Opinion

Opinion

IT legislation and regulation

• Is GDPR worth the cost?

  Regulations have costs, which are meant to be recouped by the expected benefits. But who decides whether this is a good deal? Ultimately, it’s you  Continue Reading

• Are there any positives from the first year of GDPR?

  A year has passed since the new EU data protection law came into force. What have we learned in that time that can help organisations deliver benefits from the regulation?  Continue Reading

• The dominance of big tech might not always be such a bad thing

  Governments increasingly talk about regulating big tech to preserve competition, but an alternative view says that big tech only exists because there is already sufficient competition in the market  Continue Reading

• Goliath vs Goliath and the complexities of 5G intellectual property

  Is Apple the good guy or the bad guy? It has violated patents and had its wrist slapped by the courts (bad), yet its products are still available for adoring fans to buy (good)  Continue Reading

• Should we be worried that half of UK organisations don’t have a policy for the safe use of AI?

  As artificial intelligence becomes more mainstream, business leaders must be aware of the risks and make sure their firms do not build bias into AI algorithms  Continue Reading

• What are the options for regulating internet companies?

  The UK – and other countries – are likely to introduce new regulations for internet and tech companies like Facebook and Google. We consider what sort of rules they might introduce  Continue Reading

• Facebook’s high-stakes privacy gamble goes to Dublin court

  A high-wire gamble with billions in compensation at stake for European internet users – part of a complex case between Facebook and the Irish information commissioner – hides challenge to the unlawfulness of US state internet surveillance  Continue Reading

• Feudal Lords and anarchic allies – the new models for software collaboration

  Software developers often take an unconventional view of contracts for the work they undertake, which can come back and bite them  Continue Reading

• Brexit and digital identity – avoiding future restrictions on digital trade

  The UK has been a major contributor to European efforts to establish cross-border digital identities. Governments need to ensure that Brexit does not introduce unwanted restrictions that harm digital trade  Continue Reading

• An IR35 survival guide for employers and contractors

  Forthcoming changes to IR35 regulations will affect most private sector companies using IT contractors – so what do you need to do to prepare?  Continue Reading

• GCHQ offers help to embryonic Irish cyber security organisation

  Ciaran Martin head of the UK's National Cyber Security Centre, part of GCHQ, builds bridges with the Republic of Ireland's intelligence community during an official visit to Dublin  Continue Reading

• Dynamic pricing online should not be regulated as anti-competitive

  Competition authorities are examining online retailers' use of dynamic pricing to see if it's fair to consumers – but the principle of regulating such activity is economically wrong  Continue Reading

• Making the UK the safest place to live and work online

  Government, industry and individuals all have to play their part in enhancing cyber security practices  Continue Reading

• Digital services tax weakens the case for tech startups to choose the UK

  The UK government’s plan for a tax specifically targeting big digital firms risks undermining international efforts to reform corporate taxation for the digital age  Continue Reading

• Will the EU Copyright Directive ‘break the internet’?

  A new European Union law proposed for copyrighted material has provoked strong reactions from all sides – but what does it mean?  Continue Reading