IT legislation and regulation
Understanding the law as it applies to IT management can be one of the hardest task for IT leaders, but the growing burden of regulatory compliance makes it essential. Legislation and regulation affects enterprise IT in many ways, not just in long-standing tasks such as contracts and software licensing. We examine the latest legal development and how they affect IT managers, and talk to the experts in IT legislation and regulation to explain what it means to your organisation.
-
News
13 May 2024
Norway bolsters digital transformation drive
Norway’s government backs digital transformation with major capital investment this year Continue Reading
-
News
11 Mar 2024
Vinnova launches National Digital Advancement project
Swedish state innovation initiative invests in a network of regional research and development centres Continue Reading
-
News
16 Jul 2020
IR35 private sector reforms: Government response to Finance Bill Sub-Committee inquiry slammed
Contracting stakeholders claim HMRC and HM Treasury are ‘burying their heads in the sand’ over impact IR35 reforms are set to have on the private sector Continue Reading
-
News
16 Jul 2020
Banks face fairness challenges as they commit to AI technology
Banks working with artificial intelligence technology face governance challenges to ensure AI-based decisions are fair and ethical Continue Reading
-
News
15 Jul 2020
Government proposes IoT security enforcement body
The government is today publishing new proposals concerning planned legislation that will protect users of smart IoT devices from cyber criminals Continue Reading
-
News
15 Jul 2020
London boroughs say Covid-19 shows digital and innovation ‘more important than ever’
An association of councils in the greater London area notes that local government’s capacity to adopt technology and innovate is essential in coping with the post-pandemic world Continue Reading
-
News
14 Jul 2020
European court to decide legality of EU-US data sharing in dispute between Schrems and Facebook
A ruling by the European Court of Justice will have ramifications for hundreds of thousands of companies that share data with the US. The case aims to balance US surveillance laws with the rights of EU citizens to keep their data private Continue Reading
-
News
14 Jul 2020
Huawei technology banned from UK national comms infrastructure
After NCSC advice, and accepting billions in cost and a significant delay to 5G roll-out, UK government takes decision to remove so-called high-risk tech supplier’s 5G products from mobile network, and begins assessment of risk to fixed fibre nets Continue Reading
-
News
14 Jul 2020
Recon vulnerability puts thousands of SAP customers at risk
Users of multiple SAP products including S4/HANA should apply the security update as soon as possible to protect their systems Continue Reading
-
News
13 Jul 2020
INCA calls for added investment in apprenticeships and skills to hit government broadband target
The Independent Networks Cooperative Association welcomes UK government plans to increase investment in workplace training and apprenticeships to address the growing skills shortage in the sector Continue Reading
-
News
09 Jul 2020
Dutch banking’s transaction monitoring utility gets green light
Plans for a shared utility to monitor financial transactions in the Netherlands have been given the go-ahead after six months of proving the concept Continue Reading
-
News
09 Jul 2020
Clearview AI faces ICO investigation over facial recognition
Controversial company that scraped data from the public internet to build its facial recognition algorithm faces a joint UK-Australian investigation into its practices Continue Reading
-
News
09 Jul 2020
Most finance firms are multicloud, but many are unprepared for public cloud cyber attacks
Financial services firms are moving to the cloud at pace, but many are uncertain whether they could cope with an attack on an application based in the public cloud Continue Reading
-
News
09 Jul 2020
Matt Hancock encourages private sector involvement in post-pandemic NHS technology
Health secretary Matt Hancock has outlined how the NHS will continue to leverage digital technologies with the help of the private sector after the Covid-19 pandemic ends Continue Reading
-
Feature
07 Jul 2020
Auditing for algorithmic discrimination
Despite the abundance of decision-making algorithms with social impacts, many companies are not conducting specific audits for bias and discrimination that can help mitigate their potentially negative consequences Continue Reading
-
News
07 Jul 2020
UK contact-tracing app development leaders fail to reveal launch date
Described as not being a silver bullet on its own, the UK’s contact-tracing app is also a silver bullet that won’t be fired any time soon, as leaders of development project struggle to convince Lords committee of progress to date Continue Reading
