A wealth of new laws that will unleash competition in digital
markets, prevent spam calls and foster innovation in emerging
technologies like machine learning have been announced as part of
the government’s legislative agenda in the King’s Speech.
As part of the yearly speech to the House of Lords, which sets
out the government’s legislative agenda for this parliamentary
session, King Charles III set out the carry-over of the Digital
Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill and the Data Protection
and Digital Information Bill to continue their progress into the
next parliamentary term, which the Department for Science,
Innovation and Technology is delivering.
Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary said:
Today’s King’s Speech is a win for businesses and consumers, with
our vital legislation set to unlock billions of pounds of
benefits to business and tackle issues like nuisance calls that
have plagued the public for too long.
It is an overwhelming show of support for driving innovation and
growth across the country too. Our digital markets law will make
sure every tech start-up has the opportunity to succeed, fuelling
the engines of economic growth by opening doors for British firms
to unleash innovation across the globe.
Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill
The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill will secure
better outcomes for consumers and businesses by driving
innovation and addressing the root causes of competition issues
in digital markets, seeking to better level the playing field
across the technology sector.
As part of the Bill, a Digital Markets Unit (DMU) within the Competition and
Markets Authority will be given new powers to address the
far-reaching power of a small number of tech companies. This
market dominance has stifled innovation and growth across the
economy, holding back start-ups and smaller firms from accessing
markets and consumers.
Data Protection and Digital Information Bill
The King’s Speech also made reference to the Data Protection and
Digital Information Bill, which will see tougher punishments for
those who pester people with unwanted calls and messages. In
2022, there were around 59,800 reports of nuisance communications
made to the Information Commissioner, but these new measures are
expected to slash the number of calls being made.
The Bill sets out common-sense data laws that will give
organisations greater flexibility to protect personal data, while
maintaining high data protection standards. The legal changes
will improve the UK’s ability to strike international data deals
and make these partnerships more secure, allowing British
businesses to seize billions of pounds of data trade as a reward
of Brexit.
The reforms to UK data laws also aim to reduce the number of
consent pop-ups people see online, which repeatedly ask users to
give permission for websites to collect data about their visits.
The Bill will also make it easier and quicker for people to
verify their identity digitally, if they want to - reducing the
need to carry around ID such
as passports and drivers’ licences by establishing a framework
for the use of trusted and secure digital verification services.
Other announcements
Plans to introduce a new legal framework to encourage innovation
in new technologies such as machine learning was also announced,
helping to drive new and emerging technologies which will boost
jobs and grow the economy.
Plans to introduce a new legal framework to encourage innovation
in new technologies such as machine learning was also announced,
helping to drive new and emerging technologies which will boost
jobs and grow the economy.
A new Criminal Justice Bill led by the Home Office was also
announced that will ensure people who take intimate images of
others.
This will build on the Online Safety Act, which last month
received Royal Assent and made it easier to convict someone who
shares intimate images without consent and new laws will further
criminalise the non-consensual sharing of intimate deepfakes. The
change in laws also now make it easier to charge abusers who
share intimate images and put more offenders behind bars.
Criminals found guilty of this base offence will face up to 6
months in prison, but those who threaten to share such images, or
shares them with the intent to cause distress, alarm or
humiliation, or to obtain sexual gratification, could face up to
two years behind bars.
