Opinion

Opinion

Internet technology

• Why identity is the central problem for the future of the internet

  As debate rages over who has the right to control user identities online, is the concept of decentralised identity about to have its day?  Continue Reading

• Online Safety Bill: an opportunity for tech to get it right

  Long-awaited proposals for regulating internet companies still leave much to be defined – and the tech sector must take the lead in finalising a plan that works for society and government  Continue Reading

• Why we need to reset the debate on end-to-end encryption to protect children

  Private messaging is the front line of abuse, yet E2EE in its current form risks engineering away the ability of firms to detect and disrupt it where it is most prevalent  Continue Reading

• What does Brexit mean for the future of UK digital policy? A view from Europe

  Any decisions by the UK government to diverge from EU policies and values over digital policy and regulation could cause real economic problems for UK businesses  Continue Reading

• Why Jack Ma might be too good a tech entrepreneur for China's leaders

  Tech pioneer Jack Ma is facing new regulatory pressure from the Chinese authorities – is this some ideological spat, or simply that he's too good at what he does compared to the state-owned financial system?  Continue Reading

• It’s time to accept that disinformation is a cyber security issue

  Tackling the manipulation of truth and facts is no easy task, and it’s time for the cyber security sector to take up the challenge  Continue Reading

• Why our online harms laws will be good for tech

  The UK's minister for digital infrastructure explains the government's thinking behind its proposals to regulate internet companies such as Facebook, Google and others  Continue Reading

• Driving innovation in government

  An insider's perspective on the organisation, culture and methods used to drive innovation in the Department for Work and Pensions  Continue Reading

• SMEs poised to reap tech and agility advantage in wake of Covid-19

  The UK’s small and medium-sized businesses have, in some respects, reacted more nimbly to Covid-19 than larger organisations. As a result, they have put themselves in a better position to take advantage of growth opportunities  Continue Reading

• The Google antitrust case is more about politics than economics

  It’s not entirely clear what economic reasons led the US government to try to tackle Google’s search monopoly, which suggests it is mostly about politics  Continue Reading

• The harsh reality for newspapers in the fight against Facebook, is that people won’t pay for news

  The Australian media is the latest to try to get Facebook and Google to pay for using their news stories. That only exposes the fact that not enough readers want to do so  Continue Reading

• How Schrems II will impact data sharing between the UK and the US

  At the end of this year, the UK will no longer be subject to the EU’s treaties, opening the way for it and the US to finalise a new trade relationship. Could the UK leave EU data protection standards behind?  Continue Reading

• 11 obscure questions, Facebook, Max Schrems and the European Court of Justice

  Eleven obscure questions will be the first step towards explaining why we in the UK and Europe have experienced 13 years of what has been described as ‘mass and indiscriminate surveillance’ by the US  Continue Reading

• Why a shared channel experience will meet user needs at DWP Digital

  The Department for Work and Pensions outlines the approach it is taking to developing user-focused digital services  Continue Reading

• Why you should think before you Zoom

  Feel free to use Zoom during the coronavirus lockdown, but think before you discuss anything confidential  Continue Reading

• Coronavirus: What does the ‘new normal’ mean for how we work?

  Examining the long-term impact of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic on the world of work, security, privacy and networks  Continue Reading

• JavaScript skimmers: An evolving and dangerous threat

  Cyber attacks exploiting Magecart JavaScript skimmers are spiking during the coronavirus pandemic, and like biological viruses, they just keep evolving  Continue Reading

• Coronavirus and privacy – finding the middle ground

  Data collection has a role to play in fighting the deadly Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak, but governments need to be accountable for how it is used  Continue Reading

• Our data is making us ‘richer’ – even if it’s the tech companies getting rich

  How much do we value our personal data, and how does that compare to the value we think we get from companies like Facebook and Google exploiting that data?  Continue Reading

• What is ARPA and what should a UK version look like?

  The Prime Minister wants the UK to be a hotbed of science and research, and his advisor Dominic Cummings admires the US ARPA organisation – but what would a UK version need to be successful?  Continue Reading

• Is the EU better equipped than the US to supervise the use of facial recognition?

  Clearview AI can be an indispensable tool to reinforce national security, but there are many risks associated with the use of facial recognition technology that the EU might be better equipped to deal with than the US  Continue Reading

• Could regulation kill Facebook completely?

