Upcoming policy Forum on online safety
ISPA is running a free policy forum in Central London on online safety. The event will have two panel discussions followed by a reception.
Panel 1 has a panel of experts from industry and parent groups which will discuss:
- How effective are the different solutions?
- What are the implications of turning on ISP filters by default?
- Who decides what is blocked and why?
Panel 2 will look at the wider issues, with government and child protection specialists discussing:
- How do we measure success?
- What should the next steps be?
- What role does digital literacy play in the child protection debate?
Event details
- Time: 23 May 3:00-5:30pm,
- Place: Addleshaw Goddard, 60 Chiswell Street, London, EC1Y 4AG
You can RSVP by emailing admin@ispa.org.uk
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Queen’s Speech
The Queen’s Speech was delivered last Wednesday in the House of Commons and will set the government’s legislative agenda until the expected general election in May 2015.
Communications Data Bill not included in Queen’s Speech
In the post-Queen’s Speech session last Thursday MPs debated the legislative programme and more specifically the home affairs proposals. A key summary:
- Theresa May MP told the House that the government will be bringing forward proposals to combat criminals’ communications “as they shift to e-mails, instant messages and the internet”.
- May identified that the key issue for the government in deciding to press ahead with the proposals was the need for new methods of communication to be covered in this new legislation.
- The shadow Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper MP, criticised the original draft data communications Bill drawn as “far too wide” which gave the Home Secretary “far too many powers” with too few safeguards for privacy. However, Cooper did say that the Labour party agreed legislation of some kind was required, but that the proposed Bill was not the right approach.
- Julian Huppert MP, a member of the Joint Committee that scrutinised the Draft Bill, displayed his pleasure that the Bill would not achieve Royal Assent. The evidence base used by the Home Office to build its case relied on “fanciful and misleading” information, the MP said; far too many bodies could have had access to the information; and the cost was already prohibitively expensive.
With the above announcements it would appear that the Communications Data Bill is to live on in some capacity, with the Home Secretary signalling the government’s intent to push through some of the original draft’s amendments – albeit under a different guise.
Separately, the Home Office Minister James Brokenshire MP has said that the Government has accepted the Joint Committee’s report to allow communication service providers to be able to recover the cost of access requests from security services. However, he refused to answer a question by Julian Huppert MP who had enquired about salaries and staffing level of the Communications Capabilities Development programme.
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Consumer Rights Bill introduced
The Bill will consolidate consumer rights, currently split between eight pieces of government legislation, into one place covering; goods, services, digital content and unfair contract terms. It will also consolidate over 60 pieces of legislation on trading standards’ powers to investigate beaches of consumer law into one piece of legislation.
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Gambling Bill introduced in Queen’s Speech
The Government has published its proposed new Gambling Bill, which will require remote gambling operators to be licensed by the Gambling Commission. The new legislation was unveiled in the Queen Speech and published last Friday. The Bill will require the Gambling Commission to investigate measures for dealing with unlicensed operators. This could include the blocking of websites and the disruptions of website and payment streams. ISPA is in contact with the Commission and keeps the legislation under review.
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Labour criticises lack of Communications Bill
The Shadow Culture Minister, Helen Goodman MP, used a debate last Thursday on the Queen’s Speech to criticise the government for failing to put forward a Communications Bill.
The government had been expecting to publish a paper earlier this year, but it has seemingly shifted the release date to back to July or August as it finalises new broadcasting and communications policy options. Government sources have said that the Bill is still on course to be introduced before the end of the current parliament in 2015. Goodman said the failure to introduce changes had led to a “chaotic situation”.
Ofcom
Ofcom: 8.5% increase in UK broadband fixed lines
The number of fixed broadband lines in the UK rose by 8.5% during 2012, the latest figures from Ofcom indicate
- There were 22.1 million connections in the UK at the end of Q4 2012; this was up from 20.4 million 12 months prior.
- There was a sharp rise in the number of fixed-line connections between September and December 2012.
- Average speeds have more than trebled since November 2008, when the mean was 3.6Mb.
- Average speeds for fibre connections increased by 9.4Mb to stand at 41Mb.
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Ofcom release Analysis of online copyright infringement
Ofcom has published further analysis of the first and second waves of the quarterly consumer research study into both lawful and unlawful access and use of copyrighted content online. A summary of the report will be send to the Liability Subgroup.
