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.
-
News
20 Nov 2024
ORG urges ICO to revise public sector enforcement approach
The Open Rights Group is urging the Information Commissioner’s Office to revise its light touch approach to public sector data protection issues, arguing that its experimental policy of limiting its enforcement actions to reprimands and notices, rather issuing fines, is allowing bad practices to continue largely unabated Continue Reading
-
News
20 Nov 2024
Government issues strategic priorities for online safety regulator Ofcom
Technology secretary Peter Kyle sets out the government’s strategic priorities for how Ofcom should approach regulating online safety, including embedding safety by design and supporting innovation in technologies to help protect people online Continue Reading
-
News
14 Aug 2020
ICO acknowledges GDPR concerns over A-level results scandal
Information Commissioner’s Office says it has engaged with exams regulator Ofqual after its use of an algorithm to calculate A-level grades backfired Continue Reading
-
News
14 Aug 2020
US decision to file new charges against Julian Assange ‘astonishing and potentially abusive’
Lawyer for WikiLeaks founder slams US decision to serve a second indictment at the 11th hour alleging that Assange conspired with hackers, as a potential abuse of process Continue Reading
-
News
14 Aug 2020
Oracle and Salesforce sued over online ad tracking
Class action lawsuits filed in Amsterdam and London will accuse Oracle and Salesforce of breaching GDPR in their processing and sharing of personal data to sell online advertising Continue Reading
-
News
13 Aug 2020
Loan charge: HMRC tells contractors not to ‘hold out hope’ of revised down settlements emerging
With the 30 September 2020 loan charge policy settlement date fast approaching, HM Revenue & Customs tells those in its scope to abandon hope of revised down settlements being offered at this stage Continue Reading
-
E-Zine
13 Aug 2020
CW Benelux: Security system concerns at Schiphol Airport
A report has revealed problems with critical security systems at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. Also read why the Netherlands’ digital sector is yearning for attention from the government, and how data weaknesses persist despite Dutch companies investing heavily to comply with GDPR. Continue Reading
-
News
12 Aug 2020
EU and US start discussions on ‘enhanced’ Privacy Shield data-sharing agreement
Talks begin on a successor to the Privacy Shield EU-US data-sharing agreement declared unlawful in July 2020 – a decision by the European Court of Justice that left thousands of businesses facing legal uncertainty Continue Reading
-
News
12 Aug 2020
Police use of facial recognition found ‘unlawful’ in court
In a landmark decision, the Court of Appeal has ruled that South Wales Police’s facial recognition deployments breached human rights and data protection laws Continue Reading
-
News
11 Aug 2020
French data protection authorities to probe TikTok as suitors circle
France’s CNIL has confirmed a new investigation into TikTok’s data protection practices Continue Reading
-
News
11 Aug 2020
Hospitality sector is failing on contact-tracing obligations
Cyber security experts urge the government to do more to help small hospitality businesses improve their contact-tracing data-handling practices Continue Reading
-
News
07 Aug 2020
Isle of Wight trial shows positive effect of contact-tracing app, but data privacy body slams UK
Rare piece of good news for long-awaited but much-criticised mobile app as technical conference highlights the positive outcomes for first large public test of coronavirus contact-tracing service Continue Reading
-
News
07 Aug 2020
Data Standards Authority publishes guidance on government data sharing
The Data Standards Authority (DSA) wants government departments to use new open data standards when sharing data, with the aim of improving public services Continue Reading
-
News
07 Aug 2020
TikTok to be banned in US in 45 days
Trump says his Executive Orders against Chinese mobile apps are in the interests of dealing with a national emergency Continue Reading
-
News
07 Aug 2020
India’s software industry calls for cuts to red tape
Software industry lobby group iSpirt has called on the Indian government to ease the administrative burden of complying with rules related to taxes and trade Continue Reading
-
News
06 Aug 2020
If you hire foreign IT staff, ‘you’re fired’, Trump tells bosses in government-owned entities
