Labour to fine tech firms £70k over knife crime content April 25, 2025 Tech firms that fail to swiftly remove knife-crime related content from their platforms could be hit with fines of up to £70,000 under new powers unveiled by the UK government this week. As part of Labour’s upcoming crime and policing bill, platforms and search engines will be legally obliged to take down illegal content- including [...]
Rules to keep children safe online finalised by Ofcom April 24, 2025 Ofcom has issued the final safety codes requiring online platforms to implement over 40 protective measures for users under the age of 18 by July. These include tools to verify user age, block underage access to adult content, and remove harmful material linked to self harm, suicide, and eating disorders. Platforms that fail to comply [...]
Exclusive: UK urged to set up National Anti-Fraud Centre to halve crime rate April 7, 2025 The UK government is being urged to set up a National Anti-Fraud Centre to halve the rate of the crime by 2028. Industry body Innovate Finance has launched a blueprint to make the UK the world leader in tackling fraud, and is urging ministers to prioritise cross-sector data sharing and shared liability in a bid [...]
What the Online Safety Act means for UK tech March 23, 2025 New rules under the Online Safety Act came into force on Monday, requiring tech firms to find and remove illegal content, or risk facing heavy fines. The law applies to around 100,000 online services including social media platforms, online forums and messaging apps. It has given the UK watchdog the power to enforce stricter content [...]
Is Facebook about to fall foul of new fraud laws? March 18, 2025 This week the anti-fraud provisions of the Online Safety Act start to become enforceable. This could mean huge fines for social media firms that break the law by carrying fraudulent content. Yet our investigation shows that Facebook is still carrying numerous adverts for investments that might be seen to break the new law, says Andrew [...]
Booking.com prone to scammers due to weak security, warns watchdog March 11, 2025 A lack of effective security measures is leaving Booking.com vulnerable to scammers, consumer champion Which? has warned. Which? said the platform suffers from an easily hacked messaging system, failure to remove scam listings, and a lack of identity checks on property owners. The watchdog’s findings, which come as the Online Safety Act‘s illegal codes are [...]
Steel tariffs: UK ‘ready for all situations’, No10 says on Trump threats February 10, 2025 The UK is “ready for all situations” and ministers will “engage as appropriate”, No10 has said, in the wake of Donald Trump’s threat to impose tariffs on steel and aluminium imports into the US It follows a government minister saying Britain will have to “wait and see” if Donald Trump “gets more specific” about his [...]
The Notebook: Labour is charting a dangerous course on free speech September 10, 2024 Labour's proposed expansion of the Online Safety Act is a troubling step for free speech, writes Big Brother Watch director Silkie Carlo.
UK riots: Digital authoritarianism is not the answer to far-right violence August 12, 2024 Far-right thugs deserve to see justice, but Westminster must not use the riots to push through dystopian digital measures, writes Silkie Carlo, director of Big Brother Watch Our response to the riots risks digital dystopia These have been dark days for Britain. The shocking scenes of violence and racism following the Southport stabbings are unforgettable. [...]
Explainer: Is spreading misinformation punishable under the Online Safety Act? August 9, 2024 Keir Starmer has pledged to review the Online Safety Act after the riots, but what are its current rules around online misinformation? Lawyers Hanna Basha and Mark Jones explain Since riots erupted throughout the country, Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to bring to justice both those involved in the rioting and “those whipping up this [...]