The interim report published by the DCMS committee of the UK parliament has cast a light not only on the role of social media platforms in spreading disinformation, but more importantly on the willingness of policymakers to take the matter into their own hands. The report issues a set of recommendations which would result in strong regulatory safeguards around platforms’ activity. If the UK government takes the committee’s recommendations on board, the self-regulatory approach could be off the table, in the UK at least.
Ofcom answers calls for predictability and certainty when it comes to full fibre
Ofcom's announcement is part of the wider narrative and background work which has been taking place between government, regulator and industry lately. Many will be encouraged to finally see a more joined-up and collaborative approach emerge. This announcement though should be seen as a directional document, the detail of which will follow in the relevant market reviews Ofcom carries out. This note considers the steps Ofcom have outlined and the subsequent reaction and follow-up by key industry stakeholders.
UK Government unveils long-awaited Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review
In publishing the review, the Government has set a clear course to accelerate improvements to the UK’s digital infrastructure. While many recommendations have been presented, it’s clear this is only the beginning of change. The suggestion is that much of this will fall to Ofcom to refine, implement and enforce. In this note we look at the main recommendations coming out of the FTIR and consider how they are likely to be met by the industry.
The debate around the use of the term ‘fibre’ in broadband advertising heats up
The ability to use the term ‘fibre’ in broadband advertising has been subject to debate in several countries recently. In France and Italy regulators have recognised the need to distinguish FTTH or FTTB from FTTC, and to make sure customers are adequately informed on the type of service they are purchasing. The discussion is also lively in the UK, where advertising authorities have recently taken a different stance. However, it is not yet clear whether technology differences matter to customers as much as performance.
Why the ICO’s Facebook investigation demonstrates the power regulators now have
On 10 July 2018, the UK Information Commissioner Office (ICO) published an update on its investigation into data analytics in political campaigns i.e. the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal. The ICO has decided to fine Facebook £500k – the maximum possible amount under pre-GDPR data protection rules. The fine would have been much higher had GDPR applied. It also sent warning letters to 11 political parties, requiring them to accept audits of their data protection practices, among other actions.
An assessment of the new European Electronic Communications Code
Early in the morning on the 6th of June 2018, it was announced that the EU had finally reached a long-overdue agreement on the new Electronic Communications Code, which will replace the existing regulatory framework of the EU telecoms market. A full text of the draft was only released early in July.
Telstra joins the growing number of telcos opting for network separation
Telstra’s recent announcement that it will create a standalone business for its fixed infrastructure is part of the company’s decision to go through a thorough restructuring. Yet, while this is an independent business decision, it is hard not to link it to changes in the country’s telecoms landscape due to regulatory and policy choices. Telcos in other countries are making similar moves, and in all cases regulation plays either a direct or indirect role.
Technology companies start tackling screen addiction – social media should follow suit
The fact that the biggest OS providers have started taking action shows how important it is to tackle this issue; social media platforms now need to take similar steps, to avoid prescriptive regulation and to make sure they do not suffer reputational damage. We have captured these developments as part of our ongoing research into Fake News, which shows social media companies still have a lot to do in this respect.
Two weeks into GDPR: How do tech companies’ new privacy policies compare?
GDPR has been in place two weeks now, much to the relief of the many individuals who were swarmed with emails requiring fresh consent to the receipt of newsletters and other marketing messages. Leading up to the 25th May, customers have also been notified of the changes to the privacy policies most tech companies inevitably had to make. Assembly has studied how they compare, with particular regard to the validity of GDPR’s safeguards outside the EU, and to the legal bases adopted for treatment of personal data.
Discontent around the new European Electronic Communications Code is no good thing
On 6 June 2018, the EU announced a political agreement on the long-awaited European Electronic Communications Code. Stakeholders across the board are unhappy; however, the favourable treatment of wholesale-only networks could solve some long-standing problems facing wholesale access regulation over the last 20 years.
