IT legislation and regulation
Understanding the law as it applies to IT management can be one of the hardest task for IT leaders, but the growing burden of regulatory compliance makes it essential. Legislation and regulation affects enterprise IT in many ways, not just in long-standing tasks such as contracts and software licensing. We examine the latest legal development and how they affect IT managers, and talk to the experts in IT legislation and regulation to explain what it means to your organisation.
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News
13 May 2024
Norway bolsters digital transformation drive
Norway’s government backs digital transformation with major capital investment this year Continue Reading
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News
11 Mar 2024
Vinnova launches National Digital Advancement project
Swedish state innovation initiative invests in a network of regional research and development centres Continue Reading
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Opinion
25 Feb 2020
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
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News
24 Feb 2020
Estonia to give citizens Alexa-like access to public services
The Estonian government is working on a project that will ultimately allow citizens to ask Siri, Alexa or almost any other virtual digital assistant to interact with government departments on their behalf Continue Reading
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News
24 Feb 2020
IR35 private sector reforms: First year of enforcement won't be ‘heavy-handed’, claims chancellor
New chancellor Rishi Sunak has moved to assure business leaders that HMRC will not be heavy-handed in enforcing the new IR35 rules Continue Reading
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News
21 Feb 2020
Labour condemns Google data plans
Shadow digital minister Chi Onwurah challenges the government to stop Google’s plans to move UK user data out of the EU Continue Reading
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News
21 Feb 2020
F-Secure’s AI reads mean tweets to fight abuse and trolls
Researchers working on F-Secure’s Project Blackfin have developed a model for clustering tweets to help pinpoint abuse and harassment Continue Reading
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Opinion
21 Feb 2020
The greatest contest ever – privacy versus security
Examining the technical, legal and ethical challenges around the privacy versus security debate Continue Reading
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News
20 Feb 2020
Google plans to send Brits’ data to US after Brexit
Move puts British user data beyond the reach of the EU’s GDPR, makes it more accessible to UK and US law enforcement agencies, and has prompted anger Continue Reading
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News
19 Feb 2020
Swedish consumer-protection legislation will hit fintechs
New financial regulation to protect consumers from agreeing to unnecessary credit will force financial technology companies to make changes to their products Continue Reading
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News
19 Feb 2020
Questions raised over Office 365 shared content policy
Buried 300 words into Microsoft’s standard service level agreement is a clause that affects intellectual property and privacy Continue Reading
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News
17 Feb 2020
Mastercard opens European security resilience unit
Mastercard’s European Cyber Resilience Centre will bring together its partners and other industry bodies to support enterprise resilience Continue Reading
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News
14 Feb 2020
AWS secures temporary halt to Microsoft’s work on $10bn US JEDI cloud contract
Restraining order prevents Microsoft doing any “substantial” work on the JEDI cloud contract as Amazon’s legal action against the US government gathers pace Continue Reading
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News
14 Feb 2020
CIO Interview: Siim Sikkut, Estonian government CIO
Siim Sikkut is one of a generation of tech native Estonians, who is turning his knowledge and experience to transforming government services Continue Reading
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News
13 Feb 2020
IR35 private sector reforms: IT contractors weigh up their post-April 2020 work options
There are eight weeks to go until the IR35 reforms come into play for the private sector, but the IT contractor community is already feeling the effects of HMRC’s latest disguised employment clampdown Continue Reading
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News
12 Feb 2020
Communications watchdog Ofcom to gain extra powers as online harms regulator
The government has released its initial response to 2019’s Online Harms White Paper, setting out a number of decisions about how it will regulate harmful content on the internet Continue Reading
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News
12 Feb 2020
IR35 private sector reforms: Protesters demand government halts April 2020 roll-out date
With contractors due to stage an anti-IR35 reform protest march at the Houses of Parliament today, stakeholders pen open letter to the Chancellor outlining their concerns about how the changes are affecting the self-employed sector Continue Reading
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News
11 Feb 2020
