UK
In short: Ofcom chair 2026: The government confirmed Sir Ian Cheshire as Chair of Ofcom on 3 June 2026, after the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee endorsed him at a pre-appointment hearing on 20 May 2026 and urged him to deepen his grasp of online safety. He succeeds Lord Grade, whose term ended in April…
Quick answer. Gamma Communications confirmed preliminary takeover talks on 7 April 2026, opening an offer period under the City Code and putting the GBP 645.8 million channel-led UCaaS and SIP trunking provider in play. This reaches Gamma’s 3,000-plus channel partners, competing operators, and PE investors using the process as a sector valuation benchmark, with a…
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) opened consultation on 27 February 2026 on draft updated guidance for the research, archiving and statistics (RAS) provisions of UK data protection law. Responses close on 27 April 2026. The commercial novelty for controllers running long-lived datasets, AI training sets or public-interest archives is the new disproportionate effort exemption in…
UK fibre consolidation is splitting into two paths. On the happy path, a well-positioned altnet is bought at a premium by a scaled acquirer, as in nexfibre’s agreement to acquire the Substantial Group, the parent of Netomnia and YouFibre, announced in February 2026 and analysed in our earlier note, UK Fibre Consolidation: What the Nexfibre…
From 15 July 2026, BNPL firms must hold FCA authorisation or rely on the Temporary Permissions Regime. What PS26/1 and SI 2025/859 require now.
Ofcom confirmed its three-stage copper retirement framework in the TAR 2026-31. The second threshold consultation closes 12 May 2026. What operators and wholesale access purchasers need to know about the stop sell, charge control removal and full copper withdrawal timeline.
The PSR FCA consolidation transfers all PSR functions to the FCA. What changes for payment service providers, scheme participants, and payment system operators.
Three models for legal support compared. When a fractional general counsel is the right answer for telecoms, fintech and data businesses in the regulatory perimeter.
The CMA enforces UK competition law, controls mergers, investigates markets and regulates digital platforms. Guide to CMA powers, penalties and the new SMS regime.
The DUAA 2025 introduces recognised legitimate interests as a new UK GDPR lawful basis. Analysis of the five Annex 1 purposes, the distinction from standard legitimate interests, UK/EU divergence, and commercial implications for data-driven businesses.
Ofcom opened a formal investigation into X over Grok AI deepfake imagery. The first major Online Safety Act enforcement action against a global platform tests the full range of OSA powers, from fines to business disruption measures.
Agentic AI payments raise an unresolved question in UK payments law: can an AI agent give valid consent under PSRs 2017 Reg 67? Analysis of the regulatory gap and what it means for fintechs and payment institutions.