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
01 May 2025
Thomas Herdman’s legal battle over Sky ECC encrypted phone distribution set to enter fifth year
Computer Weekly speaks to Julie Kawai Herdman, daughter of Thomas Herdman, the only person in custody for distributing Sky ECC encrypted phones Continue Reading
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News
30 Apr 2025
FCA wants ‘safe place’ for finance firms to test artificial intelligence
Financial services regulator proposes artificial intelligence testing environment as part of its AI Lab Continue Reading
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News
10 Sep 2019
UK calls for cyber capacity-building at UN security group
The UK’s representative to a United Nations cyber security working group has called for increased investment in capacity around cyber security Continue Reading
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News
10 Sep 2019
Brexit disrupts FCA exploration into data use in wholesale banking
The extra work for banks due to Brexit preparations has caused a delay to FCA work on the use of data in the wholesale banking sector Continue Reading
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News
10 Sep 2019
BT gears up to take on rogue drones
BT’s Enterprise unit is offering customers an anti-drone security solution to protect their physical sites from intrusion Continue Reading
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News
09 Sep 2019
Brain-computer interfaces: Promising tech needs regulating
Connecting a computer directly to the brain could revolutionise healthcare, but the tech giants might monopolise data and application areas Continue Reading
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09 Sep 2019
HMRC under fire over 'scaremongering' IR35 clampdown letters targeting GSK IT contractors
GSK contractors that have received “scaremongering” letters from HMRC, urging them to review their engagements with the company from an IR35 perspective, are being urged not to panic, as the missives have no legal basis, claim experts. Continue Reading
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News
09 Sep 2019
Terror watchlist faces reform after court rules it violates rights of people entering US
A secret US terrorist database containing information on more than 1.2 million people – who face repeated interrogations, detentions and electronic searches – violates constitutional rights, a US judge said last week Continue Reading
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News
06 Sep 2019
Data-driven marketing, the real risk boards are missing
Boards need to act to break the cycle of privacy compliance failures, and shift focus to aligning business purpose with privacy and dealing with the real risk of data driven marketing, warns PwC’s GDPR and data protection lead Continue Reading
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News
05 Sep 2019
Security pros doubt officials can enact effective security laws
Elected officials cannot be trusted to enact effective cyber security legislation and social media firms should be subject to strict privacy regulation, according to most information security professionals in a survey Continue Reading
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Feature
05 Sep 2019
Cutting the cord: Negotiating cloud contracts with problematic customers
How accountable should cloud firms be for the actions of the customers that use their platforms, and how much thought should they give to aligning themselves with problematic brands before hosting them? Continue Reading
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News
04 Sep 2019
Check Point warns of Android phishing attacks
Researchers at Check Point have identified a security flaw in Android-based smartphones that exposes vulnerable users to phishing attacks Continue Reading
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News
03 Sep 2019
Post Office changes IT leadership reshuffle decision
The Post Office has changed its IT leadership reshuffle weeks after announcing its original plan Continue Reading
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News
29 Aug 2019
Dutch regulator reveals potential Microsoft privacy breach
Netherlands privacy watchdog has revealed potential breaches while testing Microsoft software changes Continue Reading
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News
28 Aug 2019
HMRC under fire over 'scaremongering' IR35 clampdown letters targeting GSK IT contractors
GSK contractors that have received “scaremongering” letters from HMRC, urging them to review their engagements with the company from an IR35 perspective, are being urged not to panic, as the missives have no legal basis, claim experts Continue Reading
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News
27 Aug 2019
Government to ease planning laws for mobile networks
Westminster is seeking input on four key proposals to make it easier to build and operate 5G mobile networks Continue Reading
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News
23 Aug 2019
IR35 reforms: HMRC defends off-payroll rules guidance against "woeful" IPSE jibes
HMRC promises there are more preparatory materials in the pipeline to help the private sector prepare for the April 2020 IR35 rules, after IPSE brands its current guidance "woeful" Continue Reading
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News
23 Aug 2019
Human rights group challenges police over counter-terrorism powers
Bringing into question the effectiveness of terror laws, a report by human rights group Cage highlights poor conviction rates and the discriminatory application of police powers at the border Continue Reading
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News
21 Aug 2019
UK banks outage caused by problem at US payment service provider
UK consumers were unable to access some banking services due to a hardware failure at a US payments provider Continue Reading
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News
20 Aug 2019
Huawei to US: Ban violates free market principles
Huawei has hit back at the US government’s latest moves to restrict its activities Continue Reading
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News
16 Aug 2019
ICO to probe facial recognition at King’s Cross
UK privacy watchdog is to investigate whether the use of live facial recognition technology at King’s Cross complies with data protection laws Continue Reading
