UK law Data Protection and Digital Information Bill lost in Parliament wash-up period The Data Protection and Digital Information Bill was lost in the “wash-up” period that preceded the prorogation of Parliament on Friday 24 May 2024 and its dissolution on 30 May 2024. This was due to the UK general election that will be…
The Media Act 2024 received Royal Assent on 24 May. It was fast-tracked through the UK Parliament as part of the “wash-up” period before parliament was dissolved in anticipation of the General Election in July. It had been introduced to Parliament on 8 November 2023. The Act aims to update media regulation for the digital…
UK law DMCC Bill completes parliamentary process and other “wash-up” news The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill has completed the parliamentary process ahead of the 2024 General Election and will receive Royal Assent on 24 May. At the time of writing, it looks as if the Media Bill may also complete the process as…
The European Commission has opened formal proceedings to assess if Meta (Facebook/Instagram) may have breached the Digital Services Act with regards to the protection of minors. The Commission is concerned that Facebook and Instagram’s systems, including their algorithms, may promote behavioural addictions in children, as well as create so-called ‘rabbit-hole effects’. In addition, the Commission…
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UK law Automated Vehicles Bill ready for Royal Assent The Automated Vehicles Bill returned to the House of Lords to consider the House of Commons amendments. The House of Commons had proposed 11 amendments to Clauses 40, 43, 89, 93 and 100, as well as amendments to Schedule 1. The Bill has now been passed…
Ofcom has published its draft Children’s Safety Codes of Practice, which sets out how it expects online services to meet their legal responsibilities to protect children online. This is the second key consultation under the Online Safety Act and includes Ofcom’s proposals for how internet services that enable the sharing of user-generated content (user-to-user services)…
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UK law Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Act 2024 receives Royal Assent The Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Act 2024 has received Royal Assent. It updates the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 with the aim of ensuring that the UK’s investigatory powers framework remains fit for purpose in the face of evolving threats. It follows the Home Secretary’s statutory report…
The European Commission has opened formal proceedings to assess if Meta (Facebook and Instagram), may have breached the Digital Services Act. As regular SCL readers will be aware, Facebook and Instagram were designated as Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) on 25 April 2023 under the DSA, as they both have more than 45 million monthly…
The Advocate General has delivered his opinion in Case C-446/21 | Schrems. In 2018, Meta Platforms Ireland started using new Facebook terms of service in the EU. Consent to those terms is required to sign up for, or access, Facebook’s accounts and services. Mr Maximilian Schrems (S) a Facebook user and well-known activist in the…
Last year, the European Commission designated TikTok as a Very Large Online Platform under the Digital Services Act. TikTok Lite is a new app which has been launched in France and Spain and is aimed at users aged 18+. It includes the “Task and Reward Program”, which allows users to earn points while performing certain…
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