-
E-Zine
07 Jul 2020
The privacy challenges of easing lockdown
In this week’s Computer Weekly, as pubs in the UK re-open after lockdown, we examine the privacy issues around collecting customer data for contact tracing. We look at how interconnected devices are revolutionising the manufacturing and engineering sectors. And we assess GDPR progress two years after its introduction. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
-
News
03 Jul 2020
Chinese law may require companies to disclose cyber-security preparations outside China
Companies with Chinese operations may have to disclose information about the security of their networks in other countries under China’s draft data security law Continue Reading
-
News
02 Jul 2020
Loan charge MPs denied House of Commons vote on Finance Bill policy amendments
Despite securing the support of 50 named MPs, an amendment to the forthcoming Finance Bill that could have seen thousands of people fall out of scope of the Loan Charge policy has been denied Continue Reading
-
News
02 Jul 2020
Cops take out encrypted comms to disrupt organised crime
The UK’s National Crime Agency, alongside other law enforcement agencies in France and the Netherlands, have busted illicit arms and drugs rings after disabling an encrypted comms platform Continue Reading
-
News
02 Jul 2020
IR35 private sector reforms: Finance Bill vote denies further delays to April 2021 start date
Another push by MPs to get the start date for the IR35 private sector reforms delayed until a thorough impact assessment into the changes can be performed has failed to win the support of the House of Commons Continue Reading
-
News
02 Jul 2020
Police secrecy over ‘IMSI-catcher’ mass surveillance of mobile phones
Following a tribunal ruling, constabularies in England and Wales can refuse to confirm or deny whether they use mass surveillance devices, known as IMSI-catchers to monitor people’s location, phone calls and text messages Continue Reading
-
News
02 Jul 2020
CMA calls on government to revamp regulations for tech giants
Competition regulator says current laws are not fit for purpose and wants a new, ‘pro-competition regulatory regime’ that the likes of Google and Facebook must abide by Continue Reading
-
Feature
01 Jul 2020
Black Lives Matter, but do bots know that?
The volume of content generated each day necessitates automated moderation to curate everything as it is published, ensuring offensive and objectionable material is blocked. But this only works if systems are adequately configured and reviewed Continue Reading
-
News
01 Jul 2020
FCA estimates about 2.6 million Brits have bought cryptocurrency
UK financial services regulator says there has been a significant increase in ownership of cryptocurrencies in the UK Continue Reading
-
News
30 Jun 2020
HMRC and Treasury accused of ‘direct interference’ in independent loan charge review
Loan Charge All-Party Parliamentary Group report pours scorn on claims that December 2019 review of government’s disguised renumeration policy was conducted independently Continue Reading
-
News
29 Jun 2020
MPs urged to back Finance Bill amendments to loan charge policy
Loan Charge Action Group urges its members to ask their MPs to support an amendment to the controversial loan charge policy that could see more people fall outside its scope Continue Reading
-
News
29 Jun 2020
Lords urge government to take immediate action on online harms
Select committee calls for tech giants to be held responsible for the harm done to individuals, wider society and democratic processes through online misinformation Continue Reading
-
News
29 Jun 2020
Out of date security laws leave UK plc at risk during pandemic
The CyberUp coalition has written to Boris Johnson to urge him to reform the UK’s 30 year-old cyber crime laws Continue Reading
-
News
29 Jun 2020
Airports deploy thermal cameras to control Covid-19, science suggests it’s merely ‘safety theatre’
UK airports are rolling out thermal surveillance cameras to identify people who may have coronavirus, but science says the technology is ineffective at detecting and preventing the spread of the disease Continue Reading
-
News
26 Jun 2020
Enterprises in rural Wales to gain added fibre as voucher scheme doubles in value
Vouchers subsidise the cost for rural homes and businesses to install next-generation, gigabit-capable broadband Continue Reading
-
News
25 Jun 2020
Pub ‘check-in’ apps provoke fresh privacy concerns
With pubs and restaurants required to collect customer data for contact tracing when they reopen, data privacy risks will be heightened Continue Reading
-
News
24 Jun 2020
EU judges GDPR an overall success, but changes still needed
Two years after its implementation, an EU report says that the GDPR is achieving what it set out to do, with a few reservations Continue Reading
