UK hits Big Tech with online safety crackdown July 25, 2025 The UK’s biggest tech platforms are under new legal pressure from Friday as sweeping new child protection laws come into force, requiring firms to deploy strict age verification for harmful content – or face fines of up to £18m, or 10 per cent of global turnover. The new rules, part of the government’s long-trailed Online [...]
Sport England boss Boardman asks Ofcom to act on Lionesses abuse July 22, 2025 Sport England chair Chris Boardman has written to regulator Ofcom to raise concerns about online abuse of the Lionesses during the Women’s Euros. It comes after England defender Jess Carter on Sunday revealed she would step back from social media following online racist abuse she received throughout the tournament. Boardman has written to Ofcom chief [...]
MPs slam Online Safety Act as ‘not up to scratch’ July 11, 2025 The UK’s Online Safety Act (OSA) is failing to protect the public from the spread of harmful misinformation and must be urgently overhauled, MPs have warned in a damning new report. In findings published Tuesday, Parliament’s Science, Innovation and Technology Committee (SITC) said the OSA – which began to take effect earlier this year – [...]
Sadiq Khan pitches London as AI hub despite sector concerns June 2, 2025 Sadiq Khan today championed the capital as an open, “values-led” tech hub, telling international investors that London “will always remain open to talent” and is “resolutely pro-growth”, even as sector voices warn of structural barriers limiting UK competitiveness. Speaking at the inuagural SXSW London’s opening, the Mayor of London framed the capital as a “creative [...]
City Police sack two over social media misuse amid rising distrust May 26, 2025 Canada Police has dismissed two employees for social media misuse, following internal investigations into inappropriate online conduct over the past two years. From 2024 onwards, four staff members of the police covering the Square Mile were investigated for inappropriate online conduct, Morning Wire understands. This resulted in dismissals and formal warnings in [...]
Government slammed over digital safety, as MPs demand tougher screen time controls May 22, 2025 The UK government has come under fire from education leaders and MPs after issuing what has been branded a “disappointing” and “lacking urgency” response to calls for tighter regulation around children’s screen time and digital safety. The Education Select Committee has condemned ministers for downplaying recommendations from its May 2024 report on screen time, which [...]
Passing the Public Authorities Bill will hand away Brits’ privacy rights May 13, 2025 The Public Authorities Bill is handing away Brits' privacy rights. Why aren't more of us worried, asks Rebecca Vincent.
Wikipedia mounts legal fight over UK online safety rules May 8, 2025 The Wikipedia Foundation, which operates Wikipedia, is fighting back against the UK’s online safety rules, seeking a review of some of the requirements of the act. The platform wishes to be in the threshold of a ‘category one’ service – a label reserved for platforms facing the strictest levels of user safety duties. This status [...]
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 [...]