Britain‘s new online safety regime officially took effect on Monday, compelling social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok to combat criminal activity and prioritise safer design. Media regulator Ofcom introduced the first codes of practice aimed at tackling illegal harms, including child sexual abuse and content encouraging suicide. Platforms have until March 16, 2025, to assess the risks of harmful content and implement measures like enhanced moderation, easier reporting, and built-in safety tests.
Ofcom’s Chief Executive, Melanie Dawes, emphasised that tech companies are now under scrutiny to meet strict safety standards. Failure to comply after the deadline could result in fines of up to £18 million ($22.3 million) or 10% of a company’s global revenue. Britain’s Technology Secretary Peter Kyle described the new rules as a significant shift in online safety, pledging full support for regulatory enforcement, including potential site blocks.
The Online Safety Act, enacted last year, sets rigorous requirements for platforms to protect children and remove illegal content. High-risk sites must employ automated tools like hash-matching to detect child sexual abuse material. More safety regulations are expected in the first half of 2025, marking a major step in the UK’s fight for safer online spaces.
A pioneering NHS trust in Hull and East Yorkshire is harnessing AI to enhance its chronic respiratory illness care. The Lenus COPD support system, introduced in March 2023, has already reduced hospital visits by 40% and aims for even greater improvements with the integration of AI.
The app enables patients to monitor their symptoms through regular self-assessments and offers direct messaging to NHS clinics. AI will soon analyse the collected data to identify patterns and potential triggers, enabling earlier interventions to prevent hospitalisation.
Professor Mike Crooks, who leads the service, emphasised the proactive nature of the system. The AI-driven insights allow clinics to deliver timely care, helping patients stabilise their health before conditions worsen.
Patients like Ruth, diagnosed with COPD at just 14, report transformative results. Frequent hospital visits have become a rarity, and the app has provided her with a reliable lifeline for clinical support.
Social media platforms operating in the UK have been given until March 2025 to identify and mitigate illegal content on their services or risk fines of up to 10% of their global revenue. The warning comes as the Online Safety Act (OSA) begins to take effect, with Ofcom, the regulator, releasing final guidelines on tackling harmful material, including child sexual abuse, self-harm promotion, and extreme violence.
Dame Melanie Dawes, Ofcom’s chief, described this as the industry’s “last chance” to reform. “If platforms fail to act, we will take enforcement measures,” she warned, adding that public pressure for stricter action could grow. Companies must conduct risk assessments by March, focusing on how such material appears and devising ways to block its spread.
While hailed as a step forward, critics argue the law leaves gaps in child safety measures. The Molly Rose Foundation and NSPCC have expressed concerns about the lack of targeted action on harmful content in private messaging and self-harm imagery. Despite these criticisms, the UK government views the Act as a reset of societal expectations for tech firms, aiming to ensure a safer online environment.
Google has successfully defended itself against a revived privacy lawsuit in the UK concerning the transfer of patient data from the Royal Free London NHS Trust. The legal case, brought by patient Andrew Prismall on behalf of 1.6 million individuals, alleged that the data shared with Google’s AI division, DeepMind Technologies, was misused.
The Royal Free NHS Trust had transferred the data in 2015 to assist in developing an AI app designed to detect kidney injuries. Although Britain’s Information Commissioner’s Office ruled in 2017 that the data-sharing arrangement violated privacy laws, a subsequent lawsuit against Google and DeepMind was dismissed last year due to insufficient grounds.
On Wednesday, the Court of Appeal upheld this dismissal, rejecting Prismall’s attempt to challenge the earlier ruling. Google has not commented on the outcome, which closes a high-profile chapter in the debate over privacy and technology’s role in healthcare.
Dianne Covey, a 69-year-old retired hospital worker from Farncombe, credits an AI tool with helping to save her life after it helped diagnose her lung cancer in a few hours. She visited her GP with a persistent cough, and her chest X-ray was analysed by Annalise.ai, a technology that flags abnormalities for urgent review. The swift diagnosis caught her cancer at Stage 1, offering a positive prognosis.
‘I never really understood artificial intelligence, but now I think it might have saved my life,’ said Ms. Covey. ‘The early diagnosis has given me a second chance at life.’ She is the first patient at the Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust to benefit from the AI system, which prioritises X-rays needing immediate attention and enhances accuracy by identifying tiny anomalies often missed in manual reviews.
The Annalise.ai tool is currently being used across five UK NHS trusts in Surrey, Sussex, and Frimley, enabling radiographers to streamline cancer diagnoses. By accelerating and refining the diagnostic process, this technology has the potential to revolutionise early detection, giving countless patients a fighting chance against life-threatening diseases.
