FCA doubles down on AI testing over regulation November 12, 2025 The UK’s financial regulator has doubled down on its decision not to draft new AI-specific laws, insisting that the best way to manage the tech’s momentous rise is through testing and collaboration rather than rushing to legislate. Speaking at the City & Financial Global AI regulation summit, Charlotte Clark CBE, the Financial Conduct Authority’s director [...]
Jaguar Land Rover issues cyber attack update amid data breach September 10, 2025 Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has admitted that data may have been compromised in a cyber attack that has paralysed its global operations since 2 September, forcing shutdowns at factories and dealerships across the UK and abroad. The UK’s biggest carmaker said in a statement: “We now believe that some data has been affected and we [...]
Big Brother: Can your employer monitor your whereabouts? September 1, 2025 As businesses grapple with the current economic challenges, the support measures previously offered to employees during the pandemic are being tightened. However, as companies adopt more stringent monitoring practices, the question arises: where is the line drawn between necessary oversight and the invasion of employee privacy? Headlines have been lighting up over the last year [...]
Government under fire as data breach review finally goes public August 29, 2025 The government has released a long-delayed review of its own data handling practices, following pressure from MPs, which raises questions about the ability of Whitehall to safeguard sensitive information. This review comes at a time when digital transformation is intended to reshape public services. The Information Security Review, carried out in 2023 but withheld from [...]
HMRC must disclose AI involvement in tax decisions August 8, 2025 A court has ruled that HMRC must disclose if it uses artificial intelligence (AI) in key decisions relating to granting research and development tax credits. Tom Elsbury, a tax expert who founded the specialist tax relief software platform Novel, lodged a Freedom of Information (FOI) request back in December 2023. But according to Judge Alexandra [...]
23andMe handed huge fine days after rescue June 17, 2025 Testing firm 23andMe has been fined more than £2m for failing to protect the sensitive personal and genetic data of more than 155,000 UK customers, in what regulators described as a “profoundly damaging” breach. The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Officer (ICO) has fined the company £2.31m following a joint investigation with its Canadian counterpart, the Office [...]
Gone phishing: the rise of retail cyber crime in three charts June 2, 2025 In the past month alone, cyber attacks have gone from occasional headlines to near-daily national news fixtures. Marks and Spencer’s, Co-op, Harrods – along with international names like Dior and Coinbase – have all recently fallen victim to cyber incidents. Retailers in particular have found themselves in the cross hairs, and while not every incident [...]
NHS software firm fined over highly sensitive data breach March 27, 2025 A major NHS software provider has been fined £3m after a cyber attack exposed the personal data of nearly 80,000 people – including home entry details and medical records for vulnerable patients. The information comissioner’s office (ICO) ruled that Advanced Computer Software Group had “seriously inadequate” security measures, allowing hackers to infiltrate its systems in [...]
UK watchdog probes Tiktok over child data practices March 3, 2025 The UK’s data watchdog has launched a major investigation into Tiktok, Reddit and Imgur, raising new concerns over how social media platforms handle children’s personal information. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is scrutinising the video platform’s use of teenage user data to recommend content, amid growing fears that its algorithm could expose young people to [...]
‘Consent or pay’ cookie models allowed across UK websites January 23, 2025 The use of “consent or pay” cookie models is now acceptable for UK websites, as long as data protection laws are met, says information watchdog. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has announced that the UK’s top 1,000 websites will be brought into compliance over cookie policies. Under this, it has produced guidance on using ‘consent [...]