IR35 private sector reforms: Research suggests 75% of contractors will leave posts by April 2020
Just eight weeks before the IR35 reforms are due to be extended to the private sector, new research suggests contractors are planning to vote with their feet and leave their positions as blanket bans take hold Continue Reading
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E-Zine
11 Feb 2020
How the Post Office caused so much misery
In this week’s Computer Weekly, after a landmark legal victory against the Post Office over a faulty IT system, campaigner Alan Bates shares his 20-year story of trials and triumph. Oracle is under fire over its cloud sales practices – we examine the claims. And we look at the sustainability challenges for datacentres. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
10 Feb 2020
What should be in Australia’s next cyber security strategy
The Australian government is reviewing the nation’s cyber security strategy, but is it looking at the right issues? Continue Reading
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News
10 Feb 2020
AI in public service must be accountable
Committee on Standards in Public Life recommends that government departments make ethics a top priority when tendering artificial intelligence systems Continue Reading
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News
07 Feb 2020
IR35 private sector reforms: HMRC confirms last-minute tweak to incoming off-payroll rules
The government is rolling out a tweak to the IR35 private sector reforms that it claims will give businesses more time to prepare, but stakeholders are unconvinced Continue Reading
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News
06 Feb 2020
IR35 reforms subject to pre-Budget inquiry as self-employed hit by crisis of confidence
The House of Lords’ Economic Affairs Committee is calling for an immediate inquiry into the real-world impacts of the IR35 reforms on private sector businesses and contractors Continue Reading
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News
05 Feb 2020
Loan charge MPs quiz contractors on ‘unreasonable behaviour’ claims made about HMRC’s case handling
The Loan Charge All Party Parliamentary Group’s first meeting results in cross-party group of MPs quizzing contractors on their dealings with HM Revenue and Customs Continue Reading
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Opinion
04 Feb 2020
The fight against cyber crime: Why cooperation matters
With the WEF’s Global Risk Report 2019 ranking cyber attack in the top five global risks, we now see rising consensus at institutional level that no individual stakeholder can address the breadth of security challenges we face today Continue Reading
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Opinion
04 Feb 2020
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
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News
04 Feb 2020
MI5 faces court ruling over unlawful surveillance warrants
Privacy groups Liberty and Privacy International ask the Investigatory Powers Tribunal to order MI5 to disclose full details of ‘unlawful’ conduct, after classified documents reveal the spy agency failed to comply with surveillance laws Continue Reading
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E-Zine
04 Feb 2020
Ethics and the internet – how to build a web we can trust
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine the steps being taken to ensure the future development of the web is ethical and open. We discuss the UK’s cyber security skills gap and ask what more the government should be doing. And we find out how cloud technology could help people stop smoking. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
03 Feb 2020
Digital strategy for 2020-2030 sets out police technology plans
National policing strategy sets a number of technological ambitions for the next decade, placing a particular emphasis on collaborative working and building common standards or frameworks Continue Reading
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News
03 Feb 2020
Cost-cutting and digital transformation spur increased European IT outsourcing in 2019
The need to rein in costs while digitally transforming has led to growth in traditional and as-a-service base outsourcing Continue Reading
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News
31 Jan 2020
IR35 private sector reforms: BP contractors notified of incoming ban on PSCs
BP is understood to have begun notifying its self-employed workforce about its plans to terminate PSC engagements from 31 March 2020, in anticipation of the IR35 reforms coming into play the following month Continue Reading
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News
31 Jan 2020
Davos: The clock is ticking on climate change but cyber crime and emerging technologies add to risks
Climate change, natural disasters, extreme weather and loss of biodiversity are the greatest risks we face. With cyber conflicts, state-sponsored hacking and internet fragmentation, doing nothing is not an option, says the World Economic Forum Continue Reading
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News
30 Jan 2020
Microsoft contractor hit by health and safety violation claims at Israel datacentre building site
Microsoft declines to comment on a local media report that the site of its Israel datacentre campus has been subject to stoppage notices after two accidents there in two days Continue Reading