Donald Trump has fired a pre-election warning to government organisations that give IT jobs to workers from overseas Continue Reading
-
News
06 Aug 2020
Canon said to be latest Maze ransomware victim
Canon may have had up to 10TB of its data exfiltrated by the Maze ransomware gang Continue Reading
-
News
06 Aug 2020
Coronavirus: IT contractors cite lack of government support during Covid-19 as source of stress
ContractorCalculator research highlights the mental health toll the pandemic is taking on IT contractors Continue Reading
-
News
06 Aug 2020
Footballers to take legal action over use of performance and tracking data
Planned lawsuit will argue that the use of players’ statistics by third-party companies is incompatible with footballers’ data rights Continue Reading
-
Opinion
05 Aug 2020
The countdown is on for TikTok after Schrems II
Given the US’ threatened actions against TikTok and the outcome of Schrems II, it is clear that the spotlight is now firmly on international data transfers Continue Reading
-
News
05 Aug 2020
Home Office drops ‘racist’ visa algorithm
The Home Secretary has pledged to stop using an algorithmic decision-making system to assess visa applications after migrant welfare and technology justice groups challenged the tool for helping to create a hostile environment for migrants Continue Reading
-
News
04 Aug 2020
Police require radical reform to deal with 21st century challenges
Early findings from a major review of policing reveal forces are struggling to keep pace with the changing nature of crime Continue Reading
-
News
04 Aug 2020
Google links with eight US banks for current accounts
Tech giant works with banks to layer digital services on top of secure and regulated banking infrastructures Continue Reading
-
Opinion
03 Aug 2020
How the chancellor’s Plan for Jobs could benefit the UK tech sector
Technology has a strong role to play in the UK’s recovery, with Rishi Sunak’s Plan for Jobs offering opportunities for the sector Continue Reading
-
News
03 Aug 2020
Microsoft offers way out of TikTok impasse
Microsoft offers to buy TikTok from its Chinese parent to ease security fears in the US Continue Reading
-
News
31 Jul 2020
Labour Party is latest victim of Blackbaud ransomware attack
Widening Blackbaud data breach ensnares the Labour Party as the cloud software firm continues to duck questions about its behaviour Continue Reading
-
News
31 Jul 2020
US lawmakers grill big tech chiefs over market power
Sixth antitrust hearing sees CEOs of major technology companies face combative questioning from members of Congress over their market power and dominance Continue Reading
-
News
31 Jul 2020
UK contact-tracing app to be launched ‘shortly’ as Northern Ireland deploys service
Launch imminent for long-awaited and controversial mobile application described as ‘cherry on the cake’ of UK’s Covid-19 test and trace strategy Continue Reading
-
News
31 Jul 2020
EU sanctions China and Russia over cyber attacks
The EU is applying restrictive measure to six individuals and three entities accused of conducting disruptive cyber attacks in Europe, including the Russian GRU Continue Reading
-
News
30 Jul 2020
Barclays CEO says Canary Wharf office set to stay despite home working success
Barclays chief says the success of home working during the Covid-19 pandemic has taught the banks lessons, one of which is that major centres like Canary Wharf will remain Continue Reading
-
News
30 Jul 2020
List of Blackbaud breach victims tops 120
More than 120 education and third-sector organisations may have had their data compromised through the breach of Blackbaud’s cloud platform Continue Reading
-
News
29 Jul 2020
Bank of Ireland fined for six-year-old IT breach
Bank of Ireland fined by regulator for its failings to prevent fraud six years ago Continue Reading
-
News
29 Jul 2020
Campaigners urge government to resist big tech lobbying pressure
Lobbyists for big tech, supported by senior US politicians, have rallied against stricter regulation of technology companies, and threatened the US-UK trade deal unless Britain scraps plans to levy a digital services tax Continue Reading
-
News
28 Jul 2020
De Montfort, KCL, Newcastle universities join list of Blackbaud victims
Embattled cloud services provider now has big questions to answer over its handling of data belonging to UK universities and charities Continue Reading
-
News
28 Jul 2020
Garmin may have paid hackers ransom, reports suggest
