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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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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.
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11 Jan
Forget new drone laws – only anti-drone technology will stop another Gatwick
As the UK government and UK airports reflect on last months Gatwick drone disruption, drone experts have reiterated that anti-drone technology, not new drone laws, is the solution to preventing a similar incident.
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3 Jan
Could the US adopt its own version of GDPR?
2018 was undoubtedly the year that data privacy took centre stage, with the questionable practices of several social media giants concerning the use of user data held up for public scrutiny.
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19 Dec
Uber appeal rejected as Court of Appeal rules drivers are workers
The UK’s Court of Appeal has ruled that Uber drivers are “workers” and therefore entitled to the minimum wage and holiday pay.
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19 Dec
Hacked EU cables reveal concerns over Trump, Russia and Iran
Hackers have intercepted more than a thousand confidential European Union communications over the past three years, the New York Times has reported.
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13 Dec
France fuel prices: Do France’s Yellow Vest motorists pay more than the rest of Europe?
France is bracing for further protests and rioting, as the Yellow Vest movement continues to fight against perceived social injustice towards the lower class.
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12 Dec
44% of trade sector risks GDPR fines when they dispose of IT equipment
GDPR came into force nearly seven months ago, with organisations within the EU now having to adhere to strict rules governing customer data.
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10 Dec
Could Theresa May delaying Brexit vote lead to a no-confidence vote?
The news of Theresa May delaying a Brexit vote has renewed the suggestion of a no-confidence vote in the Prime Minister.
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10 Dec
Women’s rights threatened by “tough guy leaders”: Amnesty International
2018 saw the #MeToo movement raise awareness of the prevalence of sexual assault and sexual harassment, following numerous allegations made against film producer Harvey Weinstein. However, despite women’s issues making headlines around the globe this year, Amnesty International has warned that 2018 was in many ways dominated by oppressive and sexist policies.
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5 Dec
Ukraine blocks “massive” cyberattack attributed to Russia
Ukrainian authorities have said that they have stopped a large-scale cyberattack attributed to Russia.
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5 Dec
Businesses have more to worry about than GDPR as consumers become more data-conscious
With a potential fine of up to 4% of global annual turnover, the General Data Protection Act (GDPR) and other new regulations have left businesses fearing the fallout of failing to adequately protect customer data.
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4 Dec
Who’s to blame in an autonomous car accident? A legal expert considers three scenarios
As car makers steam ahead in the driverless car race, lawmakers are being left in the dust – and one of the biggest grey areas is liability in the event of an autonomous car accident.
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28 Nov
COP24: Academics find the global food industry is “failing us”
COP 24, the UN’s framework convention on climate change, takes place in Poland next week.
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28 Nov
Sadiq Khan under fire as London misses new homes targets by largest gap in history
London is failing to build new homes at the rate required by the largest amount in history, according to research published today by the London Assembly Housing Committee.
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27 Nov
First seized Facebook documents revealed in government grilling
The first details of Facebook documents seized by the UK Parliament have revealed that entities with Russian IP addresses pulled “over three billion data points a day” through a Pinterest application programming interface (API).
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26 Nov
GDPR six months on: Is it working? 12 experts weigh in
Yesterday marked six months since Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation came into force.
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23 Nov
Montenegro citizenship programme could be a route to an EU passport – for a price
The Government of Montenegro has approved a programme to attract foreign investment to the country in return for Montenegro citizenship.
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21 Nov
€120bn EU innovation plan targets European lead in post-Brexit era
The European Union (EU) is looking to build on its already strong track record on science and technology as it enters the post-Brexit era with a €120bn EU innovation plan.
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20 Nov
Twitter bots played “significant role” in spreading misinformation in 2016 US election
There is now compelling evidence for Russian interference in the 2016 Presidential election, from the spread of propaganda and disinformation to hacking.
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16 Nov
Who is Stephen Barclay, the new Brexit secretary?
Stephan Barclay, the MP for North East Cambridgeshire, has been appointed Brexit secretary in replacement of Dominic Raab, who resigned on Thursday.