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Politics and policy
The latest political technology news, features and analysis from around the world. Verdict covers the political side of technology, from news on rules, regulation and policy to the role of governments in tech. Be it good, bad or somewhere in between, political technology is now a vital part of the wider world of tech and plays a key role in shaping the political sphere.
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15 Oct
With voter ID plans criticised, what election technology alternatives are there?
Members of the public may soon be required to show a form of ID, such as a driving licence or passport before being able to vote in a UK general or local election.
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14 Oct
London financial services jobs “defying political chaos”, but uncertainty remains
With continued uncertainty over when the UK will leave the EU, many businesses have been left with more questions than answers when it comes to Brexit planning.
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11 Oct
MPs call for strict commercial drone regulations
Parliament’s Science and Technology Committee has published its report on commercial drones, calling on the government to provide a clear “vision” for the safer use of drones through regulations and criminal penalties for their misuse.
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11 Oct
World leaders scramble to reassure public over 5G safety
A host of world leaders have been forced to make statements about the safety of 5G after public fears about the technology’s impact on health and the environment have increased, prompting protests in some countries.
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9 Oct
Ecuador is in serious need of proper data protection laws following massive breach
In an era when some of the largest corporations in the world have failed to properly secure the personal data of billions of people, lawmakers have become keen to push legislation aimed at giving consumers greater control over their personal data.
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7 Oct
IBM CEO: US needs “consistent consumer privacy regulation”
IBM CEO Ginni Rometty has backed the introduction of GDPR-style regulation across the US.
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3 Oct
UK government issues no-deal Brexit preparation checklist for tech firms
The United Kingdom’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport has published a checklist for businesses providing technology and digital services to best prepare for a no-deal Brexit.
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27 Sep
Huawei’s Guo Ping: “R&D collaboration benefits both Huawei and the UK”
Huawei rotating chairman Guo Ping doesn’t give interviews often, so when a small group of journalists from UK publications, including Verdict, were given the chance to ask him questions at a media roundtable in Shenzhen, China, it was a rare and valuable opportunity to hear the thoughts of one of the Chinese tech giant’s most
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24 Sep
EU’s right to be forgotten ruling leaves questions unanswered
The EU’s top court has ruled in favour of tech giant Google in a landmark case about the ‘right to be forgotten’, but privacy and legal experts have warned the issue has not been fully resolved.
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19 Sep
UK must invest in automation to “thrive in the fourth industrial revolution”
The UK could struggle to compete with other economies if it does not invest more in robotics and automation.
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11 Sep
Amnesty International calls for tougher spyware regulations
Human rights organisation Amnesty International is urging governments around the world to introduce tougher spyware regulations that ensure spyware companies respect human rights.
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10 Sep
Tech industry reacts to Brexit latest: ‘Give us certainty’
Parliament is prorogued, the House of Commons speaker is stepping down and prime minister Boris Johnson has lost six votes in as many days.
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9 Sep
The UK is not “recession ready” according to financial think tank
The UK’s lack of preparation could make the next recession “unnecessarily painful”, a think tank has warned.
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6 Sep
Have you heard the Amazon is on fire? The power of social media in awareness raising
Forest fires happen annually in the Amazon as a result of forest life cycles, but this year the Amazon rainforest is burning at 84% the rate it did last year, according to the Brazilian Space Agency.
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5 Sep
@Boris Johnson has left the group: WhatsApp in Westminster
From fake news to Facebook, WhatsApp has attracted the media spotlight for a number of reasons.
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5 Sep
The cybersecurity industry does not trust politicians to get regulation right
The overwhelming majority of the cybersecurity industry does not trust politicians to effectively regulate digital security, despite believing that more legislation is sorely needed.
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5 Sep
Social networks have “profound effects on voting outcomes”, study finds
Social networks can have “profound effects on voting outcomes”, according a study by researchers at The University of Houston and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
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4 Sep
South Wales Police facial recognition ruled lawful
The High Court has ruled that the use of facial recognition by the South Wales Police was “consistent with the requirements of the Human Rights Act and the data protection legislation” in a landmark ruling.
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3 Sep
China “ten years” from self-sufficient semiconductor mass production
China is up to ten years away from being self-sufficient in the mass production of semiconductors, according to the latest report, ‘China Tech – Thematic Research’ by GlobalData.
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29 Aug
How could suspending parliament affect the tech industry?
The news that Prime Minister Boris Johnson has asked the Queen to suspend parliament has sent shockwaves around the UK political sphere, with the prospect of the longest suspension of parliament in 400 years looming.
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20 Aug
QR code voter ID pilot paves way for future elections
Scanning a QR code may one day be the way in which voters in the UK confirm their identity, following a pilot in Watford, UK.
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19 Aug
Operation Yellowhammer: How could data flow be affected by a no-deal Brexit?
An official document detailing the potential outcomes of a no-deal Brexit, leaked over the weekend, has shed light on the likely aftermath of leaving the EU without a deal.
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19 Aug
No economy is safe from climate change, research finds
Every economy, regardless of size or climate, is set to take a significant hit from climate change unless action is taken, according to research published today.
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15 Aug
ICO “deeply concerned” by King’s Cross facial recognition
The head of the UK’s data regulator Elizabeth Denham has said she is “deeply concerned” by the increasing use of facial recognition in public spaces.
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12 Aug
Elon Musk backs presidential hopeful Andrew Yang and his UBI policy
Technology entrepreneur Elon Musk has given his backing to Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang and reaffirmed his support of universal basic income – a key policy of Yang’s.
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9 Aug
South Wales Police facial recognition trial raises privacy concerns
The South Wales Police has announced that it is embarking on a trial of facial recognition technology to help officers identify crime suspects or vulnerable people.
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2 Aug
Stop trade war restrictions on AI healthcare, experts warn
As two of the world leaders in artificial intelligence (AI), it is perhaps no surprise that the US and China have seen the industry as a key battleground in their ongoing trade war.
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1 Aug
Federal Reserve interest rate cuts: What do they mean for tech?
For the first time since the 2008 financial crisis, the US Federal Reserve has cut interest rates.
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30 Jul
Big tech must be prepared for stricter data privacy regulation: Report
Data privacy regulation will be the biggest threat to the likes of Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple over the next few years, according to a report by data and analytics company GlobalData.
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26 Jul
Moscow rolls out online IDs to provide citizens with “single point of entry” for accounts
The city of Moscow, Russia, has rolled out online IDs that will allow citizens to use a host of online services, including banking, social media, payment of utility bills and access to medical data, through a single set of login details.