UK police to lose phone and web data search authorisation powers – The Guardian

Posted December 1st, 2017 in internet, investigatory powers, news, police, telecommunications by tracey

‘Senior police officers are to lose the power to self-authorise access to personal phone and web browsing records under a series of late changes to the snooper’s charter law proposed by ministers in an attempt to comply with a European court ruling on Britain’s mass surveillance powers. A Home Office consultation paper published on Thursday also makes clear that the 250,000 requests each year for access to personal communications data by the police and other public bodies will in future be restricted to investigations into crimes that carry a prison sentence of at least six months.’

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The Guardian, 30th November 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

UK class action accuses Google of unlawfully harvesting personal data – The Guardian

Posted November 30th, 2017 in class actions, data protection, internet, news, privacy, telecommunications by tracey

‘More than 5 million people in the UK could be entitled to compensation from Google if a class action against the internet giant for allegedly harvesting personal data is successful. A group led by the former executive director of consumer body Which?, Richard Lloyd, and advised by City law firm Mischon de Reya claims Google unlawfully collected personal information by bypassing the default privacy settings on the iPhone between June 2011 and February 2012.’

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The Guardian, 30th November 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Smartphones hampering jury trials, appeal judge warns – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted November 29th, 2017 in internet, judges, juries, jury directions, news, telecommunications by sally

‘Smartphones and social media are causing headaches for judges, a Court of Appeal judge has warned in a speech highlighting current challenges faced in jury trials.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 27th November 2017

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Broadband firms must ditch ‘misleading’ speed ads – BBC News

Posted November 23rd, 2017 in advertising, internet, misrepresentation, news, telecommunications by sally

‘Broadband firms will no longer be able to advertise their fast net services based on the speeds just a few customers get, from May next year.’

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BBC News, 23rd November 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Football agent guilty of killing man while texting behind wheel on M6 – The Guardian

Posted November 8th, 2017 in dangerous driving, homicide, news, sport, telecommunications by tracey

‘A football agent has been convicted of killing a highways worker and paralysing another in a fatal crash as he texted players while speeding in bad weather.’

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The Guardian, 7th November 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Police investigate 17 child sexting cases a day – BBC news

‘Police investigations into children sharing sexual images of themselves and others have more than doubled in two years, figures have shown.’

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BBC News, 6th November 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

New Electronic Communications Code set to take effect in December, says government – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 23rd, 2017 in codes of practice, news, planning, regulations, telecommunications by sally

‘New rules regarding the rights and obligations that arise in relation to the deployment and maintenance of mobile phone masts and other telecoms infrastructure are “expected to take effect in December”, according to the UK government.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 20th October 2017

Source: www.out-law.com

Construction of Terms in Cross-Licensing Agreements: Koninklijke Philips N.V. v Asustek Computer Incorporation and Others – NIPC Law

‘In FRAND 8 Oct 2017 I discussed the terms upon which patents for inventions that are essential to a standard are licensed. I noted that courts around the world had held that those terms should be fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory – in other words, FRAND. The Court of Appeal’s decision in Koninklijke Philips N.V. v Asustek Computer Incorporation and Others [2017] EWCA Civ 1526 (11 Oct 2017) concerned the construction of a clause licensing such patents. It is important to note, however, that none of the judges who heard the appeal mentioned the acronym, FRAND, and it appeared only twice in the judgment of the trial judge.’

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NIPC Law, 13th October 2017

Source: nipclaw.blogspot.co.uk

Court to hear challenge to GCHQ bulk hacking of phones and computers – The Guardian

‘A challenge to GCHQ’s use of non-specific warrants to authorise the bulk hacking of smartphones, computers and networks in the UK is starting at the court of appeal.
The case, brought by the campaign group Privacy International (PI), is the latest twist in a protracted battle about both the legality of bulk surveillance and the primacy of civil courts over an intelligence tribunal that operates partly in secret.’