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News
29 Jan 2020
EU implements 5G infrastructure restrictions on ‘high-risk’ suppliers
European countries follow UK’s lead and give member states the ability to ban or limit so-called high-risk telecoms equipment suppliers from 5G networks Continue Reading
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News
29 Jan 2020
IR35 reforms are 'demonising' contractors and locking them out of work, chancellor warned
The CEO of online accountancy consultancy InniAccounts has written to the chancellor of the exchequer, Sajid Javid, to call for legislation to be passed that will ensure enterprises take time to individually assess tax status of contractors Continue Reading
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Podcast
29 Jan 2020
Podcast: How to boost staff awareness of compliance
Employee awareness of compliance, of the laws and regulations that affect your business, is vital, in some cases even mandatory. We look at the key ways to achieve it Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Jan 2020
Top four compliance considerations for SMEs
We look at the key data compliance regulations that affect smaller companies – such as GDPR, the Data Protection Act, PCI-DSS and PECR – and some key industry-specific frameworks Continue Reading
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E-Zine
28 Jan 2020
IT must play its part in tackling the climate crisis
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look at this year’s World Economic Forum and find out how the IT sector is aiming to help tackle climate change. Our buyer’s guide assesses onsite, offsite and cloud-based disaster recovery. And IT contractors are up in arms about the government’s loan charge policy – we examine the issues. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
28 Jan 2020
Data privacy benefits outweigh spend, says Cisco
Cisco’s 2020 data privacy study shows organisations can generate substantial returns on their data privacy and protection spending Continue Reading
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News
27 Jan 2020
Openreach extends full-fibre network to rural UK
UK national broadband infrastructure provider ramps up programme to deliver full-fibre to 200 locations, mainly towns and villages hitherto not passed by network Continue Reading
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News
24 Jan 2020
IR35 private sector reforms: Bank of America IT contractors await verdict on future employment terms
Despite notifying staff of its intentions to phase out contractors from its workforce in December 2019, IT contractors at the Bank of America are still awaiting clarification about what their future at the firm will look like, Computer Weekly has learned Continue Reading
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News
23 Jan 2020
Seven projects funded to explore CAV security
The winners of the Cyber Securities Feasibility Studies contest, exploring cyber security for self-driving cars, have been revealed Continue Reading
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News
22 Jan 2020
Computer Misuse Act ‘crying out for reform’
Group of campaigners says the Computer Misuse Act of 1990 risks criminalising cyber security professionals and needs reforming Continue Reading
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News
22 Jan 2020
ICO code sets out digital privacy standards for children
The Information Commissioner’s Office has published its Age Appropriate Design Code, a set of 15 standards that online platforms must meet to protect the privacy of younger users Continue Reading
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News
21 Jan 2020
Singapore updates model AI governance framework
Second edition of Singapore’s artificial intelligence governance framework includes new guidance, use cases and a self-assessment guide Continue Reading
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News
21 Jan 2020
IR35 private sector reforms: Recruitment industry urges chancellor to halt April 2020 roll-out
Major players from the UK recruitment industry want the government to delay plans to roll out the IR35 reforms to the private sector so enterprises have more time to prepare Continue Reading
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News
21 Jan 2020
Loan charge under review: HMRC to invest £200,000 in readying IT systems for planned policy changes
Tax collection agency counts costs of having to upgrade IT systems to prepare for incoming changes to its controversial loan charge disguised remuneration policy, which has left thousands of IT contractors facing financial ruin Continue Reading
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News
21 Jan 2020
High-street banks face disruption three weeks after Travelex hack
Foreign exchange services still disrupted, three weeks after Travelex received a $6m ransom demand from cyber gangsters Continue Reading
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20 Jan 2020
Don’t become the next Travelex: Get ready for ransomware
With Travelex’s IT still in disarray and banks and travellers left without access to funds more than a week after it was hit by a ransomware attack, we ask what others can learn from the foreign exchange services company’s response to the incident. Continue Reading
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News
20 Jan 2020
IR35 private sector reforms: IBM joins list of enterprises applying blanket ban to PSCs