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News
14 Aug 2019
Publicly accessible biometric database highlights key failings
The discovery of a publicly accessible database of biometric information highlights failings by the supplier, the need for supply chain security, and the challenges of using biometric data Continue Reading
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News
14 Aug 2019
GDPR faces growing pains across Europe
The General Data Protection Regulation is over a year old now, but it faces challenges across Europe where compliance has taken place at different speeds Continue Reading
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News
14 Aug 2019
UK finance regulator gives extra time for companies to meet payment security rules
Financial Conduct Authority gives companies under its watch an extra 18 months to meet an EU payments security standard Continue Reading
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News
13 Aug 2019
Breach cost $53m in Q2, says Desjardins
Credit union cooperative Desjardins reveals that a data breach in June cost the company $53m in the second quarter, but that could be just the start, warn industry commentators Continue Reading
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News
12 Aug 2019
South Wales Police starts facial recognition trial despite opposition
The use of the facial recognition app by South Wales Police marks the latest deployment of controversial facial recognition technology by police forces in the UK Continue Reading
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News
09 Aug 2019
Whistleblowers: James Glenn’s battle with Cisco opens new front on cyber security
James Glenn, a 42-year-old security specialist, fought a 10-year legal battle with Cisco after blowing the whistle on serious security flaws. He lost his job, but has no regrets Continue Reading
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Opinion
08 Aug 2019
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
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E-Zine
08 Aug 2019
CW Benelux: Dutch academic hunts the personality behind the hacker
Rutger Leukfeldt, senior researcher on cyber crime at the Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement, is working to help organisations understand the personalities behind criminal hackers. Also in this issue, read about research that shows over half of Dutch organisations admit their knowledge of blockchain is substandard. We also feature an article about ABN Amro’s work with researchers to explore how quantum computing can be used to secure online banking. Continue Reading
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News
08 Aug 2019
Openreach starts roll-out of dark fibre product
Openreach is soft-launching a wholesale dark fibre product in eastern England ahead of a wider national roll-out Continue Reading
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News
07 Aug 2019
The $10bn question: Why is the US government’s JEDI cloud contract taking so long to award?
The announcement of who has won the US government’s controversial $10bn, decade-long cloud contract is nearly 12 months overdue. So what’s holding it up? Continue Reading
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News
05 Aug 2019
Boris Johnson has 12 months to reform broadband policy, says industry
Broadband sector advocates warn prime minister that the clock is ticking if he wants to be serious about achieving 100% full-fibre broadband coverage in six years Continue Reading
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News
01 Aug 2019
IR35 reforms: Contractor poll highlights lack of faith in new UK government
Research into how the contractor community views the government and its ability to deliver the private sector IR35 reforms should provide “food for thought” for prime minister Boris Johnson Continue Reading
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News
01 Aug 2019
London Stock Exchange agrees to acquire Refinitiv for £22bn
The London Stock Exchange has agreed to a multi-billion pound takeover of data giant Refinitiv Continue Reading
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News
01 Aug 2019
GDPR taken more seriously after first fines
Security professionals believe the first big fines under the General Data Protection Regulation will get organisations to take the new rules more seriously, but will not necessarily change policies or practices Continue Reading
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News
31 Jul 2019
Cisco pays $8.6m after whistleblower discloses security flaws in video surveillance system
James Glenn, a video surveillance expert working for a Cisco reseller in Denmark, alerted Cisco to security faults and stands to gain a share of a multimillion-dollar settlement with the US government Continue Reading
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News
30 Jul 2019
Six Nordic banks form alliance to offer KYC as a service
Nordic Know Your Customer joint venture will create a common Nordic platform based on advanced data management technologies Continue Reading
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News
30 Jul 2019
London Stock Exchange eyes £22bn acquisition of Refinitiv to expand data capabilities
The London Stock Exchange is looking at a huge tech acquisition to provide customers access to a wealth of data services built using the latest technologies Continue Reading
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News
30 Jul 2019
Huawei ‘galvanised’ by Trump ban
Huawei has found itself caught in the crossfire of the US president’s trade war with China, but chairman Liang Hua says the firm is rising to the challenge Continue Reading
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News
29 Jul 2019
ICO selects first innovation Sandbox participants
UK privacy watchdog has chosen the first firms to take part in its Sandbox programme aimed at developing innovative and beneficial products and services that are privacy compliant Continue Reading
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Feature
29 Jul 2019
Think beyond tick-box compliance
A year on since GDPR, many organisations are yet to stop fretting over fines and focus instead on business value Continue Reading
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Blog Post
25 Jul 2019
The only tech question that matters for a new PM: are you ready for the digital future, Mr Johnson?