-
News
23 Jun 2020
UK counts the cost as Ireland presses ahead with contact-tracing app
Irish eyes smiling as Republic’s heath executive said to be on verge of giving greenlight to Covid-19 tracker app, while UK reveals £11.8m cost of development to date for no return as yet Continue Reading
-
News
23 Jun 2020
Nokia claims US live C-band network demo first
Ahead of the expected US spectrum auction in December 2020, Nokia completes first successful US-based 5G trial in C-band Continue Reading
-
News
22 Jun 2020
Care Quality Commission to discuss concerns over Paula Vennells’ NHS role
Healthcare regulator will be discussing concerns about former NHS boss chairing an NHS trust at an upcoming meeting Continue Reading
-
News
19 Jun 2020
Eurostar to roll out facial recognition for ‘passport-free’ travel to Europe
Facial recognition will make passports on the Eurotunnel an option rather than a necessity, but privacy campaigners have questioned whether gathering biometric data on passengers is necessary Continue Reading
-
News
19 Jun 2020
Technology firms come under scrutiny for ties to law enforcement
Three major technology companies have committed to not selling facial-recognition tech to law enforcement, but remain silent on how other technologies can be used to fuel racial injustice and discriminatory policing Continue Reading
-
News
19 Jun 2020
AI bias and privacy issues require more than clever tech
The new AI Barometer report from the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation has assessed the threats and opportunities of artificial intelligence in the UK Continue Reading
-
News
18 Jun 2020
iPhone issues see UK government dump centralised model for Covid-19 contact-tracing app
Department for Health makes U-turn on contact-tracing app after trial finds distances are not measured well enough, with particular detection problems for app users with Apple iPhones Continue Reading
-
News
17 Jun 2020
Malaysia’s telco industry on edge amid new developments, appointments
Spotlight trained on newly appointed key regulatory personnel that could see a change in Malaysia’s telco policy, including a deferment of 5G roll-out Continue Reading
-
News
16 Jun 2020
UK-US data deal puts Brexit data adequacy pact at risk
European Data Protection Board writes to MEPs saying the UK is at risk of failing to strike a post-Brexit data adequacy accord if its data protection agreements with the US don’t strike the right note Continue Reading
-
Podcast
16 Jun 2020
What’s in store for enterprise IT post-Covid-19? – The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload Podcast
In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly and Brian McKenna are joined by Cliff Saran, managing editor (technology) at Computer Weekly, to discuss the future of enterprise IT after the Covid-19 pandemic Continue Reading
-
News
15 Jun 2020
NatWest develops behavioural biometrics as additional authentication
Bank is working with Visa to develop behavioural biometrics technology as an extra layer of invisible authentication Continue Reading
-
News
12 Jun 2020
Salisbury becomes UK’s first city to go fully full-fibre
Politicians and broadband provision unit urge homes and businesses to switch to a new ultra-fast and ultra-reliable broadband network Continue Reading
-
News
12 Jun 2020
Minister downgrades status of UK contact-tracing app from vital to ‘cherry on cake’
Scientists warn of fundamental flaws of Bluetooth technology in proximity measurement function of much-delayed app Continue Reading
-
News
12 Jun 2020
Subpostmasters will not cooperate with government review into IT scandal
A group of subpostmasters who suffered at the hands of the Post Office’s error-prone IT system refuse to participate in a government review into the scandal, describing it as a sham Continue Reading
-
News
11 Jun 2020
Tech firms respond to Nordic government calls
Nordic firms are working with tech suppliers to help them get back up and running after Covid-19 Continue Reading
-
News
11 Jun 2020
Amazon bans police use of its facial-recognition technology for a year
Tech giant claims it has been an advocate for stronger government regulation on the ethical use of facial recognition Continue Reading
-
E-Zine
11 Jun 2020
CW Europe: 5G rush in Russia
Russian mobile operators are pooling their resources to help them overcome the technical challenges of creating 5G networks. Also read why Swedbank is rebuilding its anti-money laundering systems, and how a public-private partnership in the Netherlands is combating business email compromise fraud. Continue Reading
-
News
10 Jun 2020
IBM divests from facial-recognition market
IBM’s CEO writes to US congress about decision to stop using and selling facial-recognition technology, and says we should re-evaluate whether it should be sold to law enforcement agencies Continue Reading