  Social media companies are under financial pressure, as costs increase faster than revenues due to growing concerns about the price of regulatory intervention  Continue Reading

• Real digital modernisation – a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the new UK government

  A new UK government with a decisive majority offers a unique opportunity to finally introduce public services for the digital age – if the Conservatives are willing to take it  Continue Reading

• Learning from the Travelex cyber attack: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail

  The key lesson to take from the Travelex breach is that an effective response to a breach is a critical business function and no longer the sole province of the IT department  Continue Reading

• Why the banking industry needs an IT makeover

  UK banks face huge challenges keeping their service availability levels at 99.99%  Continue Reading

• How can we tell if regulating Google and Facebook is the right thing to do?

  There are different economic approaches to dealing with monopolies and market dominance, but the nature of Google and Facebook defies easy answers  Continue Reading

• Can Europe legally share data with the US? A court far away is about to decide

  The European Court of Justice will deliver an opinion on whether Europe can legally continue to send private data about European citizens to the US  Continue Reading

• We can’t allow fake news and disinformation to upend our democracy

  Fake news, misinformation and cyber attacks are part of our political process – now is the time to act  Continue Reading

• The art of surveillance: the Stasi archives and the Investigatory Powers Act

  A photographic exhibition captures the chilling impact of surveillance in the UK and the former German Democratic Republic  Continue Reading

• Who has legal jurisdiction over the internet?

  The internet is testing the scope of national laws – and even the European Court of Justice is finding it hard to find a consistent line on its decisions  Continue Reading

• AI vs AI: How can we win the fake news battle?

  Many internet browsers and social media companies have been forced to take on a new responsibility to combat the dissemination of false information, but can they succeed?  Continue Reading

• Regulators globally are shaping up to rein in Facebook

  We need to move fast and fix Facebook, before it breaks us  Continue Reading

• UK businesses deserve a 5G networked nation

  The tech sector needs to coalesce around a unified, positive vision of 5G to establish a proper business case for ultrafast, low latency mobile  Continue Reading

• Britain’s 5G roll-out – What is plan B?

  The government has ambitious aspirations in respect of Britain’s full-fibre and 5G networks. But among all the Brexit fog, has it managed to shoot itself in the foot with the roll-out of 5G mobile?  Continue Reading

• Why Facebook’s Libra digital currency could run rings round the regulators

  Facebook’s cryptocurrency isn’t really a cryptocurrency, nor is it really a money transfer network, but it’s been formulated in such a way that regulators might not be able to do anything to stop it  Continue Reading

• Does NHS Digital’s Internet First policy mean the end of HSCN?

  Last week, NHS Digital issued new policy guidance on internet usage that, at first glance, appeared to herald the end of HSCN – but is that really the case?  Continue Reading

• What is the right goal for digital inclusion?

  Most tech observers agree that digital inclusion is important, but the digitally excluded can have quite different views on what they want  Continue Reading

• Tech helps tackle trafficking and modern slavery, but industry needs a culture shift to eradicate it

  Technology can help end the scourge of modern slavery, but the sector can do more and needs a change in thinking to take a lead  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

• 5G’s first five years: A look ahead

  With 5G mobile networks edging closer to reality, GSMA Intelligence’s Matthew Iji looks ahead to consider how the technology will be adopted between now and 2024  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

• Getting it right this time: Why the strategy is not about delivery for NHSX

  Government needs to move on from the mantras and beliefs that exist around digital and technology – the new NHSX organisation could set an example by transforming healthcare  Continue Reading

• How to accelerate digital identity in the UK

  Trusted online relationships are essential to the digital economy, but the UK is lagging behind. What needs to be done?  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

• Austerity versus the march of technology – an economist’s perspective

  Technology, in the economic sense, is an indicator of growth in a successful developed economy. But is tech efficiency also enabling the negative effects of austerity?  Continue Reading

• Douglas Engelbart, the forgotten hero of modern computing

  Half a century ago, Douglas Engelbart demonstrated an experimental computer that laid the foundations for modern computing. His vision to use computing power to solve complex problems in all areas of human activity has become reality, but not in the...  Continue Reading

• Bright future for OTT video – if the network can support it

  The emergence of over the top video services is having a massive impact on underlying network technology, according to the ITP  Continue Reading

• The journey to turning your organisation into a platform

  Compete with digital rivals by becoming a platform organisation – how companies can start navigating the transformation journey  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

• Introducing ‘focus and leverage’ – the value algorithm of the internet era

  Anyone pitching a business idea or designing a new service needs to understand the economics of mature internet technology  Continue Reading

• UK winners and losers in digital tech

  The UK's retail and telecoms companies are among the best in the world at digital technology, but a survey of digital leaders shows there is still room for improvement for many UK firms  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