Tech giant IBM has notified its personal service company IT contractors that they must switch to PAYE terms or use umbrella companies from the end of March, as the private sector races to achieve IR35 compliance Continue Reading
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News
20 Jan 2020
GDPR nets more than €100m in fines, with more to come
Fines totalling €114m have already been collected under GDPR, and this figure will spike in 2020 if the UK regulator succeeds in imposing record fines on BA and Marriott Continue Reading
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News
20 Jan 2020
Norway’s government to upgrade digital in school curriculum
Primary and secondary schools in Norway will introduce more digital learning, following the latest government reforms Continue Reading
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News
17 Jan 2020
App developers sue Facebook over ‘anti-competitive conduct’
Lawsuit is based on leaked internal Facebook documents obtained and published by Computer Weekly and NBC last year Continue Reading
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News
17 Jan 2020
CAA debuts aviation cyber security assurance scheme
Civil Aviation Authority and Crest announce the first companies to be accredited under the CAA’s new cyber security oversight scheme, Assure Continue Reading
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News
16 Jan 2020
UK’s phone and internet bulk data surveillance unlawful, says EU court opinion
The Advocate General of the European Court of Justice issues legal opinions finding that the UK, French and Belgian bulk surveillance regimes are unlawful Continue Reading
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News
15 Jan 2020
TSB signs up IBM Services and announces Edinburgh tech hub
TSB has contracted IBM to provide hybrid cloud services as part of its £120m digital transformation plans, which will see more tech jobs in Scotland Continue Reading
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News
15 Jan 2020
LGBTQ+ social app Grindr accused of breaching GDPR
Norwegian Consumer Council files complaints about LGBTQ+ social networking app, alleging it is in breach of the General Data Protection Regulation Continue Reading
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News
14 Jan 2020
Openreach extends free fibre installation scheme for UK home developers
UK broadband infrastructure provider drops the threshold for free eligibility to its fibre delivery scheme for new-build houses from 30 to 20 homes Continue Reading
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News
14 Jan 2020
Maxis and Huawei team up on 5G as Malaysia outlines spectrum allocation plan
Maxis's partnership with Huawei to develop 5G use cases and services comes on the heels of Malaysia's recently announced spectrum allocation plan Continue Reading
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News
13 Jan 2020
Travelex to begin restoring foreign exchange services two weeks after ‘Sodinokibi’ attack
Travelex says it is making “good progress” in its recovery and is to begin restoring electronic foreign exchange services, but is silent about whether it has agreed to pay hackers a $6m ransom to decrypt computer files Continue Reading
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Opinion
10 Jan 2020
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
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News
10 Jan 2020
Scottish government misses national superfast broadband target
SNP government admits failing to meet ambitious target to roll out broadband of at least 30Mbps to all Scottish homes and businesses by 2021 Continue Reading
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News
09 Jan 2020
Travelex hackers threaten to sell credit card data on dark web
Sodinokibi cyber gangsters have threatened to sell Travelex customers’ private data on a Russian underground cyber crime forum if it fails to pay a $6m ransom Continue Reading
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News
09 Jan 2020
Retail group Dixons Carphone fined £500,000 over data breach
Dixons Carphone receives maximum possible pre-GDPR fine from the ICO following a 2018 data breach Continue Reading
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News
09 Jan 2020
Don’t become the next Travelex: Get ready for ransomware
With Travelex’s IT still in disarray and banks and travellers left without access to funds more than a week after it was hit by a ransomware attack, we ask what others can learn from the foreign exchange services company’s response to the incident Continue Reading
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News
09 Jan 2020
UK government begins legal process to bring about full-fibre roll-out
First steps on the legislative journey for UK government to make good on election commitments to bring full fibre across the UK Continue Reading
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News
09 Jan 2020
ITS to fast-track full-fibre roll-out gains with £45m investment
Gigabit network operator ITS plans to use latest funding to move into several new areas across the UK to build full-fibre networks which will pass at least 200,000 premises Continue Reading
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News
09 Jan 2020
New GDPR service aims to ease compliance challenges
Security consultants claim their software platform will address a pressing need for an effective and efficient means of complying with data protection rules Continue Reading
