Govt strengthens cybersecurity laws for public services November 30, 2022 The government said it will strengthen its cybersecurity laws to better protect essential services like water, energy and transport, from online attacks. In response to a public consultation earlier this year, the government has confirmed the Network and Information Systems (NIS) Regulations will be strengthened to protect essential and digital services against increasingly sophisticated and frequent cyber attacks both now [...]
Former Google exec Gill Whitehead named Ofcom lead for online safety November 30, 2022 A former Google executive will be joining Ofcom to oversee its new duties as the regulator for online safety. Gill Whitehead will head up the media watchdog’s Online Safety Group from April 2023, reporting to chief exec Dame Melanie Dawes. Whitehead currently leads the Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum (DRCF) which oversees the digital expertise of four member regulators: the [...]
Explainer-in-brief: Fresh overhauls to the Online Safety Bill November 30, 2022 People will instead be able to filter out the harmful content they don’t want to see.
Ofcom clamp down on fake number fraud November 15, 2022 Phone users will be better protected against scammers using fake phone numbers, under new rules announced today by Ofcom. Scams are a widespread problem – three quarters of people have received a suspicious call or text in the last three months. This represents an estimated 40.8 million adults in the UK. To help combat this [...]
Legal but harmful: The Online Safety stalemate is still stuck in the trenches November 9, 2022 When the government first announced the “legal but harmful” requirement in the online safety bill it wasn’t quite clear who was most offended. From the free speech activists fearful of overzealous regulation, to the tech entrepreneurs wary of burdensome requirements and the human rights lawyers cautious of government overreach, the screams of dissent came from [...]
BBC’s local radio cuts slammed as ‘unwarranted’ and ‘misguided’ November 1, 2022 Leading journalist trade body has slammed the BBC’s ambitions to invest more into its local digital news. Chief exec of The News Media Association Owen Meredith criticised the broadcaster’s plans to cut back its late-night local radio, which will see 139 audio roles axed. All local shows after 10pm are set to be replaced with [...]
Explainer-in-brief: The latest BBC impartiality row October 25, 2022 “Am I allowed to be this gleeful? Well, I am” were the perhaps unfortunate words of BBC presenter Martine Croxall on Sunday night. She made the remark while reviewing how the papers covered Boris Johnson’s decision to step out of the leadership race. Her comment sparked the latest squabble over the broadcaster’s impartiality, with seasoned [...]
Kudos for OnlyFans: Watchdog says smaller video platforms need to do more to protect kids October 20, 2022 New research from Ofcom has found that smaller adult video-sharing platforms need to do more to prevent children from accessing porn. In a report published today, the media regulator said it was concerned that whilst smaller companies had some age verification measures in place, they did not go far enough. One unnamed adult platform told [...]
Vodafone boss: Talking a big game won’t help Britain win the 5G race without action October 14, 2022 While the opportunity is clear, and our politicians are busy talking up the possibilities, the current numbers don’t add up.
Virgin Media O2 slashes social tariff broadband price for struggling Brits October 11, 2022 Virgin Media O2 has slashed the price of its social tariff as the telecom giant follows calls to support the hardest hit by macroeconomic headwinds. The price of the basic band, which is specifically targeted at those receiving Universal Credit, will drop by 16 per cent to £12.50 per month for all new and existing customers, making [...]