Garmin’s services are coming back online, but the company remains tight-lipped about what exactly happened to it Continue Reading
-
News
28 Jul 2020
NCSC names national security expert Lindy Cameron as new CEO
New National Cyber Security Centre head joins from the Northern Ireland Office and has spent 20 years in government at home and abroad Continue Reading
-
News
28 Jul 2020
Scotland’s security resilience centre concept goes national
Based on the success of the Scottish Business Resilience Centre, a series of regional Cyber Resilience Centres are now launching across the rest of the UK Continue Reading
-
News
28 Jul 2020
Ofcom to free up additional spectrum for wireless services
Regulator takes steps to boost home network users who are now in their home offices and will be there for a considerable period of time Continue Reading
-
News
27 Jul 2020
IT expertise in banking boardrooms reduces risk, finds Europe’s central bank
Banks with more IT knowledge in the boardroom are more realistic about risk, according to Europe’s banking regulator Continue Reading
-
News
24 Jul 2020
Loan charge: HMRC's plans to clampdown on loan-scheme promoters slammed by IT contractors
HMRC is seeking feedback on its plans to tackle tax-avoidance scheme promoters, in the wake of criticism over its past enforcement of the loan-charge policy Continue Reading
-
Opinion
23 Jul 2020
How Schrems II will impact data sharing between the UK and the US
At the end of this year, the UK will no longer be subject to the EU’s treaties, opening the way for it and the US to finalise a new trade relationship. Could the UK leave EU data protection standards behind? Continue Reading
-
News
23 Jul 2020
UK government ignored civil service warning of no benefit in acquisition of OneWeb
Civil service revealed to have taken the rare step of alerting government that $500m investment in troubled satellite company would bring no discernible benefit Continue Reading
-
News
23 Jul 2020
Post-Privacy Shield, what chance for a Brexit data adequacy deal?
The striking down of Privacy Shield has been hailed as a victory for digital rights and privacy campaign groups, but it will have consequences that go beyond transatlantic data transfers Continue Reading
-
News
22 Jul 2020
Slack takes legal route against ‘weak, copycat’ Teams
Microsoft could be set for another joust with the EU, as its rival, Slack, files an anti-competitive complaint Continue Reading
-
News
22 Jul 2020
BNP Paribas joins IBM financial services cloud project
IBM’s financial services cloud is gathering steam as more banks join its public cloud ecosystem of finance firms and developers Continue Reading
-
News
22 Jul 2020
Privacy Shield: Companies face new hurdles to legally transfer data to the US
Businesses will have to conduct legal assessments to ensure they can transfer data from the EU to the US and other countries, following a European Court of Justice ruling Continue Reading
-
News
21 Jul 2020
Coronavirus: Government drags its feet on online misinformation
Online misinformation about Covid-19 continues to spread unchecked, according to a DCMS committee report which has accused the government of dragging its feet over online harms Continue Reading
-
News
21 Jul 2020
CDEI calls for ‘step change’ in public sector data sharing
Public sector needs to change the way data is shared, clarify governance arrangements and work on building public trust and awareness, according to a Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation report Continue Reading
-
News
21 Jul 2020
Russia Report reveals long-running cyber warfare campaign against UK
Russia has been hacking the UK for years and the British government has also known about it for years, according to the Intelligence and Security Committee’s report Continue Reading
- 21 Jul 2020
-
News
20 Jul 2020
ICO hails transformative year as average fine trebles
Information Commissioner’s Office annual report reflects on a busy period, during which it levied two of the largest fines so far seen under the GDPR Continue Reading
-
News
20 Jul 2020
Test and Trace programme unlawful, admits government
The Department of Health and Social Care failed in its legal obligation to complete a mandatory Data Protection Impact Assessment Continue Reading
-
News
17 Jul 2020
Twitter hack fallout: Investigators on trail of cyber criminals
Investigators are hunting the cyber criminals who broke into Twitter’s systems to hijack prominent accounts, amid concerns that more attacks may come Continue Reading
-
News
17 Jul 2020