It’s traditional upon the coronation of a new Prime Minister to write a list of all the things they need to address in the tech and digital sectors. It would be a long list – digital skills, IT ... Continue Reading
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News
25 Jul 2019
Ofcom must do more to help operators invest in 5G
Telefónica UK boss Mark Evans warns that Ofcom is prioritising action on behalf of consumers to the exclusion of enabling the telecoms and mobile industry to grow Continue Reading
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News
25 Jul 2019
New ministerial appointments for tech policies in Boris Johnson Cabinet
The new Prime Minister has brought in ministers in all the key government posts affecting digital and technology policy Continue Reading
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News
25 Jul 2019
Facebook shrugs off $5bn fine, reports strong quarter
Investors responded positively after social networking firm reported better-than-expected second-quarter results after budgeting for FTC fine, but the company faces a further antitrust investigation Continue Reading
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News
24 Jul 2019
US Department of Justice launches antitrust probe into dominance of online platform providers
The US Department of Justice has called for an antitrust investigation into how “market-leading” online platform operators in the search, social media and retail space operate Continue Reading
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News
24 Jul 2019
Controversial ‘immigration exemption’ used in 60% of cases
The UK government has used a controversial GDPR opt-out in response to the majority of its immigration-related data requests since the start of 2019, the High Court has heard Continue Reading
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News
23 Jul 2019
Phishing attack highlights cyber security need at universities
UK university cyber security is once again under the spotlight after Lancaster University reveals that it has been targeted by a phishing attack used to send fake invoices Continue Reading
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News
23 Jul 2019
Almost a third of European firms still not compliant with GDPR
Almost a third of European businesses admit they are still not compliant with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, but there are encouraging signs of increased maturity in data protection, with the new rules driving better, business-supporting practices Continue Reading
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News
23 Jul 2019
High Court to hear challenge to immigration exemption in DPA
The High Court is to hear a challenge by two human rights groups of a controversial clause in new UK data protection legislation they say is in conflict with the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights and undermines the General Data Protection Regulation Continue Reading
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News
23 Jul 2019
Government delays final decision on Huawei
Culture secretary says he cannot yet make specific decisions about Huawei’s involvement in the UK’s telecoms and mobile networks due to a lack of clarity from the US, effectively green-lighting its use Continue Reading
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News
22 Jul 2019
US fines Equifax $700m over 2017 breach
Global settlement with US authorities follows systems breach that saw more than 140 million customer records stolen Continue Reading
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News
22 Jul 2019
Ofcom brings in new protections for mobile users
New rules around how mobile contracts are sold should give end-users a fairer deal Continue Reading
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News
19 Jul 2019
Latest ICO fine highlights privacy due diligence
A week after issuing the first serious GDPR fines, the ICO has further underlined the importance of data stewardship and due diligence regarding privacy practices Continue Reading
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News
19 Jul 2019
MPs warn of data adequacy hole in no-deal Brexit
Transferring data to and from the EU will only be possible if an agreement is in place before the UK leaves. No deal means no data agreement Continue Reading
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News
19 Jul 2019
Worries over impact of foreign talent on Australia’s tech jobs put to rest
Local tech industry welcomes a new report from the Committee for the Economic Development of Australia which found that migrants have not had a negative impact on wages or participation rates of Aussie workers Continue Reading
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News
18 Jul 2019
Free tool reveals the true cost of ‘free’ online services
New data discovery portal developed by Finnish security firm F-Secure helps to uncover what Facebook, Amazon, Google and other tech giants know about consumers Continue Reading
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E-Zine
18 Jul 2019
CW ANZ: Trend Watch – Security
With regulations pushing data protection up the business agenda, we look at how Australia’s Notifiable Data Breaches scheme has been received and consider why a survey that found Australian firms are experiencing fewer cyber breach incidents appears to conflict with anecdotal evidence that suggests the opposite. Continue Reading
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News
18 Jul 2019
Digital minister Margot James quits after Brexit vote
James voted against the government in an attempt to stop the next Prime Minister from suspending Parliament to force through a no-deal Brexit Continue Reading
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Opinion
18 Jul 2019
Security Think Tank: Engage business to address commercial risk
What strategies can infosec pros use to shift focus from GDPR fines to enabling business gains and success, changing the way data is used, and aligning data privacy with business purpose? Continue Reading
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News
18 Jul 2019
Parliamentary committee calls for halt to facial recognition trials
Issues with biometrics and forensics pose a significant risk to effective functioning of the criminal justice system, according to a report by the Science and Technology Committee Continue Reading
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News
17 Jul 2019