Luke Littler, a 17-year-old darts sensation, has made history as the youngest player to reach the World Darts Championship final and later became Google’s most-searched athlete in the UK for 2024. Dubbed “The Nuke,” Littler’s breakout year began with a record-setting performance in January and culminated in major victories, including the Grand Slam of Darts and the Premier League Darts title.
His meteoric rise saw him ranked fourth globally and trending higher on Google than figures like the prime minister and the King. Littler’s nine-dart finish at the Bahrain Darts Masters and his string of high-profile wins captured global attention, drawing millions of viewers and sparking widespread online interest.
Reflecting on his remarkable success, Littler said, “It’s been an amasing year for me personally and for darts as a sport. Being recognised in Google’s Year in Search is a huge honor and shows how much the sport is growing.” His achievements highlight a banner year for young athletes breaking boundaries and captivating audiences worldwide.
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has approved the merger between Vodafone and Three, two of the country’s largest telecom operators, in a $19 billion deal. The merger, which has faced intense scrutiny, was initially investigated due to concerns over potential price hikes, reduced services, and lower investments in mobile networks. However, the CMA approved the deal with conditions to address these concerns, including commitments for significant investment in a nationwide 5G network.
The companies must also cap mobile tariffs for the next three years and maintain contractual terms for mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) during that period. The CMA’s decision marks a shift from previous cases where “4-3” mergers in the telecom sector were allowed only with significant structural changes. This approval is seen as a pragmatic approach, with the CMA confident that competition will be strengthened by a well-resourced trio of mobile operators in the UK.
Vodafone’s CEO, Margherita Della Valle, welcomed the approval, emphasising the benefits for consumers and businesses, including wider coverage and faster mobile speeds. The merger is expected to accelerate the UK’s position in European telecommunications, with a combined investment in the sector. The CMA and Ofcom will oversee the implementation of the agreed measures to ensure competition is maintained.
Qatar has announced a £1 billion investment in UK climate technology, a move that will benefit companies like Rolls-Royce in their push toward sustainable energy solutions. The funding will support projects that enhance energy efficiency, develop sustainable fuels, and reduce carbon emissions, alongside fostering startups in green energy and carbon management.
The announcement coincides with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s state visit to Great Britain, during which he met Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The investment is expected to generate thousands of jobs and bolster economic ties between the nations. Rolls-Royce CEO Tufan Erginbilgic welcomed Qatar as a strategic partner, underscoring the shared commitment to advancing climate-friendly technologies.
Qatar, already a major investor in Britain, holds stakes in assets like Canary Wharf and Heathrow Airport. The collaboration aligns with Starmer’s aim to drive UK economic growth through partnerships with wealthy investors to fund infrastructure and energy projects.
Microsoft is facing a £1 billion legal claim in the UK, alleging it imposed unfair licensing fees on businesses using rival cloud services like Amazon, Google, and Alibaba. The case, brought by competition lawyer Maria Luisa Stasi, accuses Microsoft of deterring customers from using competing cloud platforms by inflating fees for its Windows Server software.
The licensing changes, introduced in 2020, reportedly incentivised customers to choose Microsoft’s Azure platform, raising concerns about restricted competition. Britain’s competition watchdog is also scrutinising Microsoft’s cloud practices as part of a broader industry investigation.
The United StatesFederal Trade Commission has similarly launched an antitrust probe into Microsoft’s cloud computing and software licensing, investigating potential market abuse. Microsoft’s actions have sparked global attention over its influence in the cloud sector, which is dominated by Microsoft, Amazon, and Google.
Hostile cyber activity targeting the UK has surged, with incidents increasing by 16% in 2024 compared to the previous year. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) reported handling 430 incidents, up from 371 in 2023. Of these, 347 involved data exfiltration, while 20 were linked to ransomware, underscoring the growing risks.
Richard Horne from the NCSC revealed that adversaries are exploiting society’s reliance on technology to maximise disruption. The centre issued 542 notifications to affected organisations, more than doubling the number of alerts from the previous year. Critical infrastructure sectors such as energy, transport, and health remain particularly vulnerable to ransomware attacks.
The annual review from the NCSC emphasised the evolving nature of threats, warning of the potential for AI to enhance cyberattack complexity. Officials also noted that the risks posed by state actors and cybercriminals remain underestimated. Horne urged against complacency, highlighting the severity of both immediate and long-term dangers.
Efforts to counter these threats are intensifying, but experts stress the importance of strengthening defences and maintaining vigilance as the cyber landscape becomes increasingly hostile.
