Following consultation, the government has laid its Statement of Strategic Priorities for Online Safety before the UK parliament under section 172 of the Online Safety Act. The SSP sets out the government’s focus areas for online safety. Ofcom must have regard to these priorities. The SSP are as follows: Ofcom must have regard to the…
The UK government has issued a voluntary Software Security Code of Practice which has been developed to improve the security and resilience of software that organisations and businesses rely on. It aims to support software vendors and their customers in reducing the likelihood and impact of software supply chain attacks and other software resilience incidents….
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UK law UK government consults on draft regulations to commence Sections 61 to 64 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is consulting on draft secondary legislation to commence sections 61 to 64 of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act 2022 (the Renewals Provisions). The…
UK law Ofcom issues guidance on mandatory age checks for pornographic content services Last week we wrote about Ofcom’s new guidance on protecting children under the Online Safety Act 2023. Among other things, it requires age assurance requirements for online services allowing pornographic content. From 25 July 2025, affected services must implement ‘highly effective age…
In two common law nations where regulation intersects with digital innovation, and with relatively small populations, Australia and New Zealand offer distinct yet complementary perspectives on technology regulation and privacy law. How do their legal systems address issues of safety in the digital age, privacy rights, and the interests of Indigenous communities? And in what…
Ofcom has published its final guidance on protecting children under the Online Safety Act 2023. This follows consultation, including with children. The guidance includes more than 40 measures for tech firms to meet their duties under the Online Safety Act. These will apply to sites and apps used by UK children in areas such as…
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The European Commission has fined Meta €200 million for breaching the Digital Markets Act. Under the Digital Markets Act, gatekeepers must seek users’ consent for combining their personal data between services. Those users who do not consent must have access to a less personalised but equivalent alternative. In November 2023, Meta introduced a binary “Consent…
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UK law Courts and Tribunals Judiciary publishes updated AI guidance and introduces Copilot Chat for judges The Courts and Tribunals Judiciary has published updated guidance to help judicial office holders to use AI. It updates and replaces the guidance document issued in December 2023. It sets out key risks and issues associated with using AI…
The European Commission has announced that it has decided to close its investigation into Apple’s user choice obligations under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). In less good news for Apple, it has also decided that Apple’s steering rules breach the DMA and fined it 500 million euros. It has also made a preliminary ruling regarding…
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Ofcom has launched an investigation into whether the provider of an online suicide forum has failed to comply with its duties under the Online Safety Act 2023. This is the first investigation opened into an individual online service provider under the OSA. Specifically, Ofcom is investigating whether this provider has failed to: Due to its…