-
News
10 Jun 2020
CogX 2020: Rethinking technological innovation
Innovation processes and relationships must be fundamentally restructured to bring in more stakeholders, and spread the benefits of technological change as far as possible Continue Reading
-
Opinion
10 Jun 2020
Security Think Tank: Container security is evolving, so must CISOs
Adopting containers promises great organisational efficiency advantages, but the fast-evolving technology can be problematic for security teams. What do CISOs need to know to safeguard containers? Continue Reading
-
News
10 Jun 2020
Nasty surprises lurking in furloughed employees’ inboxes
Research conducted by KnowBe4 points to a looming email security problem as furloughed employees head back to work Continue Reading
-
News
04 Jun 2020
Dutch organisations invest heavily in compliance – but in vain
Despite the fact that companies in the Netherlands have invested heavily to comply with GDPR legislation introduced two years ago, 90% of them are still discovering fundamental weaknesses in their IT environment Continue Reading
-
News
04 Jun 2020
Government evades being pinned to a date for online harms legislation
MPs challenge government on online harms bill timetable, but have to settle for “clear assurances” that it will brought to parliament before the end of the session Continue Reading
-
News
04 Jun 2020
Data privacy groups pile in on UK contact-tracing app
UK-based digital privacy and free speech campaigning organisation files complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office about contact-tracing app Continue Reading
-
News
04 Jun 2020
The Security Interviews: How the BSI protects the IoT from itself
David Mudd of the BSI reveals how a pragmatic and realistic approach to security vulnerabilities underpins its internet of things kitemark, helping give users the confidence to buy smart devices safely Continue Reading
-
Opinion
04 Jun 2020
Why trust is the new currency
Businesses need to engender trust with customers amid the complexity of digital transactions involving multiple third parties, even as consumers are not fully cognizant of the importance of data privacy Continue Reading
-
News
04 Jun 2020
Malaysian minister backtracks on spectrum allocation decision
Amid reports of a surreptitious decision to allocate spectrum to five Malaysian operators, the communications minister rescinds his own order, calling for a more transparent review of the allocation process Continue Reading
-
News
03 Jun 2020
US senator implores UK legislators to ban Huawei from telecoms networks
US senator tells committee of MPs that deployment of Huawei in UK 5G phone networks would have been the equivalent of allowing Russia to build submarines during the Cold War Continue Reading
-
News
02 Jun 2020
NIS security regulations proving effective, but more work to do
The UK’s NIS cyber security and risk regulations are proving somewhat effective, according to a government report Continue Reading
-
02 Jun 2020
Facia recognition suppliers race to identify hidden faces
The number of companies claiming to have developed facial-recognition tools that can identify masked faces has skyrocketed since the start of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. Continue Reading
-
News
01 Jun 2020
Coronavirus: Government under renewed pressure to ramp up support for limited company directors
Chancellor of the Exchequer's announced extensions of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme prompt renewed calls for more tailored financial support for limited companies Continue Reading
-
News
29 May 2020
Trump signs executive order targeting social media firms
US president moves to weaken legal protections for social media companies after Twitter takes action on his posts Continue Reading
-
News
29 May 2020
Test and Trace has not passed data protection impact assessment
Public Health England failed to complete the required impact assessment before launching the Covid-19 Test and Trace programme Continue Reading
-
News
28 May 2020
IT contractors hit by delays in Covid-19 furlough scheme payments from umbrella companies
A lack of clarity over how Covid-19-related furlough pay calculations should be totalled up for IT contractors working for umbrella companies has left many facing financial hardship, it is claimed Continue Reading
-
News
28 May 2020
European General Court annuls ban on proposed Three UK/O2 merger
Court reverses European Commission judgment blocking 2016 purchase of leading UK mobile providers Continue Reading
-
News
28 May 2020
Public Health England to keep contact-tracing data for 20 years
PHE will retain the data it collects via the NHS Test and Trace programme for 20 years Continue Reading
-
News
28 May 2020
