Ofcom cracks down on inflation-linked price hikes January 17, 2025 Telecoms providers must set out upfront price rises that will apply to customer contracts to protect consumers from uncertain and volatile inflation. From today, Ofcom will require any price rises linked to future inflation to be clearly written into a customer’s contract at the point of sale. Many leading phone, TV and broadband firms already [...]
Financial sector splashes out for cyber resilience January 16, 2025 Costs to UK businesses and employees rise as the financial sector prepares for the launch of the Digital Operations Resilience Act (DORA), which comes into effect on Friday. The regulation was designed to increase the financial system’s resilience to cyber threats by introducing requirements for ICT risk management, operational testing and contingency planning. Nearly half [...]
Ofcom floats age verification crackdown for UK adult sites January 16, 2025 Under new Ofcom rules, pornography websites, starting with pay sites, will have to show how they are protecting underage viewers from adult content. Other platforms, including content aggregators such as PornHub and OnlyFans have until July to comply. Platforms which publish their own adult content from now will have to take steps to introduce robust [...]
UK ‘lacks understanding’ on tech procurement as taxpayer foots bill January 16, 2025 The UK’s approach to technology procurement ‘lacks understanding’, resulting in costly setbacks whilst leaving its public services on outdated systems. The government has accumulated 29 years of delays across major IT projects and £3bn in cost overruns, according to a recent report by the National Audit Office (NAO). This comes as Keir Starmer recently launched [...]
Apple, Google, Meta and Microsoft: The £30bn legal headache for Big Tech January 16, 2025 Headlines have been popping about class actions in the UK with the main target on the other side, Big Tech firms. But why them?
Trump to ‘save’ Tiktok as RedNote rises ahead of Sunday’s ban January 16, 2025 President Donald Trump has reportedly considered rescuing the Chinese-owned social media app Tiktok from its looming ban. Once in office, Trump may suspend the enforcement of the ban-or-sale law through executive order, reported the Washington Post. He has been exploring unconventional ways in which he could save the app, which now hosts over 170m users [...]
Former BBC Dragons’ Den star backs UK AI action plan January 16, 2025 Former Dragon’s Den investor Piers Linney has backed the UK’s recently announced ‘AI Opportunities Action Plan’, calling it a necessary step to position Britain as a global hub for the technology. The government’s plan, announced by Keir Starmer on Monday but developed under the leadership of tech entrepreneur Matt Clifford, set out a strategy to [...]
UK set for AI tech boost as millions of pounds injected after action plan January 15, 2025 The UK’s artificial intelligence (AI) sector has received an average of £200m in private investment daily since July 2024, as global firms rally behind Starmer’s blueprint to turbocharge AI. In the 24 hours that followed the government’s release on Monday, over £14bn of new investment has been reported, with pledges to create over 13,000 jobs [...]
Serco: FTSE giant bags £200m US army deal January 15, 2025 British outsourcing giant Serco has secured a $247m (£203m) contract to enhance the health and fitness of US army soldiers. The government services provider will support 45 US army brigades across 15 locations, including bases in Alaska and Texas. Under the deal, the firm is set to drive soldier fitness, reducing injury rates and supporting [...]
Microsoft and FTSE firm Pearson tie up AI deal after UK action plan January 15, 2025 Microsoft and London-listed education giant Pearson have announced a multiyear partnership to address the global skills gap in artificial intelligence, as the UK prioritises AI. This collaboration will combine Microsoft’s cloud and AI technologies with Pearson’s learning and assessment expertise to provide AI tools. It will also offer tailored learning and certifications for workers and [...]
