HouseOfCommons
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UK asks Facebook to try harder in Russia-Brexit investigation
The end of 2017 saw Facebook launch an investigation into Russia's use of the social network to influence the EU Referendum, aka Brexit. The company didn't find anything nefarious, but the House of Commons asked that it continue its probe. Now, Facebook has delivered its findings -- again suggesting no foul play -- and UK officials remain unsatisfied with the conclusion.
Hackers target UK parliament email accounts
After a report from The London Times that the email addresses and passwords of British cabinet members and other government officials were being traded by Russian hackers, it looks like the inevitable next step has occurred: a cyberattack on the UK parliament.
UK MPs propose heavy fines for social networks that don't tackle abuse
Although the government is looking to curb the rise of social media abuse by introducing tougher penalties for online trolls, companies like Facebook and Twitter currently don't face much pressure over the policing of their platforms. That could soon change, after Labour MP Anna Turley issued a new proposal calling for communications regulator Ofcom to impose fines up to £2 million for social networks who don't adequately prevent threatening content appearing on their services.
UK MPs launch inquiry into the impact of 'fake news'
What is fake news? That's a question that Facebook has been trying to answer for months, but it's now becoming the subject of a UK parliamentary inquiry. The House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee confirmed today that it will launch an investigation into the "growing phenomenon" of fake news in a bid to define exactly what it is, who is impacted by it and the threat it poses to democracy.
Investigatory Powers Bill gets vote of approval from MPs
The Investigatory Powers Bill passed its latest milestone yesterday, as the proposed surveillance legislation passed through the House of Commons. MPs voted overwhelmingly in favour of the bill, with 444 ayes to only 69 noes. In the run-up to the vote, Shadow Home Secretary Andy Burnham voiced several concerns, saying the draft law needed "significant improvement" before his support was guaranteed. The Home Office did manage to secure the Labour Party vote, however, thanks to several concessions on its part, including submitting to an independent review of untargeted, bulk surveillance powers.
Every UK House of Commons member is getting an iPad
When the UK's Members of Parliament get down to work following the election in May, they'll have more than just a new government on their hands -- they'll have a tablet, too. The Parliamentary tech team is handing out cellular-equipped iPad Air 2 units to all 650 House of Commons MPs so that they have a secure way to do business wherever they are. While 209 of them already had iPads, this move makes them standard issue.
UK government receptive to bill that would pardon Alan Turing
Many in the UK recognize Alan Turing's contributions to computing as we know it, but attempts to obtain a pardon for the conviction that tragically cut short his career have thus far been unsuccessful. There's a new glimmer of hope, however: government whip Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon says that the current leadership has "great sympathy" for a bill that would pardon Turing. As long as no one calls for amendments, the legislation should clear Parliament's House of Lords by late October and reach the House of Commons soon afterward. While there's no guarantee that the measure will ultimately pass, the rare level of endorsement suggests that Turing's name could soon be cleared.
Britain Parliament considering iPads for all members
That glow you see coming from the House of Commons in London may be the glow of new iPads. The BBC reports that a Commons Administration Committee has recommended a rollout of iPads and other tablet computers to save the British taxpayer money. At present, every member of Parliament gets three desktop computers and two laptops for office use, so as you can imagine, things get expensive quickly. But with iPads for everyone, the committee says it'll be easier to get work done and to save paper. Some Members of Parliament participated in a trial use of tablets, and the results were positive. Several different brands of tablets were used by 16 Members of Parliament and it was noted that the iPad was "ahead of the field in terms of functionality." Parliament rules were changed last year to allow MPs to use iPads or BlackBerrys in the Commons chamber.
