Insights from Inline Policy listing page
Social media companies increasingly find themselves in the regulatory, legal and political firing line. Across the UK, the direction of travel is clear; we expect more regulation in the coming months, particularly around restricting access to children, age-assurance mechanisms, recommender systems and the design of online services. At the same time, Ofcom is moving into a more active enforcement phase of the Online Safety Act, and other digital regulators are ramping up their scrutiny of social-media firms.
The promise of AI has already resulted in massive amounts of investment and spending, leading to huge valuations for firms seen as well-positioned to capitalise on the boom. The root of this innovation is in software development and the continuous refinement of algorithms. But what does the focus on software mean for physical hardware and associated supply chains? Using the example of the credit-card-sized Raspberry Pi computer, this blog argues that supply chains are very much here to stay — and as important as ever.
As the UK prepares for a new Labour leader and prime minister, the focus is already shifting to devolution, regional power and promoting growth across the country. Devolution is a priority for longtime Manchester mayor and newly elected MP Andy Burnham, who will likely succeed Sir Keir Starmer at Number 10 next week; we expect the new government to build quickly on devolution and the new powers following the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act.
This blog looks at the UK government’s discussions and actions around online safety over the past year, sketching out the main factors influencing its policy direction.
Throughout March and early April 2026, rumours swirled that leading AI firm Anthropic was developing a tool with unprecedented cyber capabilities. Early indications suggested it would be able to identify — and potentially exploit — technological vulnerabilities in ways not only highly sophisticated but impossible to anticipate through traditional cybersecurity paradigms. Some speculated this would spell the doom of entire swathes of the $200bn+ global cybersecurity industry, or even upend the traditional financial systems on which incalculable numbers of people depend.
With big pieces of tech policy pending this year — from the UK’s proposed digital ID framework to an under-16 social media ban and the EU’s forthcoming Digital Fairness Act — public consultations are again in the spotlight.
In the US, a growing number of lawsuits against social media platforms are being brought forward by young people and bereaved parents. The claimants argue social media giants like YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram have contributed to the deterioration of young people’s mental health and wellbeing — even leading, in some cases, to death.
At the end of last year, the UK government announced plans for new laws to clamp down on ticket reselling, citing widespread concern that fans are being ripped off by excessive mark-ups and opaque pricing practices. The proposals sit alongside wider reforms to UK consumer law designed to respond to digital markets, online platforms and new pricing technologies.
A few years now after the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA) and UK’s Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Act (DMCCA) have passed, regulators are beginning to challenge the behaviour of tech giants. But tech giants are pushing back — raising an important question: are they too large for legislation?
Digital ID is a hot topic. Is it mandatory? Who would make it? How could the government secure the data?
The role of women in tech has been making headlines recently. From the gender gap in the industry to the online abuse faced by women and girls, the challenges are increasingly visible. But so, too, are the opportunities — especially as greater inclusivity has been shown to drive innovation and growth.
This blog explores what plans to regulate gig-economy work could look like in the UK, suggesting examples officials might look to and the challenges they will face.
In this blog, we investigate what role current French Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton might play in the upcoming European Commission.
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.
