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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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12 Apr
Your CCTV cameras might be breaching GDPR — here’s everything you need to know
Video surveillance is a great way to enhance the security of your business.
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11 Apr
How Julian Assange went from liberal darling to alt-right information kingpin
WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange has been arrested at the Ecuadorian embassy in London, marking an end to the seven-year chapter of his political asylum.
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3 Apr
Israel election bots “the latest demonstration of how the political game has changed”
The discovery of Israel election bots designed to give the illusion of support for prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of elections next week is the latest example of how cybersecurity has crossed over into the political realm, according to one cybersecurity expert.
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29 Mar
Facebook political ads: Will new EU rules work?
In the latest move to improve its reputation, Facebook has announced that it is “making big changes to the way ads with political content work” in the run up to the European Parliament elections in May.
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26 Mar
Article 13 passed: The internet reacts to the ‘death of the internet’
The European Parliament has passed Article 13 and Article 11, the controversial update to Europe’s copyright law, drawing widespread condemnation from technology experts and internet users.
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26 Mar
European Parliament approves Copyright Directive meme law, so when does Article 13 start?
Europe’s largest ever petition wasn’t enough to convince the European Parliament that its proposed Copyright Directive is a bad idea.
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20 Mar
A third of tech companies are in favour of breaking up Big Tech
Earlier this month, presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren unveiled her intentions regarding breaking up big tech companies to “restore the balance of power in our democracy, to promote competition, and to ensure that the next generation of technology innovation is as vibrant as the last.” if elected in the 2020 presidential election.
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20 Mar
Google hit with yet another EU anti-trust fine
The European Commission has handed Google its third anti-trust fine in two years for “abusive practices in online advertising”.
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19 Mar
Vote Leave fined £40,000 for sending unlawful Brexit “spam texts”
The UK’s data watchdog has fined Vote Leave £40,000 for sending unlawful campaign texts during the 2016 Brexit referendum.
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19 Mar
Brexit is causing more of a scare for businesses than Y2K
As a new millennium approached, businesses were left scrambling to update their systems and software as experts warned that many computers would be unable to function once the date rolled over from 1999 to 2000 due to conflicts in their code.
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15 Mar
Could China get its own back on US over Huawei campaign tonight?
The United States has been keen to push an anti-Huawei rhetoric of late, but China could get its own back this evening as the state-run China Central Television (CCTV) prepares to air its annual consumer rights show.
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14 Mar
UK tech industry reassured that “the government has not forgotten about tech companies” after Spring Statement
Announced during a week of pivotal Brexit votes, it would be easy for this year’s Spring Statement from Phillip Hammond to be overlooked.
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13 Mar
What could happen to mobile roaming charges after Brexit?
Just one of the many uncertainties surrounding the UK’s post-Brexit relationship with the EU is the issue of mobile roaming charges.
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12 Mar
Global far-right effort to influence Brexit unearthed by researchers
Researchers have found evidence of far-right Twitter accounts using suspicious means such as bots to amplify pro-Brexit content, with a “significant” number originating from outside of the UK.
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11 Mar
UK tech industry holds its breath as Brexit hits crunch time
This is set to be a pivotal week for the UK and its departure from the European Union, not least for the tech industry, which is often hailed as a key part of the country’s post-Brexit strategy.
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9 Mar
House of Lords proposes greater regulation to “rein in” tech giants
The House of Lords Communications Committee has published a report on regulating in a digital world, calling for big tech companies to be reined in.
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6 Mar
Intellectual property in China: Could new laws end the trade war?
Chinese authorities will no longer be allowed to require foreign companies to hand over intellectual property in exchange for selling products in the country.
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5 Mar
The Independent Group’s social media strategy is engaging voters
Despite being formed only 15 days ago and having just 11 members, the Independent Group is making waves both on and offline.
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4 Mar
What is a bill of attainder and what could it mean for the US-Huawei dispute?
Following the announcement that Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou will sue Canada over her arrest and pending extradition to the US, the Chinese telecommunication giant is now set to begin a separate lawsuit against the United States government.
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22 Feb
Did the Independent Group’s creation lead to a data breach?
Westminster has been rocked this week by the emergence of the breakaway Independent Group, but behind the political fallout has been another story: a potential data breach.
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13 Feb
UK businesses optimistic about data regulation, but Brexit is a different story
Although organisations may have initially reacted negatively to new data privacy regulations, as ensuring compliance with GDPR required a significant amount of time and financial resources, and often hiring new staff, new research suggests that nine months since its introduction businesses have warmed up to GDPR.
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12 Feb
UK set to lose 44% of Horizon 2020 funding in no-deal Brexit, warns House of Lords
A no-deal Brexit could significantly jeopardise UK science and innovation research as unless the government takes action, almost half of one of the biggest funding sources, Horizon 2020, would vanish, according to a key House of Lords report.
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1 Feb
Leave.EU fined and faces audit for unlawful Brexit email campaign
UK data watchdog the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined pro-Brexit campaign group Leave.EU and associated insurance company Eldon Insurance a combined £120,000 for breaching data protection laws during the Brexit referendum.
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28 Jan
Drone airport rules: What are the new laws governing drone use?
In the run up to Christmas last month, UK airports descended into chaos after reports of drones flying near to Gatwick Airport grounded over 1,000 flights and affected around 140,000 passengers.
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25 Jan
Oracle fires back after Google asks Supreme Court to review Android Java lawsuit
Oracle Executive Vice President and General Counsel Dorian Daley has branded Google’s attempts to overturn a jury decision to side with Oracle in the long-running dispute over Google’s use of Java code in its Android operating system as a “fabricated concern about innovation”.
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24 Jan
Google GDPR fine appeal will fail: Legal expert
Google has announced that it will appeal a €50m fine levied by French data regulator CNIL.
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24 Jan
Despite Theresa May’s plans, Brexit will stop the UK being an AI leader
The UK’s artificial intelligence (AI) industry is likely to suffer following Brexit, despite the government’s continued attempts to make it an area of strong future growth, according to a report on the Brexit tech impact.
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21 Jan
Google fined €50m in “one of the first high-profile tests of GDPR”
Google has been slapped with a €50m (£44m) fine by the French data regulator CNIL for breaching data protection law in the EU under GDPR.
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16 Jan
Theresa or Jeremy? Tech industry share its thoughts ahead of Brexit no confidence vote
The Brexit process faces yet more turmoil as Parliament prepares to vote for or against Theresa May’s Conservative government.
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15 Jan
Women in tech: UK’s Tech Talent Charter pushes companies to do better in gender inclusivity
“We all know that diverse teams perform better and in a competitive market, everyone is battling for talent.