Facebook accused of ‘breathtaking arrogance’ over Libra cryptocurrency plan
US senators grill Facebook’s David Marcus over social media giant’s plans to launch cryptocurrency Continue Reading
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Opinion
17 Jul 2019
Security Think Tank: Translating GDPR compliance into business benefits
What strategies can information security professionals use to shift focus from General Data Protection Regulation fines to enabling business gains and success, changing the way data is used, and aligning data privacy with business purpose? Continue Reading
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News
16 Jul 2019
UN resolution ignores special rapporteur’s call for halt to spyware sales
UN’s Human Rights Council adopts resolution to explore the impact of new and emerging digital technologies on human rights, but the text ignores a damning report by the council’s own expert on freedom of expression Continue Reading
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News
16 Jul 2019
Dutch authorities temporarily halt datacentre construction
Two local authorities in the Netherlands have put the brakes on datacentre construction to give them time to put policies in place to gain more control over builds Continue Reading
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Opinion
16 Jul 2019
Security Think Tank: Aligning data privacy with business objectives
What strategies can infosec pros use to shift focus from GDPR fines to enabling business gains and success, changing the way data is used, and aligning data privacy with business purpose? Continue Reading
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Podcast
16 Jul 2019
BA/Marriott GDPR fines: What they were for and how to avoid them
We talk to Mathieu Gorge, CEO of Vigitrust, about the BA and Marriott GDPR fines and what organisations can do to ensure they achieve compliance with GDPR and similar regulations Continue Reading
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News
15 Jul 2019
UK launches 5G security inquiry
The Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy is to probe the UK government’s approach to telecoms technology as a national security issue Continue Reading
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News
15 Jul 2019
Billion-dollar privacy penalties put CEOs on notice
Facebook’s potential $5bn settlement with the FTC follows notifications of planned GDPR fines for British Airways and Marriott International, underlining the importance of data stewardship Continue Reading
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News
15 Jul 2019
US judge dismisses challenge over Department of Defense mega-cloud contract
The US Department of Defense looks set to award a $10bn cloud contract after a legal challenge to the procurement process failed Continue Reading
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News
15 Jul 2019
No technical grounds to ban Huawei, DCMS told
Science and Technology Committee tells Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport that there are no technical grounds for it to exclude Huawei Continue Reading
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Opinion
12 Jul 2019
Security Think Tank: Don’t dismiss the business benefits of GDPR
What strategies can infosec pros use to shift focus from GDPR fines to enabling business gains and success, changing the way data is used, and aligning data privacy with business purpose? Continue Reading
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News
11 Jul 2019
Zopa gets in-house tech ready for 2019 bank launch
Peer-to-peer lender tests out banking platforms in anticipation of launching products in the UK before the end of this year Continue Reading
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Opinion
11 Jul 2019
Security Think Tank: Align compliance objectives with business goals
What strategies can information security professionals use to shift focus from GDPR fines to enabling business gains and success, changing the way data is used, and aligning data privacy with business purpose? Continue Reading
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News
11 Jul 2019
Dutch privacy watchdog tells banks not to use customer payment data for marketing
Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens tells banks to respect client privacy and not to market products based on spending data Continue Reading
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News
10 Jul 2019
Max Schrems not calling for SCCs to be invalidated
The privacy activist at the centre of legal battle against Facebook is not calling for all standard contractual clauses to be invalidated, according to his non-profit privacy organisation Continue Reading
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Opinion
10 Jul 2019
Security Think Tank: Changing the GDPR focus to business benefit
What strategies can information security professionals use to shift focus from General Data Protection Regulation fines to enabling business gains and success, changing the way data is used, and aligning data privacy with business purpose? Continue Reading
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News
10 Jul 2019
Demand for ICO help escalates in GDPR's first year
The past year has seen increased demand across all support services offered by the UK’s privacy watchdog as new data protection laws went into force Continue Reading
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News
09 Jul 2019
Marriott International facing £99m GDPR fine
Hotel group Marriott International is the second major company to be fined by the UK privacy watchdog for infringements of the GDPR Continue Reading
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Opinion
09 Jul 2019
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
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News
09 Jul 2019
ICO issues warning about using facial recognition technology
The UK privacy watchdog has ruled that any police force or private organisation using live facial recognition technology is processing personal data and needs to pay attention to data protection laws Continue Reading
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Feature
09 Jul 2019
Data protection: How privacy can be a benefit, not a burden
With the growing number of data breaches, consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about how their data is used. Organisations can take advantage of this trend by treating data protection and user privacy as product features Continue Reading
