DCMS
Latest
UK regulator will have the power to impose steep fines on Big Tech
The UK's Big Tech regulator has been given extensive powers, including the ability to slap companies with large fines.
UK will investigate NVIDIA's purchase of ARM over security concerns (updated)
The UK is reportedly investigating the security implications of NVIDIA's ARM buyout, suggesting it's not fully satisfied with the merger.
UK’s porn age verification law to go into effect on July 15th
Following numerous delays, the UK's age verification law for pornography sites will finally go into effect on July 15, according to the government. Under the law, people in the UK will have to go the extra mile to prove that they are over 18 years old in order to access online pornographic material. Checking a box or typing in your birthday will no longer suffice; users will have to enter their credit card, passport number, mobile phone number or buy an age verification pass from a local shop.
UK to review online trolling laws
Over the last nine months, the UK government has looked at various ways to make the internet safer for people across Britain. In October 2017, culture secretary Karen Bradley published an Internet Safety Green Paper, which discussed a voluntary levy on major social media companies to fund awareness and preventative activity against online trolls and in turn help users report threatening behaviour. Today, the Prime Minister -- supported by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport -- announced a new independent review "to make the UK the safest place to be online." It'll seek to clarify whether current laws are effectively treating online and offline behaviour the same.
Britain's film board to enforce online porn age checks
The UK government is inching closer to a new piece of legislation that will require porn sites to introduce age checks. Such an idea has been kicking around for well over two years, but finally the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) seems ready to implement it. An amendment to the Digital Economy Bill will give the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) the power to block sites that fail to abide by the new rule. Should they find a porn provider breaking the law, they'll be able to contact ISPs, including mobile networks, and request that they restrict access.
