Legislation
Why AI Systems Can’t Patent Inventions …Yet
Following a recent Intellectual Property Office (IPO) consultation, it has been decided that AI will not be allowed to patent inventions. What’s The Issue? As highlighted by a legal battle dating back to 2018, some people believe that if AI systems invent something, they should be granted the status of being listed as the inventor…
Read MoreFewer Cookie Pop-Ups – But At What Cost?
A government Bill has laid out a new UK data protection regime (which diverges from EU regulations) and which the government says will ease the burden of compliance on businesses. Data Reform Bill The government says that the ‘Data Reform Bill’, announced in this year’s Queen’s Speech, and outlined as part of London Tech Week,…
Read MoreRegulations Dictate More Action Needed On Fake Content
A Strengthened EU ‘Code of Practice on Disinformation’ will require big tech companies to take more action to ensure that purveyors of disinformation do not benefit from advertising revenues. Broader Range Of Commitments The strengthened ‘Code of Practice on Disinformation’ will aim to achieve the objectives of the European Commission’s Guidance presented in May 2021,…
Read MoreWhat Happened Recently With The ICO?
Following news of a Freedom of Information (FOI) disclosure revealing a lack of public reprimands issued over GDPR breaches in the public sector, we take a closer look at the FOI, what it can be used for, and how it’s linked to the ICO. What Is The Freedom of Information Act? The Freedom of Information…
Read MoreWhat Is The Online Safety Bill?
Following recent announcements of a toughening-up of the (draft) Online Safety Bill, we look at what the bill is, and what its implications are. What Is The Online Safety Bill For? The UK government’s Online Safety Bill is (draft) legislation that’s designed to place a ‘duty of care’ on internet companies which host user-generated content in…
Read More‘Adult’ Websites Will Be Legally Required To Verify Age
Under the the draft Online Safety Bill legislation, adult websites (i.e. pornographic) site operators will be legally required to verify the age of website visitors or face tough penalties. Online Safety Bill For those who run commercial porn sites, the bill, which expected to be introduced to parliament in the next few months, looks likely…
Read MoreGoogle : ‘No Jab, No Job’
CNBC recently reported that it had viewed a Google memo, circulated to employees, that they would lose pay, and eventually be sacked if they didn’t comply with the company’s Covid-19 vaccination policy. Until Dec 3 To Declare Status, And Until Jan 18 To Comply According to CNBC, the document circulated by Google’s leadership warned employees that…
Read MoreDigital Markets Act Could Protect Whistleblowers
The EU’s adoption of a proposal on the Digital Markets Act (DMA) on Tuesday not only offers the potential to help tackle the market dominance of big tech businesses but could also protect whistleblowers. What Is The Digital Markets Act? Currently at the proposal stage, the Digital Markets Act (DMA) from the European Commission is…
Read MoreOne-Third Of UK Employees Being Remotely Monitored By The Boss
A Prospect trade union poll has revealed that 32 per cent of UK workers are being remotely monitored and tracked by employers. Big Rise The poll also shows a rise in the number of employees under remote surveillance that’s up from a quarter (24 per cent) from just 6 months ago in April. This includes…
Read MoreMonetising Movement (Your Geo-Data)
In this feature, we take a look at how a multi-billion-dollar market obtains, uses, and sells our location data. Report A GVR report estimates that the global location intelligence market was worth USD 12.2 billion in 2020. This market uses our phone/device location data. There are many different interlinked players in this market ecosystem from…
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