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Opinion
09 Jul 2019
Security Think Tank: Benefits of GDPR compliance
What strategies can information security professionals use to shift focus from General Data Protection Regulation fines to enabling business gains and success, changing the way data is used, and aligning data privacy with business purpose? Continue Reading
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News
09 Jul 2019
European Court hears case on EU-US data transfers
Facebook could be forced to rethink its legal position regarding transfers of data of EU citizens to the US, as the CJEU considers the validity of standard contractual clauses that many businesses rely on Continue Reading
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Opinion
08 Jul 2019
Security Think Tank: Embrace data protection as a necessary business process
What strategies can information security professionals use to shift focus from GDPR fines to enabling business gains and success, changing the way data is used, and aligning data privacy with business purpose? Continue Reading
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News
08 Jul 2019
British Airways facing £183m GDPR fine
British Airways is to appeal against a record fine for infringement of data protection rules for a breach of customer data in 2018 Continue Reading
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News
04 Jul 2019
King’s College London breached GDPR by handing students’ information to police, review finds
Following a review of its security arrangements, King’s College London has referred itself to the Information Commissioner’s Office after improperly sharing sensitive information about politically active students with police Continue Reading
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News
03 Jul 2019
BT and Openreach told to be more transparent over split
Ofcom’s latest monitoring report on the changing relationship between BT and Openreach finds room for improvement, but is mostly positive Continue Reading
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News
03 Jul 2019
Why PSD2 adoption in the Netherlands is lagging behind
The Netherlands appears to be falling behind in open banking, even though the Dutch are digitally proficient and are often early adopters of new technology. What is going on? Continue Reading
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News
02 Jul 2019
CPS faces legal ruling over refusal to disclose emails with US on WikiLeaks and Assange extradition
A court will decide whether the Crown Prosecution Service can refuse to neither confirm nor deny the existence of correspondence with US on investigations into Julian Assange and WikiLeaks Continue Reading
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Feature
01 Jul 2019
Facebook’s privacy game – how Zuckerberg backtracked on promises to protect personal data
Facebook promised its users privacy then quietly abandoned its promises in pursuit of profits. Now it faces antitrust regulation Continue Reading
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News
01 Jul 2019
Ofcom to make switching mobile operators easier
The often fraught process of switching mobile network operators will become easier for end-users as new Ofcom regulations come into force Continue Reading
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News
28 Jun 2019
Ofcom gets go-ahead for new Openreach access model
Following referral to the European Commission, Ofcom is pressing ahead with a new regulatory model governing more open access to Openreach’s ducts, poles and dark fibre Continue Reading
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News
28 Jun 2019
Interview: Yasmeen Al Sharaf, head of fintech and innovation unit, Central Bank of Bahrain
Yasmeen Al Sharaf heads up financial technology strategy at Bahrain’s central bank, which is on a mission to grow and diversify the sector in the Middle East island state Continue Reading
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News
27 Jun 2019
MPs to probe UK’s growing e-waste problem
The parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee has launched an inquiry into electronic waste and the circular economy Continue Reading
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Blog Post
27 Jun 2019
Why are regulations still hindering connectivity?
This is a guest blog post by Tom Dailey, chief international legal, policy and regulatory officer at Verizon The regulatory and policy landscape is a really important topic for all businesses given ... Continue Reading
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News
27 Jun 2019
Data drives decentralisation in Nordic healthcare
Nordic tech startups are applying their skills to solving some of the challenges for the region’s healthcare sector Continue Reading
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News
26 Jun 2019
Singapore government forms digital industry office
New office will help local tech firms grow their regional footprint and build new capabilities in order to thrive in APAC’s booming digital economy Continue Reading
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Feature
26 Jun 2019
How facial recognition technology threatens basic privacy rights
As adoption of facial recognition systems continues to grow worldwide, there is increasing concern that this technology could undermine fundamental privacy rights and how it can be kept in check Continue Reading
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Feature
21 Jun 2019
Disaster planning: How to expect the unexpected
Focusing too much on specific disasters rather than considering an organisation’s data protection, network security and process requirements, can lead to unpredicted vulnerabilities Continue Reading
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News
21 Jun 2019
Surveillance camera czar calls for stronger UK code of practice
Surveillance cameras are for supporting communities, not spying on them, but the UK needs stronger regulation and citizen engagement in this area, says surveillance camera commissioner Continue Reading
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News
20 Jun 2019
Online porn age-verification checks delayed for six months
Changes to force UK internet users to prove their age to access adult content are postponed for a third time because of failure to notify the European Commission of key policy details Continue Reading