ofcom

Latest

UK regulator fines 4chan for ignoring Online Safety Act demands
Ofcom has slapped 4chan with a £20,000 ($26,700) fine for failing to comply with the internet and telecommunications regulator's request for information under the UK's Online Safety Act of 2023.
People in the UK now have to take an age verification selfie to watch porn online
The UK will start checking compliance with its Online Safety Act, which requires strict age verification before users can access pornographic sites.
Wikipedia's owner challenges categorization rules under UK's Online Safety Act
The Wikimedia Foundation is challenging the categorization methodologies of the UK's internet regulators.
The UK could greenlight direct-to-phone satellite services this year
The nation's regulator sees it complementing existing coverage in remote areas.
UK internet watchdog gives social media companies three months to improve safety or face huge fines
It follows passage of the Online Safety Act.
The UK could require facial scans or photo IDs to view online porn
Ofcom has published a draft of age-restriction guidelines for online services that host explicit sexual content in the UK. The not yet finalized recommendations are a step toward cementing enforcement for the recently passed Online Safety Act, which requires sites and apps to prevent children from easily accessing adult content.
Microsoft will sell Activision Blizzard streaming rights to Ubisoft in attempt to win UK approval
Microsoft is significantly restructuring its Activision Blizzard merger proposal by selling cloud gaming rights for Activision Blizzard games to rival Ubisoft.
UK competition watchdog says Microsoft’s Activision merger ‘could harm’ gamers
UK's competition authority has found that Microsoft's proposed $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard could "harm UK gamers."
Big tech companies to face UK probes over cloud service, messenger and smart speaker dominance
Ofcom wants to ensure there's healthy competition in various digital markets.
Facebook, Google and other tech firms must verify identities under proposed UK law
The UK government is introducing a bill that will require Facebook, Google and other tech platforms to verify the identities of users.
UK will ban mobile carriers from selling locked handsets in 2021
Mobile operators in the UK will be banned from selling smartphones locked to their networks, according to the regulator Ofcom.
UK internet providers will lift data caps during COVID-19 pandemic
The UK is echoing others in lifting internet restrictions to keep people online during the COVID-19 pandemic. Major telecoms like BT/EE, Openreach and Virgin Media have struck an agreement that will remove "all" data caps on current landline broadband services. Mobile and fixed providers also have to offer "generous" new packages to help people stay connected (particularly the vulnerable), such as data boosts at lower prices and free calls.
UK wants telecoms regulator to police social media companies
The UK government wants to put Ofcom in charge of regulating social media. Digital secretary Nicky Morgan and home secretary Priti Patel said they were "minded" to appoint the watchdog due to its experience and "proven track record" overseeing the UK's media and telecommunications industries. It would also avoid regulatory fragmentation, Patel and Morgan said, and be quicker to set up than a new regulator. Ofcom will be granted new powers to carry out its expanded responsibilities, which will cover any platform that hosts user-generated content, including comments and forum posts. It's safe to assume that social media giants including Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and TikTok will be in its cross-hairs, then.
UK plans to ban sales of locked mobile phones
The UK's communications regulator is proposing a rule to ban carriers from selling phones that are tied to their networks. O2, Sky, Three, Virgin Mobile and some smaller carriers already offer unlocked phones, but Ofcom wants the likes of BT Mobile/EE, Tesco Mobile and Vodafone to do the same. It's also seeking better clarity for customers about whether their handset is locked.
UK lords call for central 'Digital Authority' to help regulate internet
The UK govenment's demand for stricter regulation of internet companies is only growing louder. A report from a House of Lords committee has called for the creation of a central "Digital Authority" that would watch over all the efforts to regulate the technology world, particularly online giants. While the new body would largely let individual organizations (such as Ofcom and ICO) do their work, it would coordinate those larger efforts and recommend "additional powers" if there are significant problems.
UK public broadcasters want top billing on streaming services
As streaming services and set-top boxes continue to creep up on traditional TV, public service broadcasters (PSBs) in the UK are worried about being left behind. The heads of ITV, BBC, Channel 4 and Channel 5 are urging the government to require tech companies to give them prominent placement within on-demand services.
UK to let Brits tear up broadband contracts over slow speeds
There are so many factors that can affect home broadband speeds, the "up to" figures providers like to throw around are tantamount to guesswork. UK telecoms regulator Ofcom isn't a great fan of inaccurate claims, so it's forcing ISPs to change how they communicate speeds to potential customers. Companies have a whole year -- until March 1st, 2019 -- to prepare for the new rules. When they come into force, though, ISPs will be required to provide realistic speeds a customer can expect at their specific address at peak times, as well as a guaranteed minimum speed. What's more, if speeds drop below that minimum, companies have 30 days to rectify the shortfall or customers can walk away from their contracts without incurring early exit penalties.
Three and EE lose High Court fight over 5G spectrum auction
Ofcom has fended off two legal challenges that threatened to delay the UK's next mobile spectrum auction. Three and BT-owned EE had filed separate complaints over a proposed bidding war that was scheduled to take place later this year. Three argues that Ofcom should be stricter with its spectrum caps, limiting EE's spending power and potential allocation, while BT believes that there should be no restrictions whatsoever. The High Court disagreed with both today, believing that Ofcom had done its homework and properly modelled how different caps would affect the outcome of the bid and, subsequently, consumer choice in the UK.
Switching mobile operators could soon begin with a text
Ofcom has introduced new rules that should make it easier to switch mobile networks in the UK. At the moment, cancelling a contract and setting up a new one is complicated and time consuming, especially if you want to keep your old number. You have to ring both providers, settle any outstanding debts and then try to wrangle a single switchover date — otherwise you're double-paying for a while, or going without a phone for a few days. To fix the problem, Ofcom is introducing an "auto-switch" system that forces providers to sort out the finer details on their own.
Ofcom pressured to fix lingering mobile not-spots
Last week, Ofcom published its annual assessment of UK mobile and broadband coverage. It was generally positive: so-called "superfast" internet (classified as 30Mbit/s download speeds or higher) is now available in 91 percent of homes, up from 89 percent last year. Similarly, mobile coverage has risen across the UK. But in a scathing letter, Lord Andrew Adonis, chairman of the National Infrastructure Commission, has called on the regulator to draft an action plan "for radically improving mobile coverage in the short to medium term." In short, he believes progress is too slow and carriers should be pressured to do more.

...