Unesco launches global consultation on AI ethics
The United Nations (UN) body opens up public consultation to help experts draft new global framework on artificial intelligence ethics Continue Reading
-
News
16 Jul 2020
Loan charge: Government dashes hopes of revised down settlements for contractors
HMRC and HM Treasury confirm there are no plans to alter the loan charge settlement terms, despite calls from cross-party MPs to consider doing so Continue Reading
-
News
16 Jul 2020
Russian state hackers attacking Covid-19 researchers
Kremlin-linked APT29 group, also known as Cozy Bear, is conducting a campaign against Covid-19 researchers around the world Continue Reading
-
News
16 Jul 2020
IR35 private sector reforms: Government response to Finance Bill Sub-Committee inquiry slammed
Contracting stakeholders claim HMRC and HM Treasury are ‘burying their heads in the sand’ over impact IR35 reforms are set to have on the private sector Continue Reading
-
News
16 Jul 2020
Banks face fairness challenges as they commit to AI technology
Banks working with artificial intelligence technology face governance challenges to ensure AI-based decisions are fair and ethical Continue Reading
-
News
15 Jul 2020
Government proposes IoT security enforcement body
The government is today publishing new proposals concerning planned legislation that will protect users of smart IoT devices from cyber criminals Continue Reading
-
News
15 Jul 2020
London boroughs say Covid-19 shows digital and innovation ‘more important than ever’
An association of councils in the greater London area notes that local government’s capacity to adopt technology and innovate is essential in coping with the post-pandemic world Continue Reading
-
News
14 Jul 2020
European court to decide legality of EU-US data sharing in dispute between Schrems and Facebook
A ruling by the European Court of Justice will have ramifications for hundreds of thousands of companies that share data with the US. The case aims to balance US surveillance laws with the rights of EU citizens to keep their data private Continue Reading
-
News
14 Jul 2020
Huawei technology banned from UK national comms infrastructure
After NCSC advice, and accepting billions in cost and a significant delay to 5G roll-out, UK government takes decision to remove so-called high-risk tech supplier’s 5G products from mobile network, and begins assessment of risk to fixed fibre nets Continue Reading
-
News
14 Jul 2020
Recon vulnerability puts thousands of SAP customers at risk
Users of multiple SAP products including S4/HANA should apply the security update as soon as possible to protect their systems Continue Reading
-
News
13 Jul 2020
INCA calls for added investment in apprenticeships and skills to hit government broadband target
The Independent Networks Cooperative Association welcomes UK government plans to increase investment in workplace training and apprenticeships to address the growing skills shortage in the sector Continue Reading
-
News
09 Jul 2020
Dutch banking’s transaction monitoring utility gets green light
Plans for a shared utility to monitor financial transactions in the Netherlands have been given the go-ahead after six months of proving the concept Continue Reading
-
News
09 Jul 2020
Clearview AI faces ICO investigation over facial recognition
Controversial company that scraped data from the public internet to build its facial recognition algorithm faces a joint UK-Australian investigation into its practices Continue Reading
-
News
09 Jul 2020
Most finance firms are multicloud, but many are unprepared for public cloud cyber attacks
Financial services firms are moving to the cloud at pace, but many are uncertain whether they could cope with an attack on an application based in the public cloud Continue Reading
-
News
09 Jul 2020
Matt Hancock encourages private sector involvement in post-pandemic NHS technology
Health secretary Matt Hancock has outlined how the NHS will continue to leverage digital technologies with the help of the private sector after the Covid-19 pandemic ends Continue Reading
-
Feature
07 Jul 2020
Auditing for algorithmic discrimination
Despite the abundance of decision-making algorithms with social impacts, many companies are not conducting specific audits for bias and discrimination that can help mitigate their potentially negative consequences Continue Reading
-
News
07 Jul 2020
UK contact-tracing app development leaders fail to reveal launch date
