How will the proposed surveillance laws work? – BBC News

“Police and intelligence services will be able to access data about people’s phone calls, emails and internet usage in order to tackle crime and terrorism under Home Office plans.”

Full story

BBC News, 14th June 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Online privacy: Home Office to write blank cheque for ‘snoopers’ charter’ – The Guardian

“The government is to offer a blank cheque to internet and phone firms that will be required to track everyone’s email, Twitter, Facebook and other internet use under legislation to be published on Thursday.”

Full story

The Guardian, 13th June 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Websites may only place cookies without user consent if services would not work without them, say regulators – OUT-LAW.com

Posted June 13th, 2012 in consent, data protection, EC law, internet, news, privacy by sally

“Website operators can only take advantage of an exemption from new cookie laws if site users specifically request a service or function and that service would not work without the serving of the cookie, EU data protection regulators have warned.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 13th June 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Google to be investigated over data cover-up claims – The Guardian

“Google is facing increasing pressure after the information commissioner launched an investigation into claims that it orchestrated a cover-up of its capture of emails, passwords and medical records of people in the UK.”

Full story

The Guardian, 12th June 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Cookie law disaster should force companies to emulate patent world lobbying, says expert – OUT-LAW.com

Posted June 13th, 2012 in consent, data protection, EC law, enforcement, internet, news, patents, privacy by sally

“UK authorities are beginning tentatively to enforce the cookies law and, after the compliance panic of the past month, companies can now sit back and examine where the fault lies for the development of such a poor, troublesome law.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 13th June 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Q&A: Who are internet trolls – and how is the law changing? – BBC News

Posted June 12th, 2012 in defamation, harassment, internet, news, privacy by sally

“Website operators in the UK may soon have to identify people who have posted defamatory messages online, allowing the victim to undertake legal action against the ‘troll’ rather than against the website.”

Full story

BBC News, 12th June 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Internet trolls targeted in new bill to tackle defamation online – The Guardian

Posted June 12th, 2012 in bills, defamation, harassment, internet, news by sally

“Major reforms of the libel laws will see a duty placed on internet service providers to try to identify internet trolls without victims needing to resort to costly legal action.”

Full story

The Guardian, 12th June 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Louise Mensch ‘troll’ sentenced over threatening email – The Guardian

Posted June 11th, 2012 in internet, malicious communications, news, restraining orders, sentencing by sally

“An internet ‘troll’ who sent a threatening email to a Conservative MP has been banned from contacting a host of celebrities, including Lord Sugar.”

Full story

The Guardian, 11th June 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Man jailed for plane bomb hoax against online girlfriend – The Guardian

“A man who told police his online girlfriend was going to blow up a plane after she deleted him from her Facebook account has been jailed for 16 weeks.”

Full story

The Guardian, 8th June 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

New licence will allow law firm clients free access to publishers’ work – OUT-LAW.com

Posted June 8th, 2012 in copyright, internet, law firms, licensing, news by sally

“Organisations will be able to obtain free access to some publishers’ digital content through their law firm under a new licensing option on offer by the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA).”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 8th June 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Facebook to release ID of users who abused woman online – BBC News

Posted June 8th, 2012 in data protection, harassment, internet, news, privacy by sally

“A woman who was abused on the internet has won court backing in her bid to gain the identities of those who targeted her.”

Full story

BBC News, 7th June 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Major organisations mostly non-compliant with new laws on cookies, new research claims – OUT-LAW.com

Posted June 7th, 2012 in consent, EC law, internet, news, privacy by sally

“Fewer than one in five major UK organisations have introduced mechanisms on their websites for obtaining users’ consent to ‘cookies’ which are compliant with the law, an accountancy firm has claimed.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 6th June 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

LSB report on consumer needs from legal information sources – Legal Services Board

“LSB publishes report which explores the types of information consumers need to help them address legal issues they face.”

Understanding consumer needs from legal information sources: final report (PDF)

Legal Services Board, 6th June 2012

Source: www.legalservicesboard.org.uk

Let victims of crime track case online, says thinktank – The Guardian

Posted June 6th, 2012 in criminal justice, internet, news, victims by sally

“Victims of crime in England and Wales should be able to track their case online from the moment it is reported to the point when justice is served, a thinktank has said.”

Full story

The Guardian, 5th June 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Unfair contract terms mean bookmaker cannot rely on online term for loss-making trades made by boy, High Court rules – OUT-LAW.com

Posted May 30th, 2012 in consumer protection, contracts, gambling, internet, news by sally

“A man who blamed his girlfriend’s five year old son for making loss-making trades in expensive natural resources through his online betting account is not bound by a term he agreed to on a website stating that he would be deemed to have authorised all trading made under his account number, the High Court has ruled.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 29th May 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Twitter joke trial: man who threatened to blow up airport wins fresh hearing – The Guardian

“A man who tweeted a joke threat to ‘blow up’ Robin Hood airport in South Yorkshire has lost his attempt to overturn the judgment – but will now be tried all over again.”

Full story

The Guardian, 28th May 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Cookies law changed at 11th hour to introduce ‘implied consent’ – The Guardian

Posted May 28th, 2012 in consent, EC law, internet, news, privacy by sally

“New EU regulations on the use by British websites of cookies have been watered down by the UK’s information commissioner just hours before they were due to come into force.”

Full story

The Guardian, 26th May 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Kevin Pietersen fined for Twitter comment on Nick Knight – BBC News

Posted May 25th, 2012 in fines, internet, news, sport by sally

“Pietersen was docked an undisclosed sum for comments aimed at the ex-England opener during the first Test against the West Indies at Lord’s.”

Full story

BBC News, 23rd May 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Emails detailing phone call conversations can hold confidential information that public bodies should not disclose – OUT-LAW.com

“A local authority in London was ‘justified’ in not disclosing an email that recorded the ‘substance’ of a telephone conversation between a staff member and a third party because it would have been a breach of confidence to do so, an Information Rights Tribunal has ruled.”

Full story

OUT-LAW.com, 22nd May 2012

Source: www.out-law.com

Facebook child sex abuser Ryan Chambers jailed – BBC News

“A ‘very dangerous and predatory’ teenager who sexually abused four girls he met on Facebook has been jailed for three years and nine months.”

Full story

BBC News, 18th May 2012

Source: www.bbc.co.uk