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Ofcom launches investigation into BT’s superfast broadband
The regulator Ofcom has launched a probe into whether BT Group is potentially abusing its dominant position when pricing its superfast broadband, following a complaint by its rival TalkTalk Telecom Group.
TalkTalk complained that there is not a large enough gap between the wholesale price and the rate at which BT sells the product to retail customers, squeezing margins for competitors. The issue is all the more pressing, TalkTalk have argued, because of the significant Government funds currently being allocated to build the network and the monopoly BT has.
The initial phase of the investigation is expect to last until Summer 2013, when Ofcom will announce an indicative updated timeline.
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Vaizey due to give evidence to DCMS Select Committee
In the tenth and final evidence session of the Committee’s inquiry into support for the creative economy, MPs will have the opportunity to question the Culture Minister Ed Vaizey MP and Viscount Younger of Leckie about implementation of the Digital Economy Act, creative industry tax reliefs and the progress British companies are making in securing business following the success of the Olympic Games.
ISPA will monitor and send an update if and when required.
Separately, the Earl of Clancarty has secured parliamentary time in the House of Lords to debate the significance of the arts and creative industries for the growth of the economy.
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Government adopts cloud first policy
The Cabinet Office has announced that Government departments buying IT products and services will now be obliged to consider solutions offered by cloud providers before they can consider alternatives.
Under the new ‘cloud first’ policy, Government departments will only be able to deviate from using cloud-based IT solutions where they can show that alternative offerings offer “better value for money” than the products and services available through the ‘CloudStore’ – an online marketplace for cloud IT services.
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Cyber
Government to publish ‘best practice’ for industry on cyber risks
The government has announced its intention to select and endorse an organisational standard that best meets the requirements for effective cyber risk management.
At present there are numerous standards and guidelines, as well as advisory bodies, which offer competition advice for companies. The consultation’s aim is to to offer clarity to the private sector and to publish one codified guideline.
Organisations are invited to offer their input by October 2013 at the latest.
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Children’s Minister updates Westminster on online safety strategy
The Children’s Minister Edward Timpson has provided MPs with several updates over the recess, and just prior, on the government’s priorties for child internet safety;
- UKCCIS is building on its 2012 paper to develop a model for predicting risk and vulnerability, and developing guidance for timely interventions to prevent harm to children online., and that the group will develop professional guidance for interventions to prevent harm to children online.
- Following a round table in January between the Culture Minister Ed Vaizey MP and five ISPs, the Government is set to announce further progress on parental controls imminently.
- UKCCIS, the Minister of State for Crime Prevention, Jeremy Browne MP, and the Culture Minister, Ed Vaizey MP, continue to challenge the industry to put in place systems that will reduce children’s access to harmful internet content.
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UK facing cyber skills shortage
The UK’s attempt to combat cyber-crime is being hampered by a lack of relevant skills, the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) has warned.
New research by the IET suggests that while cyber security threats are slowly gaining recognition among SMEs, they are only accorded a high priority by a minority of organisations and there is a clear need to raise both awareness and the protection of software embedded in their products.
Of the 250 companies surveyed for the research:
- Only 14 per cent said cyber security threats were the highest priority and already felt they had sufficient skills and resources in place to manage the threat.
- Only 30 per cent felt they had sufficient protection against potential threats to software embedded in their products.
The IET is leading several initiatives with the Chartered Institute for IT, Institute of Information Security Professionals, e-skills UK and the Information Assurance Advisory Council to develop schemes to provide sponsorship for cyber security MSc courses at UK universities.
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‘State sponsored’ cyber-attacks on the rise
The Home Affairs Select Committee held the latest evidence session in its inquiry on E-Crime two weeks ago. Witnesses included David Livingstone, Associate Fellow at Chatham House, and Dr Ian Brown, Associate Director of Oxford University’s Cyber Security Centre, both agreed that because the UK has “a mature digital economy” it has become a leading target for cyber-attacks. Whilst attributing cyber-attacks to a specific nation was difficult, it is increasingly common to see a level of sophistication in attacks that could only have been achieved through state sponsorship, Art Coviello, executive chairman of RSA told MPs.
There was also the added problem that private sector companies fail to report cyber-security breaches due to fear of a loss in corporate reputation. This is hampering attempts to collate information and formulate robust defences, the panel suggested.
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Consultation on mobile connectivity launched
The consultation sets out the government’s proposals to change planning regulations which are designed to speed up the roll-out of 4G throughout England. The proposals, which are a joint consultation from the departments of DCMS and the DCLG, are open to feedback until 14 June 2013.