Described as not being a silver bullet on its own, the UK’s contact-tracing app is also a silver bullet that won’t be fired any time soon, as leaders of development project struggle to convince Lords committee of progress to date Continue Reading
-
E-Zine
07 Jul 2020
The privacy challenges of easing lockdown
In this week’s Computer Weekly, as pubs in the UK re-open after lockdown, we examine the privacy issues around collecting customer data for contact tracing. We look at how interconnected devices are revolutionising the manufacturing and engineering sectors. And we assess GDPR progress two years after its introduction. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
-
News
03 Jul 2020
Chinese law may require companies to disclose cyber-security preparations outside China
Companies with Chinese operations may have to disclose information about the security of their networks in other countries under China’s draft data security law Continue Reading
-
News
02 Jul 2020
Loan charge MPs denied House of Commons vote on Finance Bill policy amendments
Despite securing the support of 50 named MPs, an amendment to the forthcoming Finance Bill that could have seen thousands of people fall out of scope of the Loan Charge policy has been denied Continue Reading
-
News
02 Jul 2020
Cops take out encrypted comms to disrupt organised crime
The UK’s National Crime Agency, alongside other law enforcement agencies in France and the Netherlands, have busted illicit arms and drugs rings after disabling an encrypted comms platform Continue Reading
-
News
02 Jul 2020
IR35 private sector reforms: Finance Bill vote denies further delays to April 2021 start date
Another push by MPs to get the start date for the IR35 private sector reforms delayed until a thorough impact assessment into the changes can be performed has failed to win the support of the House of Commons Continue Reading
-
News
02 Jul 2020
Police secrecy over ‘IMSI-catcher’ mass surveillance of mobile phones
Following a tribunal ruling, constabularies in England and Wales can refuse to confirm or deny whether they use mass surveillance devices, known as IMSI-catchers to monitor people’s location, phone calls and text messages Continue Reading
-
News
02 Jul 2020
CMA calls on government to revamp regulations for tech giants
Competition regulator says current laws are not fit for purpose and wants a new, ‘pro-competition regulatory regime’ that the likes of Google and Facebook must abide by Continue Reading
-
Feature
01 Jul 2020
Black Lives Matter, but do bots know that?
The volume of content generated each day necessitates automated moderation to curate everything as it is published, ensuring offensive and objectionable material is blocked. But this only works if systems are adequately configured and reviewed Continue Reading
-
News
01 Jul 2020
FCA estimates about 2.6 million Brits have bought cryptocurrency
UK financial services regulator says there has been a significant increase in ownership of cryptocurrencies in the UK Continue Reading
-
News
30 Jun 2020
HMRC and Treasury accused of ‘direct interference’ in independent loan charge review
Loan Charge All-Party Parliamentary Group report pours scorn on claims that December 2019 review of government’s disguised renumeration policy was conducted independently Continue Reading
-
News
29 Jun 2020
MPs urged to back Finance Bill amendments to loan charge policy
Loan Charge Action Group urges its members to ask their MPs to support an amendment to the controversial loan charge policy that could see more people fall outside its scope Continue Reading
-
News
29 Jun 2020
Lords urge government to take immediate action on online harms
Select committee calls for tech giants to be held responsible for the harm done to individuals, wider society and democratic processes through online misinformation Continue Reading
-
News
29 Jun 2020
Airports deploy thermal cameras to control Covid-19, science suggests it’s merely ‘safety theatre’
UK airports are rolling out thermal surveillance cameras to identify people who may have coronavirus, but science says the technology is ineffective at detecting and preventing the spread of the disease Continue Reading
-
News
29 Jun 2020
Out of date security laws leave UK plc at risk during pandemic
The CyberUp coalition has written to Boris Johnson to urge him to reform the UK’s 30 year-old cyber crime laws Continue Reading
-
News
26 Jun 2020
Enterprises in rural Wales to gain added fibre as voucher scheme doubles in value
