REUTERS | Henry Romero
January 17, 2017

Brexit and GDPR readiness: getting engaged before 31 January 2017

Don’t panic!  The date for compliance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has not been brought forward.  But one GDPR-related deadline is approaching fast.

Following Theresa May’s speech today, announcing the UK’s trajectory towards a so-called “clean and hard” Brexit, we’d be forgiven for not seeing the value in investing heavily in any EU consultation exercise such as the one currently being conducted by the Article 29 Data Protection Working Party (WP29).  This consultation is in respect of the guidelines the WP29 has recently adopted on data portability, data protection officers and identifying lead supervisory authority (see also Practical Law Data Protection legal update). Continue reading →

REUTERS | Maxim Shemetov
January 3, 2017

Where are we now on artificial intelligence?

For decades, Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) has served as an inspiration for Hollywood’s latest heroes and bleakest dystopian futures. More recently, AI systems have taken on the role of personal assistants: our phones and computers, cars and planes, homes and cities, they are all powered to an ever increasing extent by AI systems. Even your TV remote will soon understand when you speak to it.

In most of these cases, the instructions given to the AI system are within the confines of human predictability, based on an individual’s consent or what can be deemed to be the data controller’s legitimate interest. The assumption is that AI systems use personal data to make things easier and that individuals should be able to choose how their data is used. Continue reading →

REUTERS | Vasily Fedosenko
December 23, 2016

UK Government: GDPR the central plank in cyber risk management strategy

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has just published its Cyber Security Regulation and Incentives Review which considers whether there is a need for additional regulation or incentives to boost cyber risk management in the UK economy.

The Review brings to fruition an in-depth consultation with a wide range of businesses, industry partners and stakeholders, and evidence from a wide range of sources, and forms part of the Government’s £1.9 billion strategy to protect the UK in cyber space.  Continue reading →

REUTERS | Michaela Rehle
December 22, 2016

Key messages from the CBI’s “Making a Success of Brexit” report

“Brexit means Brexit – and we’re going to make a success of it”

Theresa May’s words on 31 August may have been mocked in some quarters but the UK business community is committed to making the best of the risks and opportunities Brexit will throw at the UK, according to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), which published its ‘Making a Success of Brexit’ report yesterday. Continue reading →

REUTERS | Kevin Lamarque
December 16, 2016

GDPR: first lines of attack on the new data processor compliance obligations

One of the big horizon issues exercising in-house lawyers is the raft of new compliance obligations which will be directly enforceable against data processors under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which ministers have confirmed will apply from 25 May 2018.  The new framework will have an impact upon any business activities that make use of data processors, as the new requirements fundamentally change the relationship between data controllers and data processors. Continue reading →

REUTERS | Fadi Al-Assaad
December 6, 2016

Beyond Section 54: insights into Modern Slavery Act compliance best practice and more from the Trust Women Conference 2016

Following on from my colleague, Lynsey Poulton’s blog post last week on section 54 Modern Slavery Act statements, I wanted to report back on the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s Trust Women Conference which took place last week.  The event offered a real opportunity to gather some expert insights on corporate compliance at ground level in this rapidly developing area. Continue reading →