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The Guardian, 5th October 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Ofcom chief defends decision to cap spectrum auction – OUT-LAW.com

Posted October 4th, 2017 in competition, news, telecommunications by sally

‘Ofcom chief executive Sharon White has defended the telecoms regulator’s decision to put a limit on the amount of mobile spectrum an operator can control, after legal action was launched by two companies.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 3rd October 2017

Source: www.out-law.com

Killer Aidan McAteer’s sentence increased over social media use – BBC News

Posted September 22nd, 2017 in appeals, dangerous driving, homicide, internet, news, sentencing, telecommunications by sally

‘A hit-and-run killer has had his jail term increased after he put posts on social media from inside prison.’

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BBC News, 21st September 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

News Group settles 17 cases related to allegations of criminality at the Sun – The Guardian

Posted September 8th, 2017 in compensation, interception, media, news, privacy, telecommunications by tracey

‘The publisher of the Sun and the defunct News of the World has settled 17 cases of phone hacking and illegally obtaining personal information, avoiding a high-profile court case.’

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The Guardian, 7th September 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Use of cloud-based communications raises challenges over compliance with FOI laws, says watchdog – OUT-LAW.com

‘The use of cloud-based communications tools by employees of public sector bodies presents challenges over the way those organisations comply with freedom of information (FOI) laws in the UK, the information commissioner has said.’

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OUT-LAW.com, September 2017

Source: www.out-law.com

Talk about a revolution: the internet and children proceedings – Family Law Week

Posted August 23rd, 2017 in children, evidence, internet, news, privacy, telecommunications by sally

‘Jennifer Kotilaine, barrister of 3PB, reflects on the various ways in which the application of children law has adapted to the internet and social media and on the further adaptations that may lie ahead.’

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Family Law Week, 17th August 2017

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Pension cold-calling ban to include texts and emails – BBC News

Posted August 21st, 2017 in bills, electronic mail, fraud, news, pensions, telecommunications by sally

‘A forthcoming ban on cold-callers who try to scam people out of their pension savings will include emails and texts, the government has announced.’

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BBC News, 20th August 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Your chance to shape new cyber-security rules – Technology Law Update

Posted August 17th, 2017 in computer crime, consultations, EC law, news, telecommunications by sally

‘Amid the noise about the introduction of data privacy reforms under Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation, the GDPR, less attention has been paid to the Network and Information Systems Directive. The NIS Directive calls on EU member states to introduce cyber-security requirements for “Operators of Essential Services” (OESs), with a less stringent set of obligations for certain groups of “Digital Services Providers” (DSPs).’

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Technology Law Update, 16th August 2017

Source: www.technology-law-blog.co.uk

HMP Aylesbury officer jailed over sex texts to inmate – BBC News

‘A prison officer has been jailed after she had an inappropriate relationship with a young inmate.’

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BBC News, 10th August 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

BT wins legal challenge against Ofcom’s definition of business broadband markets – OUT-LAW.com

Posted July 28th, 2017 in competition, internet, news, telecommunications by tracey

‘Plans to require BT to allow competing telecoms companies access to spare telecoms capacity, so that they can deliver rival broadband services to business customers, have been “quashed” by the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT).’

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OUT-LAW.com, 28th July 2017

Source: www.out-law.com

UK laws to boost digital infrastructure come into force – OUT-LAW.com

Posted July 20th, 2017 in codes of practice, internet, news, telecommunications by tracey

‘UK laws designed to support the deployment of new digital infrastructure have now come into force.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 19th July 2017

Source: www.out-law.com

Crackdown on drugs, drones and mobile phones in prisons – Ministry of Justice

Posted July 13th, 2017 in aircraft, drug abuse, enforcement, news, press releases, prisons, telecommunications by tracey

‘A huge haul of drugs and mobile phones has been recovered since the introduction of detection measures to crackdown on prison contraband.’

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Ministry of Justice, 9th July 2017

Source: www.gov.uk