• Everyone, everywhere is responsible for IIoT cyber security

  Cyber security in the industrial internet of things is not limited to a single company, industry or region – it is an international threat to public safety, and can only be addressed through collaboration that extends beyond borders and competitive ...  Continue Reading

• While Brexit rages on, the UK needs to be looking at the global picture

  Talks at the World Trade Organisation in October will shape the future of digital trade, and it is crucial the voice of UK tech is heard  Continue Reading

• Capitalism too short-termist? The tech sector suggests otherwise

  Many observers criticise businesses and stock markets for being too short-termist – but if that was the case, how did Amazon, Uber and their ilk ever come into existence?  Continue Reading

• From Aberdeen to Brighton: Investing in the UK’s digital future

  More investment in the UK’s broadband infrastructure is critical to ensure the UK’s future success in technology in a post-Brexit world  Continue Reading

• Smart cities face challenges and opportunities

  IHS Markit analysts Noman Akhtar and Kevin Hasley assess the way forward for smart city technology projects around the world  Continue Reading

• Digital transformation is just business change

  Don't always start with the technology if you're driving transformation, but always start with the business  Continue Reading

• Is 5G more than just another generation of mobile?

  Although several mobile network operators have announced launch dates for 5G services, many people remain unsure about the aspirations for 5G, what it means for users, its monetisation and its timescales  Continue Reading

• Ethics and tech – a double-edged sword

  Just because a business activity is legal doesn’t mean it will be acceptable to customers, as the ethical debates in tech are proving  Continue Reading

• Taking the quantum leap: What is quantum technology for business?

  Quantum computers are many years away, but the first applications of quantum technology will arrive in only one or two years – so businesses need to be ready  Continue Reading

• Hacking the internet of things just got easier – it’s time to look at your security

  Are you taking security for internet-connected devices seriously enough?  Continue Reading

• If we're measuring GDP wrong in a digital world, what does that say about the economy?

  Conventional measures of economic success such as GDP fail to account for the nature of free digital services. How different would the UK economy appear if that changed?  Continue Reading

• If 5G is the answer, what is the question?

  5G mobile networks are not the be-all and end-all when it comes to delivering consistent nationwide connectivity, says network standards expert William Webb  Continue Reading

• Can Huawei untangle the AI mess?

  Huawei is building a digital platform with “device-cloud synergy” to support artificial intelligence applications, but enterprises should be wary of being locked into a single AI stack  Continue Reading

• Who do you trust to censor social media?

  Calls to censor Facebook and its rivals are growing – but society needs to consider carefully the motivations of those making such demands  Continue Reading

• Taxing tech giants on revenue only ends up with us customers paying more

  EU proposals to tax internet companies based on sales in each country fail to apply the tax burden on the right people  Continue Reading

• Safer Internet Day: Building online safety practices with young people

  Many organisations around the UK are contributing to the important work on making the internet a safer place for everyone  Continue Reading

• Europe’s shameful role in spy-tech exports that led to torture and jail

  Governments in Europe actively assisted in government oppression in Iran, Bahrain and Russia by providing states with sophisticated surveillance equipment. The European Parliament is pressing for changes in the law to restrict exports of ...  Continue Reading

• Bitcoin is a bubble, but manias can have economic benefits

  The UK's railway mania, the tulip bubble, the dot com boom and other collective economic madness – such as bitcoin – might lose people a lot of money, but they often lay down important foundations  Continue Reading

• How to boost your personal brand as an IT professional

  Seven steps to help you build a personal brand in the workplace, articulate the value you provide and build your professional reputation  Continue Reading

• Security Think Tank: Ensure incident response in the face of inevitable messaging leaks

  What criteria should organisations use to assess the security of smartphone messaging apps and how can they ensure only approved apps are used by employees?  Continue Reading

• There are no economic reasons to regulate the US tech giants

  The likes of Google, Facebook, Apple, Amazon and Microsoft may dominate their markets, but the economic argument to regulate them is weak  Continue Reading

• Newspaper woes show that when technology changes, everything changes

  Traditionalists bemoan the declining finances of newspapers, but those old sources of revenue aren't coming back – technology has changed everything  Continue Reading

• Max Schrems’s mass surveillance complaint knocked back another year or two by Irish judge

  Irish data protection commissioner Helen Dixon has neatly avoided having to deal with the US surveillance of Facebook users in Europe by referring a complaint by Austrian lawyer Max Schrems to the European Court of Justice  Continue Reading

• The children of the digital revolution

  Digital professionals are emerging as the source of expertise within the agile enterprise. They understand how to use digital technologies, starting small then building big  Continue Reading

• How technology is disrupting the travel market

  Travel apps and online booking services that make it easy to book air tickets and customise travel plans are disrupting the travel market  Continue Reading