UK government unveils NHS Test and Trace service to combat Covid-19
UK government unveils framework to stop the spread of coronavirus, but contact-tracing launch date not revealed Continue Reading
-
Feature
27 May 2020
GDPR at two: How far we’ve come, how far we still have to go
Marking two years of the General Data Protection Regulation, industry voices weigh in on the state of data protection and privacy, consider what has changed, and what still needs to change Continue Reading
-
News
27 May 2020
Fears contact-tracing app will open the floodgates for cyber criminals
Study of UK consumers reveals worries over an uptick in cyber crime and a lack of trust in government Continue Reading
-
News
26 May 2020
Max Schrems accuses Ireland of ‘Kafkaesque’ delay in Facebook GDPR investigation
Privacy campaigner Max Schrems has urged the European Commission to intervene after the Irish Data Protection Commission allegedly used ‘Kafkaesque’ tactics to delay investigations into Facebook’s compliance with GDPR Continue Reading
-
News
26 May 2020
The Security Interviews: Temper tantrums ahead as GDPR enters its terrible twos?
On the General Data Protection Regulation’s second birthday, Tim Hickman, a data protection lawyer and partner at White & Case LLP, discusses the regulation’s teething troubles and assesses how best to maintain optimum compliance Continue Reading
-
News
26 May 2020
Thailand gears up for 5G
Thai government forms 26-member committee to develop a roadmap for 5G adoption and address roadblocks related to the recall of unused spectrum from state agencies Continue Reading
-
News
22 May 2020
EasyJet to be sued over customer data breach
If successful, airline’s potential liability for the loss of millions of customer records could be as high as £18bn Continue Reading
-
News
22 May 2020
Hancock to Harman: No contact-tracing privacy law
Health secretary claims existing data protection law is good enough to guarantee the security of contact-tracing data Continue Reading
-
News
21 May 2020
UK contact-tracing app set to miss official launch date as Google, Apple release API
Government ministers aim to shore up contact-tracing strategy after junior minister concedes much-publicised app set miss-stated start date and Silicon Valley giants officially launch API for apps that follow different route than NHS Continue Reading
-
News
21 May 2020
Facial-recognition suppliers race to identify hidden faces
The number of companies claiming to have developed facial-recognition tools that can identify masked faces has skyrocketed since the start of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic Continue Reading
-
News
19 May 2020
GDPR wholly inappropriate to govern contact-tracing data
Human Rights Committee Chair Harriet Harman says current data protection law is not up to the job of governing the data collected by the Covid-19 contact-tracing app Continue Reading
-
News
19 May 2020
Nine million EasyJet customer details lost in data breach
Cyber attack on EasyJet’s systems originated from a highly sophisticated source, says the airline Continue Reading
-
News
18 May 2020
Privacy advocates demand clarity over Covid-19 datastore
Government and NHS face questions about the involvement of private technology companies with coronavirus datastore Continue Reading
-
News
14 May 2020
Harman seeks to bring private member’s bill over contact tracing
Chair of Human Rights Committee aims to put the proposed Contact Tracing (Data Protection) Bill 2020 before parliament as a private member’s bill if necessary Continue Reading
-
News
14 May 2020
Deutsche Bank’s planned tech spend unaffected by global crisis
Deutsche bank is driving on with its ambitious IT investment plans, with the Covid-19 pandemic, if anything, adding fuel to it Continue Reading
-
Feature
13 May 2020
Surveillance capitalism in the age of Covid-19
Could the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic further consolidate surveillance capitalist practices and enterprises? Author Shoshana Zuboff warns Computer Weekly it is possible Continue Reading
-
News
13 May 2020
Report reveals inadequate cyber security at Schiphol Airport
A report has revealed problems with critical security systems in Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport Continue Reading
-
News
13 May 2020
COO interview: Suresh Viswanathan, TSB
TSB’s chief operating officer is overseeing the bank’s operations as it strives to build the right kind of IT reputation Continue Reading
-
News
13 May 2020
Nation state APT groups prefer old, unpatched vulnerabilities
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the FBI have published details of the most commonly exploited vulnerabilities of recent years, and there are some “classics” on the list Continue Reading
-
News
13 May 2020
Can Lady Gaga and Madonna get people to take security seriously?