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News
08 Jan 2020
Half of UK citizens want tighter data regulations
Over 50% of UK citizens believe the gathering and use of personal data should be subject to more stringent government oversight, according to Fujitsu Continue Reading
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News
08 Jan 2020
Ofcom announces plans to ‘supercharge’ investment in fibre broadband
Regulator says proposals to upgrade UK broadband infrastructure will transform the business case for national full-fibre investment in towns, cities and villages Continue Reading
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News
07 Jan 2020
Government confirms IR35 private sector reforms under review ahead of April 2020 start date
Government honours pledge to embark on a review of its plans to extend the IR35 off-payroll rules to the private sector that will focus on ensuring the changes are introduced in a “smooth” way in April 2020 Continue Reading
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News
06 Jan 2020
UK cyber security boss Ciaran Martin to step down
NCSC chief Ciaran Martin will leave his post in the summer of 2020 Continue Reading
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News
02 Jan 2020
California’s CCPA an opportunity for security industry to do better
California’s consumer protection and data privacy laws came into effect on 1 January 2020, and present a golden opportunity for the cyber security practitioners Continue Reading
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News
31 Dec 2019
Top 10 investigative stories of 2019
Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 investigative stories of 2019 Continue Reading
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News
20 Dec 2019
Loan charge review results: Government agrees to policy amendments to cut tax bills of 30,000 people
The government has announced a package of amendments to the loan charge policy that will remove 11,000 people from its scope, and cut the tax bills of 30,000 others Continue Reading
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Opinion
20 Dec 2019
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
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News
19 Dec 2019
EU court opinion finds EU-US data transfers lawful but raises questions over Privacy Shield
The Advocate General of the European Court says standard contractual clauses are lawful, but raises questions over the impact of US surveillance on the legality of Privacy Shield Continue Reading
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News
19 Dec 2019
New UK government pledges to accelerate gigabit broadband delivery
New Conservative government’s Queen’s Speech reaffirms commitment to providing gigabit broadband access across the UK, but provides no specific timetable to meet commitments and targets Continue Reading
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News
18 Dec 2019
HM Treasury mulls loan charge review findings, but will not confirm public release date
Contractor community frustrated by lack of concrete release date for review as loan charge settlement date of 31 January 2020 looms Continue Reading
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Feature
18 Dec 2019
Amazon, AWS and antitrust: How tough could US lawmakers be on the tech titan?
How Amazon conducts its business is coming under close scrutiny from US lawmakers, both from an online retail and cloud perspective, and this is why Continue Reading
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News
18 Dec 2019
Major US tech companies named in lawsuit over mining deaths of Congolese children
Multinational technology companies have been accused of knowingly benefiting from human rights abuses in the Democratic Republic of Congo Continue Reading
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News
16 Dec 2019
Release of loan charge review must be prioritised by new government, urge IT contractors
With prime minister Boris Johnson expected to announce a reshuffle of his new-look government today, IT contracting stakeholders are calling for the publication of the loan charge review to be prioritised and for the 31 January 2020 settlement date to be postponed Continue Reading
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News
13 Dec 2019
Alarm bells ring, the IoT is listening
With Christmas bearing down on us, a series of vulnerability disclosures has drawn attention to the parlous state of IoT security, and serves as a timely warning to people planning to buy smart devices as gifts Continue Reading
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News
13 Dec 2019
New government faces calls to urgently deliver on pre-election pledge to review IR35 reforms
Contracting groups and trade associations say prime minister Boris Johnson must deliver on his party’s pledge to review the IR35 reforms and allay fears that it was an empty promise made to secure votes Continue Reading
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Opinion
13 Dec 2019
Top tips for avoiding and dealing with data breaches
Been hacked, lost a laptop or sent an email to the wrong address? Do you need to notify anyone and what should you do? Find out in this simple guide Continue Reading
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E-Zine
12 Dec 2019
CW Europe: Deutsche Bank creates innovation division
