In this blog, we investigate what role current French Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton might play in the upcoming European Commission.
Supreme Court decision to overturn Chevron Deference signals shift in regulatory abilities
Written by Sameer Surti on 25 Jul 2024
On 28 June, the US Supreme Court overturned the ‘Chevron deference’, an administrative law principle allowing federal agencies to interpret and implement statutes with the understanding that federal courts would ultimately defer to those agencies’ interpretation of ambiguous laws. In this blog, we will go over the Supreme Court’s ruling and the implications it could have on the technology sector, with a particular focus on AI.
European Parliament gets to work
Written by Nathan Shepura on 23 Jul 2024
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has won a second five-year term. Her focus will be competitiveness, security and sustainability — defined less by green ideology than a push for clean industrialisation. With the European Parliament’s committees now formed, work will start in the autumn: to vet commissioners-designate, and vie for political control of the new programme. In this blog, we explore the key committees and committee members for the tech sector.
King’s Speech – the UK’s legislative programme for the tech, climate, and energy sectors
Written by Mitali Sud on 18 Jul 2024
On 17 July, King Charles III delivered the King's Speech, outlining the government's legislative programme for the new parliamentary session. The government has announced 40 bills which aim to unlock growth and ‘take the brakes off Britain’. This blog examines the proposals affecting the tech, climate, and energy sectors, and what business should expect as the government introduces legislation.
What does Labour’s election win mean for the tech, climate and clean energy sectors?
Written by Pia Doering on 05 Jul 2024
The electorate has given Labour the second-largest majority (after Tony Blair in 1997) in British parliamentary history since Clement Atlee led a Labour Government in 1945. While the result needs to be qualified by the low voter turnout (at an estimated 60%, it was the second-lowest in post-war history) and the low share of the vote that Labour obtained (at only approximately 34%), the size of its majority means the party will have a largely free hand in pushing its agenda through parliament. Now that the UK has a new Prime Minister, a new parliament, and, shortly, a new cabinet, we look at what Labour’s victory could mean for the tech as well as the climate and energy sectors.
What did the 2019-24 Parliament do for the tech sector?
Written by Matthew Niblett on 30 May 2024
In advance of the General Election on 4 July, Parliament has been formally dissolved. This Parliament, constituted following Boris Johnson’s landslide election victory in December 2019, has passed several pieces of important tech legislation, though some others have fallen by the wayside in the rush to finish business before dissolution. In this blog, we examine what the 2019-24 Parliament, and the government which commanded a majority within it, did for the tech sector.
Commission President candidates clash in "Spitzenkandidaten" debate
Written by Emma Vivian on 28 May 2024
In advance of the European Parliament elections between 6 and 9 June, the candidates from five of Europe's major political groupings debated one another across a wide range of issues, including the economy, the climate and the environment, and technology policy on 23 May 2024. This briefing provides a summary of the key points each candidate made during the debate.
New digital competition reforms receive royal assent
Written by Mitali Sud on 24 May 2024
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers (DMCC) Act establishes a new regime for digital competition in the UK. The Act also updates the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) powers to enforce existing competition law and resolve consumer disputes, and protects consumers from unfair commercial, subscription, prepayment and saving schemes. The Act received royal assent on 24 May. In this blog, we discuss the new ex-ante competition regime established by the Act and what companies should expect as the CMA begins to enforce the legislation. The blog examines how the UK general election might influence the enforcement timeline.
UK General Election - What happens now?
Written by Matthew Niblett on 22 May 2024
The prime minister has announced that he is calling a general election on 4 July. Here is what happens next.
TikTok Lite sparks EU concerns: A deep dive into digital addiction
Written by Emma Vivian on 20 May 2024
In the fast-paced world of social media, concerns about digital addiction are taking centre stage once again, with TikTok and Meta at the forefront of scrutiny.
Trilogue negotiations in the EU
Written by Emma Vivian on 18 Mar 2024
Three key EU institutions - the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Council of the European Union - walk into a room. It sounds like the start of a bad joke, but trust us, it's anything but! They're there to work through laws, policies, and regulations that impact the lives of over 500 million Europeans. In this blog, we're going to lift the curtain on trilogue negotiations and shed light on why this resolution is useful for the swift functioning of EU policy making.
New rules for streaming giants head into final Parliamentary stretch
Written by Matthew Niblett on 28 Feb 2024
The Media Bill is a broad piece of legislation which will, amongst other things, makes changes to the way in which video-on-demand services are regulated in the UK. On 28 February, the Media Bill will have its second reading in the House of Lords, having been passed by the House of Commons. In this blog, we discuss the implications the Media Bill will have for the video-on-demand sector in the UK, as well as the next steps.
Strategic Security in the EU: New Initiatives to Strengthen Economic Security
Written by Inline Policy on 06 Feb 2024
In the ever-changing global landscape marked by geopolitical tensions and technological shifts, the European Commission is fortifying the economic security of the European Union with a series of new initiatives.
2024: Key things to look out for in tech regulation
Written by Matthew Niblett on 09 Jan 2024
As political institutions slowly emerge from their Christmas hibernation, we look at the key unresolved issues in tech regulation in the UK and the EU.
AI Act: A Game Changer in the Tech World
Written by Inline Policy on 21 Dec 2023
After an intense three-day negotiation marathon, the European Parliament and the Council of the EUreached a provisional agreement on the much-anticipated EU AI Act on 8 December 2023. As the world’s first comprehensive legislation on artificial intelligence (AI), this marks a pivotal moment in global AI regulation. With a risk-based approach, the AI Act introduces a structured approach to AI oversight, tailoring regulations to the complexity and capability of various AI systems.
The UK Government's proposals to regulate cryptocurrency and stablecoins
Written by Matthew Niblett on 24 Nov 2023
In November 2023 the UK Government outlined its regulatory intentions for the cryptocasset industry. In this blog, we summarise the UK Government’s plans for the future regulation of cryptoassets and explain the next steps.
Online Safety Act: What happens now?
Written by Pia Doering on 03 Nov 2023
The Online Safety Bill was introduced in March 2022 to make the UK the ‘safest place in the world to be online’. After a long journey through Parliament, the Bill passed its final parliamentary stages on Tuesday 19 September and was granted royal assent on 26 October 2023, meaning it is now enshrined in law as the Online Safety Act (OSA). However, companies will not have to comply with most of the Act’s provisions immediately. Rather, many details are yet to be set out via secondary legislation and guidance. In this blog post, we take a look at the next steps under the UK’s new online safety regime.
Strategic Security in the Digital Age: The EU’s Deep Dive into Critical Technologies
Written by Inline Policy on 27 Oct 2023
The European Union’s economic framework has for a long time been underpinned by advances in technology. Yet, in our rapidly evolving digital era, innovation may in some cases pose a threat to economic security. The European Commission has therefore announced that it will undertake in-depth risk assessments across a number of critical technologies. While this initiative pivots on reducing tech vulnerabilities, it also encompasses geopolitics, strategic partnerships, and safeguarding the EU’s economic interests.
The pre-legislative phase: How is policy made in the UK?
Written by Matthew Niblett on 24 Aug 2023
This is one of a series of blogs on how public policy is made in the UK. In this first blog, we look at how policies are created and what happens before they are brought to Parliament as a legislative bill.
What potholes prevent America's smooth transition to electric vehicles?
Written by Sameer Surti on 18 Aug 2023
The US has witnessed a rapid increase in electric vehicles (EVs) in recent years. In this blog, we will examine the recent actions the US has taken to encourage EV usage and then discuss some challenges the US faces in continuing this growth.