What does it take to get people to pay attention to cyber security? A celebrity law firm hack may hold some answers Continue Reading
-
News
13 May 2020
British public largely distrustful of technology companies, says report
High levels of distrust in the motivations of technology companies and a lack of meaningful influence over their behaviour has left the British public feeling digitally disempowered, says Doteveryone report Continue Reading
-
News
12 May 2020
Coronavirus: Nationwide’s human expertise used to quickly build smart agent amid pandemic
Nationwide Building Society is the latest financial services company to quickly automate customer services related to Covid-19 Continue Reading
-
News
12 May 2020
Police failing to consult public on new technologies
A freedom of information campaign has revealed that UK police are largely failing to consult the public on their use of new technologies, with the potential to undermine the principle of policing by consent Continue Reading
-
News
12 May 2020
Banks failing to protect customers from coronavirus fraud
Just 13 of the 64 banks accredited for the government’s Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme have implemented Dmarc protection Continue Reading
-
News
11 May 2020
Coronavirus: SMEs in the UAE forced to digitally transform
The UAE, like the rest of the world, continues to be heavily impacted by the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic, and technology is helping to lead the fight Continue Reading
-
News
07 May 2020
Contact-tracing app fails to protect privacy and human rights
Reassurances over the security and human rights implications of NHSX’s approach to developing its Covid-19 contact-tracing app are insufficient, says the cross-bench Human Rights Committee Continue Reading
-
News
07 May 2020
Facebook announces oversight board members
New board will rule on freedom of expression issues and make policy recommendations to social media giant. Continue Reading
-
News
04 May 2020
NHSX contact-tracing app needs legislative oversight
Legal experts have told Parliament’s Human Rights Committee that legislation is desirable to ensure public trust in the data security of the Covid-19 coronavirus contact-tracing app Continue Reading
-
News
04 May 2020
Assange extradition hearing to take place in September following coronavirus lockdown
An extradition hearing against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been delayed by four months, after defence and prosecution lawyers said the Covid-19 lockdown would make it impractical to hold a fair hearing in May Continue Reading
-
Podcast
04 May 2020
Podcast: How to get cyber accountability on the board agenda
We look at how boards should carry out strategic and operational risk profile assessments and plan for compliance on an ongoing basis to avoid fines and damage to the business Continue Reading
-
Opinion
04 May 2020
Four risks to data privacy and governance amid Covid-19
EY privacy experts assess some of the novel risks to data privacy, protection and governance during the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic Continue Reading
-
News
04 May 2020
IT Priorities 2020: Compliance and risk are top security concerns
When it comes to security, buyers are prioritising solutions and services that address compliance issues, risk management and data protection, according to the Computer Weekly/TechTarget IT Priorities 2020 study Continue Reading
-
News
04 May 2020
Research institutes warn of necessity for UK contact-tracing app to link to testing
BCS and Cass Business School call for proposed UK contact-tracing app not to be launched without alignment to testing and warns that without this link, NHS will not be able to “big data” its way out of “no data” situation Continue Reading