Cold-calling prosecutions planned – Law Society’s Gazette

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is ready to prosecute up to a dozen more companies who carry out cold-calling and send spam text messages.

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Law Society’s Gazette, 22nd March 2013

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Cold-calling firm fined £90,000 in first penalty of its kind – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 20th, 2013 in fines, harassment, news, telecommunications by sally

“A marketing firm has become the first to be fined £90,000 after plaguing members
of the public with thousands of unwanted calls.”

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Daily Telegraph, 20th March 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Labour MP given ‘substantial damages’ after Sun accessed text messages – The Guardian

Posted March 18th, 2013 in damages, inquiries, interception, media, news, privacy, telecommunications, victims by sally

“The Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh has accepted ‘very substantial damages’ from News International, with the Sun admitting that it accessed text messages from her mobile phone after it was stolen, the high court has heard.”

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The Guardian, 18th March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

MPs seek ‘fundamental review’ of RIPA after raising concerns with oversight of undercover police work – OUT-LAW.com

“The Government should commit to a ‘fundamental review’ of UK legislation that governs surveillance practices and the interception of communications, a Parliamentary committee has said.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 5th March 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

Telcos to get early interim access to land but Law Commission plans slightly favour landowners, experts say – OUT-LAW.com

“Telecoms operators will be able to access land for equipment installation even
when full agreement with landlords has not been reached under Law Commission
proposals published today to revise the laws governing the installation and
maintenance of telecoms equipment.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 28th February 2013

Source: www.out-law.com

Cracking the Electronic Communications Code – Law Commission

Posted February 28th, 2013 in electronic mail, internet, Law Commission, news, reports, telecommunications by sally

“In a report published today the Law Commission is recommending reforms that will bring the Electronic Communications Code up to date with modern technology while continuing to balance the rights of landowners and the public demand for modern communications services.”

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Law Commission, 28th February 2013

Source: www.lawcommission.justice.gov.uk

After Leveson: the 66-year press regulation journey that ends as it began – The Guardian

Posted February 22nd, 2013 in freedom of expression, inquiries, interception, media, news, privacy, telecommunications by sally

“In this extract from After Leveson, a book edited by John Mair, John Jewell, of the Cardiff school of journalism, takes us on the long journey that led publishers, editors, journalists and phone hacking victims to the royal courts of justice for the Leveson inquiry. His story begins 66 years ago…”

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The Guardian, 21st February 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Hacking: No charges for ex-NoW deputy editor – BBC News

Posted February 22nd, 2013 in evidence, inquiries, interception, media, news, prosecutions, telecommunications by sally

“The former deputy editor at the now-defunct News of the World newspaper will not face any charges regarding phone hacking, the CPS has announced.”

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BBC News, 22nd February 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Google countersues BT over patents – The Guardian

Posted February 15th, 2013 in internet, news, patents, telecommunications by sally

“Web giant calls telecoms company’s lawsuit ‘meritless’, and claims its own intellectual property has been infringed.”

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The Guardian, 14th February 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

iPhone used to bring child sex attacker William Walker to justice – BBC News

“A tattooist who raped a child has been jailed after his victim recorded a
conversation with him 20 years later.”

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BBC News, 11th February 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Snooper’s charter rests on ‘pretty heroic assumptions’, MI5 boss told MPs – The Guardian

“The government’s plans to track everybody’s web and mobile phone use rest on some ‘pretty heroic assumptions’, the head of MI5 has told MPs and peers.”

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The Guardian, 5th February 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Call centre justice – LegalVoice

Posted January 31st, 2013 in law centres, legal services, news, telecommunications by sally

“The Ministry of Justice is not that interested in research-based policy at the moment, writes Roger Smith. Better in the current environment to stick to prejudice; the elevation of austerity as the sole goal; and stagger through to tomorrow. Hence, no one, least of all Lord Chancellor Chris Grayling, is interested in what anyone has actually ever found out about telephone legal advice hotlines. We are two months away from LASPO Day when face to face advice begins to disappear from the High Street, at least for poor people, just as surely as Woolies and Comet. There is no time left for reflection, let alone reconsideration.”

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LegalVoice, 31st January 2013

Source: www.legalvoice.org.uk

Google faces legal action over alleged secret iPhone tracking – The Guardian

Posted January 28th, 2013 in compensation, computer crime, fines, internet, news, privacy, telecommunications, trespass by sally

“Google is facing a fresh privacy battle in the UK over its alleged secret tracking of the internet habits of millions of iPhone users.”

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The Guardian, 27th January 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Football Association Premier League Ltd v QC Leisure and others – WLR Daily

Posted January 7th, 2013 in copyright, EC law, interpretation, law reports, sport, telecommunications by sally

Football Association Premier League Ltd v QC Leisure and others [2012] EWCA Civ 1708; [2012] WLR (D) 392

“Section 72(1)(c) of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, as amended, which provided, inter alia, that the showing or playing in public of a broadcast to an audience who had not paid for admission to the place where the broadcast was to be seen or heard did not infringe any copyright in any film included in it, provided a defence to the act of communicating a film included in a broadcast to the public, which would otherwise be an act restricted by copyright under section 20 of the Act.”

WLR Daily, 20th December 2012

Source: www.iclr.co.uk

Prisons (Interference with Wireless Telegraphy) Act 2012 – legislation.gov.uk

Posted December 21st, 2012 in internet, legislation, prisons, telecommunications by sally

Full text of Act

Source: www.legislation.gov.uk

Press regulations and prank calls: Rumpole and the Regulator – Halsbury’s Law Exchange

Posted December 14th, 2012 in freedom of expression, media, news, telecommunications by sally

“This week headlines have been dominated by the recommendations from the Leveson Inquiry; and the two Australian DJs, whose prank call to the hospital treating the Duchess of Cambridge led to the nurse who took the call taking her own life. Yet again, we are asking questions about press freedom and whether we should be drafting new regulations.”

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Halsbury’s Law Exchange, 13th December

Source: www.halsburyslawexchange.co.uk

ASA reprimands PPI text message firm – The Guardian

Posted December 12th, 2012 in advertising, complaints, insurance, news, telecommunications by sally

“Complaints about a company based in India which sent text messages about reclaiming payment protection insurance (PPI) and compensation for accidents have been upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).”

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The Guardian, 12th December 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Q&A: Communications Data Bill – BBC News

Posted December 11th, 2012 in bills, electronic mail, internet, investigatory powers, news, telecommunications by sally

“The government’s draft Communications Data Bill details plans to increase the amount of data gathered about the web and mobile habits of anyone in the UK.”

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BBC News,

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Royal hoax call could be an ‘offence under UK law’ – The Guardian

Posted December 11th, 2012 in data protection, disclosure, medical records, news, telecommunications by sally

“The Australian radio DJs who made the hoax call to the hospital where the Duchess of Cambridge was being treated for acute morning sickness could have committed an offence under UK law, a leading barrister has said.”

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The Guardian, 10th December 2012

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

ICO serves first fines for unlawful spam text messages by marketing firm – OUT-LAW.com

Posted November 30th, 2012 in data protection, fines, news, privacy, telecommunications by sally

“The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined two owners of a marketing firm a total of £440,000 after it said the company had sent out ‘millions of unlawful spam texts’ in the last three years.”

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OUT-LAW.com, 30th November 2012

Source: www.out-law.com