The European Commission has issued its work programme for 2025. The proposals which will be of interest to tech lawyers are set out below. It will also be carrying out fitness checks in the areas of digital policy and geo-blocking. Withdrawn proposals In addition, the Commission has indicated that it is withdrawing certain proposed legislation:…
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The High Court has ruled in the case of RTM v Bonne Terre Ltd and Another EWHC 111 (KB). The claimant RTM described himself as a recovering online gambling addict. He was a private individual with no national profile. He was anonymised in the litigation because of the risk that the privacy interests he was…
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JJ Shaw on the rise of the AI agent and some legal issues to watch out for. “AI Agents” are making a case to become the new buzzword for 2025. These autonomous AI-powered tools can act on a user’s behalf, performing online tasks and making independent decisions with minimal human input. Whilst AI agents are…
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UK law ICO issues direct marketing guidance tool The ICO has launched a free online tool to help organisations ensure their direct marketing activities comply with UK law – including the Privacy and Electronic Communication Regulations (PECR), and the UK GDPR. The tool has been designed with small organisations in mind, who might have less…
Ofcom has issued a Final Decision to MintStars Ltd under s368Z4 of the Communication Act 2003 for MintStar’s failure to take and/or implement adequate measures as set out in Schedule 15A of the Act as are appropriate for the purposes of protecting persons under the age of 18 from videos containing restricted material, as required…
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The ICO has published its online tracking strategy which sets out how it will promote compliance with the law in 2025 to obtain a fairer online tracking ecosystem for people and business. The ICO discusses its activities in 2024 and says that its focus in 2025 will be on online advertising. It says that giving…
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UK UK government tables amendment to Data (Use and Access) Bill to deal with deepfakes The UK government has tabled an amendment to the Data (Use and Access Bill) to deal with deepfakes. The Data (Use and Access) Bill is currently before Parliament. The government’s amendment will criminalise intentionally creating a sexually explicit deepfake without…
During its January 2025 plenary meeting, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) adopted guidelines on pseudonymisation, as well as a statement on the interplay of competition law and data protection. Pseudonymisation The GDPR refers to the term “pseudonymisation” as a safeguard that may be appropriate and effective to meet data protection obligations. The EDPB has…
Ofcom has published its final guidance on age assurance under the Online Safety Act 2023. It says that robust age checks are a cornerstone of the OSA. It requires services which allow pornography or certain other types of harmful content to introduce “age assurance” to ensure that children are not normally able to encounter it….
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The UK government is consulting on proposals to protect hospitals, railways and public services from ransomware attacks. The NCSC managed 430 cyber incidents between September 2023 and August 2024, including 13 ransomware incidents which were deemed to be nationally significant and posed serious harm to essential services or the wider economy. Reporting to the National…
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