigabit broadband implementation could be delayed if independent providers and their investors believe UK comms regulator is not willing to listen to their concerns
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March 22, 2021
22
Mar'21
CIO interview: Juliette Atkinson, IT director, Bradford University
Bradford University’s IT director took a different route than most to get into IT leadership
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March 19, 2021
19
Mar'21
UK government aims to get national broadband project back on track with Project Gigabit
First areas revealed in £5bn government scheme to deliver gigabit broadband connections to help recovery from the pandemic, achieve growth and levelling up
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March 18, 2021
18
Mar'21
Ofcom revamps wholesale broadband rules to ramp up full-fibre roll-out
UK comms regulator announces new guidelines for the UK wholesale telecoms market, with the principal aim to drive investment in fibre gigabit services and support the closure of the UK’s copper network
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March 18, 2021
18
Mar'21
Vaccine passports cannot put basic rights at risk, warns BCS
BCS warns of challenges to come as the government presses on with its plans for Covid-19 vaccine passports
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March 17, 2021
17
Mar'21
Ofcom raises £1.356bn in principal stage of new 5G spectrum auction
After announcing their plans to extend and improve basic 4G connectivity around the country, the UK’s mobile operators are celebrating their principal gains in the 5G arena with low-band and mid-band spectrum
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March 17, 2021
17
Mar'21
Cyber sector welcomes PM’s defence review
Security commentators approve of measures to improve the UK’s cyber resilience, strengthen its R&D and skills base, lead on the development of new technology and promote a free, open, peaceful and secure global internet
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March 16, 2021
16
Mar'21
Banks still lack tech skills at the top
Banks have made progress in adding IT knowledge in their boardrooms, but they need more as digital transformation accelerates
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March 16, 2021
16
Mar'21
Government calls for input into Covid-19 vaccine passports
Evidence gathering exercise will inform the development of the UK’s proposed Covid-19 vaccine passport scheme
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March 15, 2021
15
Mar'21
UK plans ‘full spectrum’ approach to national cyber security
PM Boris Johnson expands on proposed National Cyber Force and plans to set up a north of England Cyber Corridor
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March 15, 2021
15
Mar'21
IR35 private sector reforms: IPSE warns of UK contracting talent exodus unless start date delayed
Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed research into what contractors plan to do once the IR35 reforms come into play highlights growing risk of talent shortages
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March 12, 2021
12
Mar'21
IR35 private sector reforms: IT contractors ‘growing reluctant’ to work for ‘blanket banning’ firms
IT-focused staffing company Ellis Recruitment Group shares its take on how the contracting market is responding to the private sector firms enforcing blanket bans
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March 11, 2021
11
Mar'21
UK digital regulators set out plans to strengthen cooperation
Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum outlines plans for the coming year, marking a shift towards a more collaborative regulatory approach
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March 11, 2021
11
Mar'21
Attack on surveillance cameras a warning over security, ethics
The attack on a video surveillance startup by a hacktivist group raises questions not just over cyber security, but the use and extent of surveillance technology
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March 10, 2021
10
Mar'21
Met Police chooses Capgemini as strategic IT infrastructure services provider
Capgemini has a history of providing the force with day-to-day technology services, and will now deliver its infrastructure services under the Pegasus programme
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March 10, 2021
10
Mar'21
Government’s refusal of freedom of information request about Post Office scandal ‘deeply concerning’
MP condemns department’s ‘bizarre’ rejection of freedom of information request linked to Post Office IT scandal
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March 10, 2021
10
Mar'21
Police crack world’s largest cryptophone network as criminals swap EncroChat for Sky ECC
Belgian and Dutch police have breached the encryption of users of Sky ECC, the world’s largest cryptophone network. There are significant parallels with the international police operation against the EncroChat cryptophone network which led to ...
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March 09, 2021
09
Mar'21
Belgian police raid 200 premises in drug operation linked to breach of encrypted phone network
More than 1,600 police and law enforcement officials conduct drug raids after the compromise of an encrypted mobile phone network that has parallels with EncroChat
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March 09, 2021
09
Mar'21
EBA restores services after Microsoft Exchange attack
European Banking Authority was breached through vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server, but is now back online
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March 08, 2021
08
Mar'21
US teases retaliation over state-backed cyber attacks
Consequences for alleged perpetrators of the SolarWinds attack are expected within the next few weeks
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March 05, 2021
05
Mar'21
Affordable legal advice for all – from a robot
Artificial intelligence project strives to make legal advice affordable to the whole of society
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March 05, 2021
05
Mar'21
Innovation underpinned by trustworthy governance, says CDEI
Public support for greater use of digital technologies such as AI depends on how much trust people have in its governance, says report
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March 04, 2021
04
Mar'21
IR35 private sector reforms: HMRC under fire over ‘omission’ of employers’ NI from webinar guidance
HM Revenue & Customs confirms it has corrected a calculation error in a recent educational IR35 webinar that saw it fail to factor in employers’ NI in examples of how payments should be made between end-clients, agencies and PSCs post-April 2021
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March 04, 2021
04
Mar'21
UK contactless payment limit more than doubled
UK increases the amount that can be spent in one go using a contactless payments card to £100
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March 03, 2021
03
Mar'21
IR35 private sector reforms: Hays calls on Treasury to delay April 2021 start date by a year
UK and Ireland managing director of recruitment giant Hays writes to HM Treasury to demand a delay and review of the government’s plans to roll out the IR35 reforms to the private sector from April 2021
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March 02, 2021
02
Mar'21
EU seeking pan-European Covid-19 passport solution
The European Union’s proposal could see the creation of a Covid-19 vaccine passport to enable travel across the EU