• Legal hurdles cloud Max Schrems complaint over US spying

  The Irish High Court in Dublin has embarked on a long hearing into the legality of standard contractual clauses. It is a sideshow from the real issue – the legality of US surveillance in the UK and Ireland  Continue Reading

• IoT is good news for hackers

  Technology companies, governments and the insurance industry need to band together to counter the mounting cyber threats from the internet of things  Continue Reading

• Digital takes aim at the professions – disrupting doctors, lawyers, academics and accountants

  Traditional professions will be the next to see significant change – and competition – as digital technology introduces new ways of working  Continue Reading

• Criminal law: Are Twitter threats taken seriously?

  As threats of violence become increasingly common online, law enforcement is taking stronger action against the perpetrators  Continue Reading

• Industry standards: Paving the way for autonomous vehicles

  The car industry needs to agree open standards to allow connected cars and autonomous vehicles to communicate. The bIoTope project is one initiative that could lead the way to agreement  Continue Reading

• Roam like at Home will prompt European telco consolidation

  Mobile users are understandably looking forward to an era of low phone costs now they can roam freely around the European Union, but it is very possible that they will be disappointed  Continue Reading

• Storm clouds gather for US-EU Privacy Shield data deal

  The European Parliament justice committee launches unprecedented criticism of Privacy Shield, while the Irish Court mulls future of binding corporate contracts  Continue Reading

• Emerging technologies: How can you cut through the noise?

  Technology leaders need to focus the raw potential of emerging technology into a set of priorities with measurable, tangible business impacts  Continue Reading

• £200 million fund can speed up demand for speedy FTTP broadband

  The value of the government’s £200m broadband fund should not be measured in monetary terms, but in terms of demand generation, says Lyndsey Burton, founder of comparison site Choose.co.uk  Continue Reading

• The rise of the ODMs: Should the branded hardware suppliers be worried?

  The use of ODM datacentre hardware makes good economic sense for the hyperscale providers, but what about everyday enterprises?  Continue Reading

• Four reforms to deliver competitive broadband

  The UK will never benefit from ‘gold standard full fibre’ broadband without major reforms to the fabric of government, writes Ed Straw  Continue Reading

• Multi-cloud management: Making it work for the enterprise

  As the hype surrounding multi-cloud infrastructure continues to grow, what do enterprises need to do to make the model work for them?  Continue Reading

• Why Azure developers need security skills

  The unprecedented adoption of Microsoft Azure is a huge opportunity for developers, but they must keep their security skills updated  Continue Reading

• Nurturing a tech-literate generation

  The UK tech sector is leading the way in protecting children online, and helping to promote Safer Internet Day  Continue Reading

• How AI is disrupting the role of call centres and call centre staff

  Artificial intelligence could eliminate many white-collar jobs in coming decades. Its effects are already being felt in the call centre industry, but there is still no substitute for the human touch  Continue Reading

• Is ‘OK’ OK? Delivering the next government network platform

  As GDS signals its intent to move away from the Public Services Network, the industry and public sector must work together to create a new internet-based network platform for government  Continue Reading

• Telecoms: Opportunities and challenges in 2017

  The telecoms sector is undergoing profound change, particularly in terms of consumer demand and technology, says Angus Finnegan of law firm Taylor Wessing  Continue Reading

• The digital opportunity for CIOs

  CIOs have a unique opportunity to lead the digital strategy in their organisations, but they have to move quickly to make sure they have the right skills and infrastructure in place  Continue Reading

• Fight against Investigatory Powers Bill may not be over

  Labour's shadow home secretary Diane Abbott says that wider society must now debate the controversial Investigatory Powers Bill, despite Parliamentary approval  Continue Reading

• Scotland, the perfect home for digital nomads?

  Scotland needs public and private sector support for entrepreneurs, and ubiquitous superfast broadband if its digital economy is to thrive, says MSP Jamie Greene  Continue Reading

• Gary McKinnon: Why Lauri Love should be spared the nightmare of extradition

  Computer activist Lauri Love should be spared a life sentence in a US jail, says former hacker Gary McKinnon  Continue Reading

• Investigatory Powers Bill – the case for mass surveillance

  As the Investigatory Powers Bill goes through its final stages in Parliament, a former GCHQ intelligence officer puts the case for the bulk surveillance powers contained in the legislation  Continue Reading

• A Good American: a personal take on mass surveillance

  Director Friedrich Moser draws some conclusions on mass surveillance from his groundbreaking documentary on the work of NSA whistleblower, Bill Binney  Continue Reading