Since 25 July, the provisions of the Online Safety Act 2023 requiring measures to be place to protect children have been in force. Among other things, age checks are now enforced to prevent children from accessing porn, self-harm, suicide and eating disorder content. Over the last month, the UK’s biggest and most popular adult service…
The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (Commencement No 1) Regulations 2025 SI 2025/904 have been made. The Regulations bring into force specified provisions of the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 on 20th August 2025. They are the first commencement regulations made under the Act. Certain provisions were brought into force automatically on Royal…
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On 23 January 2025 the Competition and Markets Authority launched two separate SMS investigations, one into Apple and another into Google, to assess their position in their respective mobile ecosystems. The CMA has now announced that it proposes to designate Apple and Google with “strategic market status” (SMS) under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers…
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Ofcom has recommended that public service media (PSM) should be prominent on third-party websites and applications such as YouTube. PSM companies’ video on-demand players account for just 9% of all viewership, significantly less than subscription streaming services (15%) and video-sharing platforms (19%). To address the challenges for PSM, Ofcom has set out the following six-point…
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UK law Online Safety Act 2023 (Commencement No. 6) Regulations 2025 made to repeal video sharing regime The Online Safety Act 2023 (Commencement No. 6) Regulations 2025 SI 2025/888 have been made. They are the sixth commencement regulations made under the Online Safety Act 2023. They bring into force section 210 of the 2023 Act,…
The IPO is consulting on potential measures to address challenges in the UK’s Standard Essential Patents (SEPs) ecosystem. A patent that protects technology which is essential to implementing a technical standard (such as 5G) is known as a Standard Essential Patent (SEP). However, there are well-known problems within the UK’s SEP ecosystem that may create…
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Ofcom has issued a consultation and a series of statements under the Media Act, which may be of interest to tech lawyers. Designation of television selection services Ofcom is consulting on its provisional view of the television selection services it proposes should be designated under the Media Act 2024. It says that it is critical…
The Product Regulation and Metrology Act has received Royal Assent. Among other things, it aims to boost powers to tackle unsafe products which are sold online. The Act includes measures to hold online marketplaces to account. One example of the safety concerns it aims to resolve concerns fires caused by lithium-ion batteries used in e-bikes….
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The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published its annual report for 2024-25 setting outs its achievements and activities in the past year. The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCC Act) has largely come into force, giving the CMA new powers to regulate digital markets as well as competition and consumer laws which…
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The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has published its annual report for 2024-25. The ICO commits to four “enduring strategic objectives”: safeguarding and empowering consumers, responsible innovation and sustainable economic growth, promoting openness, transparency and accountability, and being held to account for enforcing the legislation it oversees. The ICO oversees a wide variety of legislation including…