How the Sausage Is Made (and Why “AI-Native” Is the New Snake Oil)
AI in legal practice accelerates research and drafting but cannot replace judgment. Why the AI-native law firm pitch misleads clients about what they are actually buying.
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UK Telecoms Security: Ofcom’s Latest Report Exposes Compliance Gaps as the Code of Practice Evolves
Ofcom’s second telecoms security report reveals that half of UK Tier 1 providers are failing on supply chain security, equipment testing and identity management. With DSIT proposing new Code of Practice measures extending to 2028, providers face a widening compliance challenge.
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Ofcom v X: The Online Safety Act Gets Its Defining Enforcement Test
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.
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ICO Enforcement Guidance: Settlements, Discounts and the New Enforcement Playbook
The ICO has consulted on draft enforcement procedural guidance introducing a formal settlement procedure with penalty discounts of up to 40%, compulsory interview powers and approved person reports under the DUAA 2025.
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Satellite Direct to Device: Ofcom Opens Mobile Spectrum to Space
Rob Bratby, Managing Partner | Last updated: March 2026 Ofcom has authorised satellite direct to device services in UK mobile spectrum bands for the first time. The Wireless Telegraphy (Direct to Device Satellite Communications) (Exemption) Regulations 2026, which came into force on 25 February 2026, exempt handsets and SIM-enabled devices from the licensing requirement under…
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Agentic AI and Payments: Can an AI Agent Consent to a Payment?
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.
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FCA Safeguarding: Six Weeks to the Supplementary Regime
FCA safeguarding reform is now weeks away from taking effect. The FCA published its Payments Regulatory Priorities report on 25 March 2026, confirming that keeping customers’ money safe remains its primary concern for the payments sector. The message to payment institutions and electronic money institutions is direct: the Safeguarding Supplementary Regime takes effect on 7…
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The Payments Forward Plan: A Three-Year Roadmap for UK Payments Regulation
On 26 February 2026, the Payments Vision Delivery Committee published the Payments Forward Plan, the first coordinated regulatory roadmap for UK payments since the National Payments Vision in November 2024. The Plan sets out what the Bank of England, the FCA, the PSR and HM Treasury intend to do across retail payments, wholesale payments and…
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Copyright and AI: The Government Steps Back from a Training Exception
Quick answer. The UK government confirmed on 18 March 2026 that it will not introduce a broad copyright exception for AI training. Instead, the existing copyright framework applies: AI developers must obtain licences to use copyrighted works for training, unless a specific existing exception (such as non-commercial research under section 29A CDPA 1988) applies. The…
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When is a Data Subject Access Request Abusive? The CJEU Draws the Line in Brillen Rottler
On 19 March 2026, the Court of Justice of the European Union handed down its judgment in Case C-526/24 Brillen Rottler, ruling that even a first-ever data subject access request can be refused as “excessive” under Article 12(5) of the EU GDPR where the controller demonstrates it was made with abusive intent. The decision matters…
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Ofcom’s Plan of Work 2026/27: What It Means for Telecoms Investment and Transactions
Ofcom’s Plan of Work 2026/27 shapes telecoms investment, altnet consolidation and compliance. Analysis of what it means for operators and dealmakers.
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UK Fibre Consolidation: What the Nexfibre Deal, the SSP and the Access Review Mean for Transactions
The Nexfibre-Netomnia deal, the government Statement of Strategic Priorities and Ofcom Telecoms Access Review 2026-31 together set the framework for UK fibre infrastructure transactions. What advisors and investors need to know about deal structuring in a consolidating market.
