Focusing on the latest digital trends and risks and developments in the field of data protection, privacy, information and cyber law.
Plugins from social media platforms “Like” Facebook can trigger joint controllership
16 August 2019 Adam Smith
To many consumer-facing businesses, it’s something of a no-brainer to include in their websites social media plugins such as those offered by global platforms like Facebook and Twitter. After all, is there a cheaper and more innocuous way of marketing than by giving website visitors the opportunity to share the products they like with their › Read More
Operationalising data ethics in the financial services sector
14 August 2019 Karishma Brahmbhatt
Financial institutions have become accustomed to managing gigantic volumes of data, ranging from customer data to business intelligence and employee data. However, the financial services sector is being revolutionised by data-driven, and data-generating, technology. With the likes of mobile, blockchain and artificial intelligence reshaping traditional financial services, we are seeing the emergence of a new › Read More
Should we be Surprised by the Latest ICO Fines?
01 August 2019 David Smith
Like many others in the data protection world I was initially taken aback by the size of latest fines proposed by the ICO. The idea of fining British Airways in excess of £183m and Marriott International nearly £100m for data breaches that in pre-GDPR days would have attracted fines of no more than £500,000, and › Read More
CJEU Pokes Facebook – SCCs in Need of a Status Update
12 July 2019 Benjamin Scrace
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) heard oral submissions on Tuesday regarding the validity of standard contractual clauses (SCCs) in Facebook Ireland & Schrems (Case C-311/18) (“Schrems II”). The Advocate General’s non-binding opinion (to be released in December 2019) will be analysed closely – SCCs underpin international transfers (not just to the › Read More
ICO bares its teeth with plans to issue over £280m in fines
09 July 2019 Adam Smith
Those in the travel sector would be forgiven for feeling rather nervous after the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) announced plans to issue major fines to British Airways and Marriott International following separate data breach incidents in 2018. On 8 June 2019, the ICO issued a statement of its intention to fine British Airways £183.39m › Read More
CMA launches digital markets strategy and market study into online platforms and digital advertising
05 July 2019 Jessica Bowring
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published a document setting out its digital markets strategy and, in parallel, has launched a market study into online platforms and digital advertising. These developments follow on from a series of independent reports into the digital sector, including the Furman Report in March and the Lear Report in June. They also build on › Read More