Vouchers subsidise the cost for rural homes and businesses to install next-generation, gigabit-capable broadband Continue Reading
-
News
25 Jun 2020
Pub ‘check-in’ apps provoke fresh privacy concerns
With pubs and restaurants required to collect customer data for contact tracing when they reopen, data privacy risks will be heightened Continue Reading
-
News
24 Jun 2020
EU judges GDPR an overall success, but changes still needed
Two years after its implementation, an EU report says that the GDPR is achieving what it set out to do, with a few reservations Continue Reading
-
News
23 Jun 2020
UK counts the cost as Ireland presses ahead with contact-tracing app
Irish eyes smiling as Republic’s heath executive said to be on verge of giving greenlight to Covid-19 tracker app, while UK reveals £11.8m cost of development to date for no return as yet Continue Reading
-
News
23 Jun 2020
Nokia claims US live C-band network demo first
Ahead of the expected US spectrum auction in December 2020, Nokia completes first successful US-based 5G trial in C-band Continue Reading
-
News
22 Jun 2020
Care Quality Commission to discuss concerns over Paula Vennells’ NHS role
Healthcare regulator will be discussing concerns about former NHS boss chairing an NHS trust at an upcoming meeting Continue Reading
-
News
19 Jun 2020
Eurostar to roll out facial recognition for ‘passport-free’ travel to Europe
Facial recognition will make passports on the Eurotunnel an option rather than a necessity, but privacy campaigners have questioned whether gathering biometric data on passengers is necessary Continue Reading
-
News
19 Jun 2020
Technology firms come under scrutiny for ties to law enforcement
Three major technology companies have committed to not selling facial-recognition tech to law enforcement, but remain silent on how other technologies can be used to fuel racial injustice and discriminatory policing Continue Reading
-
News
19 Jun 2020
AI bias and privacy issues require more than clever tech
The new AI Barometer report from the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation has assessed the threats and opportunities of artificial intelligence in the UK Continue Reading
-
News
18 Jun 2020
iPhone issues see UK government dump centralised model for Covid-19 contact-tracing app
Department for Health makes U-turn on contact-tracing app after trial finds distances are not measured well enough, with particular detection problems for app users with Apple iPhones Continue Reading
-
News
17 Jun 2020
Malaysia’s telco industry on edge amid new developments, appointments
Spotlight trained on newly appointed key regulatory personnel that could see a change in Malaysia’s telco policy, including a deferment of 5G roll-out Continue Reading
-
News
16 Jun 2020
UK-US data deal puts Brexit data adequacy pact at risk
European Data Protection Board writes to MEPs saying the UK is at risk of failing to strike a post-Brexit data adequacy accord if its data protection agreements with the US don’t strike the right note Continue Reading
-
Podcast
16 Jun 2020
What’s in store for enterprise IT post-Covid-19? – The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload Podcast
In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly and Brian McKenna are joined by Cliff Saran, managing editor (technology) at Computer Weekly, to discuss the future of enterprise IT after the Covid-19 pandemic Continue Reading
-
News
15 Jun 2020
NatWest develops behavioural biometrics as additional authentication
Bank is working with Visa to develop behavioural biometrics technology as an extra layer of invisible authentication Continue Reading
-
News
12 Jun 2020
Salisbury becomes UK’s first city to go fully full-fibre
Politicians and broadband provision unit urge homes and businesses to switch to a new ultra-fast and ultra-reliable broadband network Continue Reading
-
News
12 Jun 2020
Minister downgrades status of UK contact-tracing app from vital to ‘cherry on cake’
Scientists warn of fundamental flaws of Bluetooth technology in proximity measurement function of much-delayed app Continue Reading
-
News
12 Jun 2020
Subpostmasters will not cooperate with government review into IT scandal
A group of subpostmasters who suffered at the hands of the Post Office’s error-prone IT system refuse to participate in a government review into the scandal, describing it as a sham Continue Reading
-
News
11 Jun 2020
Tech firms respond to Nordic government calls
Nordic firms are working with tech suppliers to help them get back up and running after Covid-19 Continue Reading
