Less jargon, more advice: FCA rises to pro-growth challenge Regulation With a flurry of announcements ahead of the new year, the FCA is rising to the government’s growth mandate, writes Ali Lyon. For many of the men and women in charge of the UK’s largest financial regulator, a grey cloud will have hung heavy over any festivities last Christmas. Just a day before the seasonal [...]
Alarming rise of social media use among toddlers Almost 800,000 children under the age of five are now likely to be using social media platforms in the UK, intensifying concerns around the country’s ability to protect the younger generation online. The figures, based of Ofcom’s recent research, reveal an alarming rise in very young children using platforms intended for teenagers or adults. It [...]
Virgin Media slapped with £24m Ofcom fine Regulation Ofcom has dished out its biggest fine of the year after accusing telecoms giant Virgin Media of failing to protect vulnerable customers. The media regulator has hit Virgin Media with a £23.8m fine over its treatment of customers during a planned transition from analogue to digital landlines. Virgin Media notified Ofcom over incidents connected with [...]
Evri and Yodel named worst parcel deliverers again October 22, 2025 Evri and Yodel have once again been named as the two worst parcel delivery companies in the UK for customer satisfaction, according to a new survey. In regulator Ofcom’s annual survey, Evri posted a dissatisfaction score of 41 per cent with Yodel second worst on 33 per cent. Yodel and Evri only managed satisfaction scores [...]
Royal Mail slapped with £21m Ofcom fine for late deliveries October 15, 2025 Royal Mail has once again been hit with a huge fine for failing to meet its delivery targets. Regulator Ofcom has handed Britain’s postal service a £21m fine after only 77 per cent of first class and 92.5 per cent of second class mail was delivered on time, well short of the 93 per cent [...]
Royal Mail owner set to return to profit in first figures since £3.6bn takeover August 31, 2025 The owner of Royal Mail is expected to show a return to annual earnings on Monday in the firm’s first set of results since the completion of its £3.6bn takeover by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky. International Distribution Services (IDS) will post figures for the 12 months to 31 March after a milestone year for the [...]
TikTok sheds London staff in major AI push August 22, 2025 TikTok is set to lay off hundreds of staff in its content moderation and security team in London, a decision that has sparked concern just as the UK’s Online Safety Act comes into force. The company, owned by ByteDance, is centralising its “trust and safety” operations globally and plans to increasingly rely on artificial intelligence [...]
Government defends Online Safety Act after X claims it threatens free speech August 2, 2025 The Government has defended the Online Safety Act after Elon Musk’s X said the legislation was threatening free speech. In a post titled What Happens When Oversight Becomes Overreach, the platform, formerly known as Twitter, outlined criticism of the act and the “heavy-handed” UK regulators. The Government countered that it is “demonstrably false” that the [...]
Youtube becomes UK’s second most-watched media platform July 30, 2025 Youtube has overtaken ITV to become the second most-watched media brand in the UK – behind the BBC – thanks to an ever increasing loyalty from young audiences, according to an annual report from Ofcom. Viewers spent an average of four hours and 30 minutes a day watching either the TV or other video content [...]
EE capitalises on parental fears with safer SIMs for under 18s July 29, 2025 EE has unveiled ‘safer SIMs’, a trio of under‑18 mobile plans that bundle together network‑level content filters, throttled speeds, scam protection, and a ‘P.H.O.N.E.’ Chat guide. The move has been backed by in‑store safety clinics across 400+ UK branches and is pitched directly at parents overwhelmed by children’s digital exposure. At her debut briefing as CEO [...]