‘Break’ London banks and give us access to data: fintech firms tell FCA November 24, 2020 A coalition of primarily London startups is calling on UK regulators to end the dominance of banking institutions over the use of consumer data as it would increase competition in the savings, credit, mortgages and pensions markets. The Coalition for a Digital Economy (Coadec), an advocacy group that represent a number of UK fintech firms [...]
Marriott International fined £18.4m over customer data breach October 30, 2020 Marriott International has been handed an £18.4m fine by the UK data watchdog over a data breach that compromised the personal details of millions of customers. The fine relates to an attack on the Starwood hotels chain that exposed records belonging to 339m guests worldwide. The cyber attack began in 2014, before Marriott took over [...]
EU’s top court lands major blow to UK’s chances of post-Brexit data deal October 6, 2020 The EU’s top court has ruled that unrestrained mass surveillance of phone and internet data is unlawful, in the latest blow to the UK’s chances of securing a post-Brexit data-sharing agreement with the EU. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) today handed out its much-anticipated verdict on government surveillance, ruling that the indiscriminate retention of [...]
We should embrace data and use it well – not guard against it September 15, 2020 The coronavirus pandemic holds no shortage of challenges for British business, but it has highlighted the importance of data. Combined with good judgment and expert knowledge, it gives us the insight to act with accuracy and speed. Data has identified where to send medical supplies or channel financial support to businesses. It has allowed food [...]
Let’s hope tough new rules on children’s online data collection deliver, and give parents peace of mind September 8, 2020 From today, our children’s online privacy is protected by default. Literally. New rules will force companies to give children and young people automatic specific privacy protections. That’s 76 days, according to research, that neither you or they have to spend reading all those terms and conditions. Thankfully, from now on, the so-called Age Appropriate Design [...]
A no-deal Brexit could cause the UK’s digital sector to shrink August 28, 2020 The EU’s trade negotiator Michel Barnier recently said that a post-Brexit deal seemed unlikely. This supports our view at Securys that the Brexit transition period will close without an adequacy agreement, bringing an end to the unrestricted flow of data between the UK and the European Economic Area (EEA). Buried in a weekend article came [...]
Apple’s new iOS will be good for consumers but a headache for advertisers August 28, 2020 In weeks to come, Apple will update all its platforms to iOS 14, impacting its apps, home screen and the IDFA (identifier for advertisers). The changes to the IDFA, in particular, has caused uproar among marketers, with commentators claiming that Apple has crippled an $80bn industry. But what are these changes, and what does it [...]
It’s time for a fresh UK-China relationship August 14, 2020 The UK needs a fresh template for its relationship with China. Central to this should be a differentiation between strategic and non-strategic areas. This would allow UK businesses to know where the government has set its red lines. In 2015, the UK and China’s relationship was red hot—a “golden era”—with President Xi making a state [...]
Covid-19 threatens to set UK data protection back a generation August 14, 2020 There’s another crisis brewing. Millions of businesses across the UK have quickly adapted to the Covid-19 environment. While some companies have adopted technology to handle customer data collection, many have turned to more tried-and-tested track and trace systems — namely, good old-fashioned pen and paper. The hospitality industry, and especially pubs and bars, have had [...]
DEBATE: Should companies use tracking software to monitor their staff? March 9, 2020 Following the Barclays scandal, should firms use tracking software to monitor their staff? YES, says Jasmit Sagoo, senior director and head of technology UK and Ireland at Veritas Technologies Monitoring is not the same as “spying”. In most cases, it is businesses being obliged to track activities for compliance — and it’s almost always better [...]