German banking giant Deutsche Bank is opening a division focused on innovation which will be led by former SAP executive Bernd Leukert. It will create agile teams with business and infrastructure divisions leading teams of technologists, using agile principles. Also read why China’s Huawei has offered governments an anti-industrial espionage commitment, and how software robots are helping social workers in Sweden. Continue Reading
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News
11 Dec 2019
Post Office settles legal dispute with subpostmasters, ending 20-year battle for lead claimant
The Post Office has settled its long-running legal dispute with subpostmasters, and will pay £57.75m in damages Continue Reading
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News
10 Dec 2019
Scottish Justice Committee wants extra powers for biometrics commissioner
Members of Scottish Parliament in the Justice Committee have welcomed the creation of a biometrics commissioner for Scotland, but want ensure that they have the ‘necessary teeth’ for the job Continue Reading
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News
09 Dec 2019
US Department of Justice orders Ericsson to pay $1bn fine to settle bribery case
Swedish comms tech giant admitted what US attorney described as “years-long campaign of corruption in five countries to solidify its grip on telecommunications business” Continue Reading
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News
09 Dec 2019
Jailed hacker ordered to pay back £270k
An Essex man jailed in April over malware offences dating back years has been ordered to pay back the profits of his crime spree, and sell valuable assets Continue Reading
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News
09 Dec 2019
China bans foreign computing kit from government contracts
All government offices and public institutions must eliminate foreign hardware and software within three years, according to a leaked directive dubbed 3-5-2 Continue Reading
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Opinion
09 Dec 2019
Conservative Party: Fostering an environment for IT and digital to flourish
Matt Warman, Conservative MP and minister for digital and broadband, outlines the Tory policies for technology and digital ahead of the General Election Continue Reading
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News
06 Dec 2019
Dutch government must sort IT mess as priority
Dutch government lacks the knowledge and skills for its own IT strategy, according to scathing report Continue Reading
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News
05 Dec 2019
Two Russians indicted over Dridex and Zeus malware
The US Department of Justice has indicted two Russian citizens over their alleged role in the distribution of the virulent Bugat, or Dridex, and Zeus banking trojans Continue Reading
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News
05 Dec 2019
UK financial services regulators tell banks to own their IT disasters
Financial services regulators propose tighter rules for firms to reduce the adverse effects of operational problems, such as IT outages Continue Reading
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News
05 Dec 2019
Black Hat Europe: Mental health websites are leaking user data
At Black Hat Europe in London, researchers reveal the extent to which confidential data is being leaked to third parties by online mental health websites Continue Reading
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News
05 Dec 2019
Huawei mounts legal challenge to US subsidy programme ban
Chinese tech giant fights back against FCC ban on carriers in the rural US from using the Universal Service Fund to buy its equipment and designation as threat to US national security Continue Reading
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Opinion
03 Dec 2019
Liberal Democrats: We want to lead the world in ethical, inclusive technology
Layla Moran, Liberal Democrat MP and party spokesperson for digital, culture, media and sport, writes about the party's technology policies ahead of the upcoming General Election Continue Reading
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News
03 Dec 2019
Chinese web users take more risks than Brits or Americans
A research paper published by the University of Birmingham seems to show that differences in cultural values have an impact both on risky behaviour online and legal regulation Continue Reading
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News
02 Dec 2019
Goldman Sachs reins in cloud-based retail challenger in UK
Bank does not want rapidly expanding Marcus to breach deposits threshold at which UK banks have to ring-fence their retail operations Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Nov 2019
Get ready for CCPA: Implications for UK businesses
The California Consumer Privacy Act, a wide-ranging data privacy and consumer protection law, comes into effect on 1 January 2020. How does CCPA differ from the EU GDPR regulations and what are the responsibilities for UK businesses operating in the US? Continue Reading
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News
28 Nov 2019
Conservatives urged to join Labour, Lib Dems and SNP in committing to post-election IR35 review
With several major political parties making pre-election pledges to conduct a review of the IR35 tax avoidance reforms, pressure is growing on the Tories to follow suit Continue Reading