Snapshots Summer 2019

A roundup of key legal developments for the modern commercial lawyer.

Welcome to the Summer 2019 edition of Snapshots.  

This quarter has seen a number of digital developments, including: the Government's publication of its new Online Harms White Paper, which sets out the Government's proposals to introduce a statutory duty of care for online companies; the UK Jurisdiction Taskforce's consultation on cryptoassets and smart contracts; and the DCMS's consultation on security for consumers in the developing world of the Internet of Things.  

We also analyse the German court's decision on whether Amazon (and other e-commerce platforms) have to make a telephone number available to their customers on their platforms, as well as the "New Deal for Consumers' Directive" agreed by the European Parliament and Council. 

While we are now well over a year since the GDPR landed, data remains the hottest of topics.  This edition we look at: consent requirements for the installation of cookies; an ICO fine being issued to a PPI company for sending thousands of spam texts and (more surprising perhaps) HMRC being issued an ICO enforcement notice for its use of biometric data; plus the ICO's new draft code for protecting children online. 

In advertising, we look at the ASA's innovative use of technology, using child avatars to tackle irresponsible gambling ads and in addition, a rare judicial review of an ASA decision regarding its interpretation of the 'average consumer' when deciding on the definition of the term 'fibre' in fibre broadband ads. 

Finally, we explore the Government's news proposals for advertising restrictions for High in Fat, Salt, or Sugar (HFSS) products and a gambling ad in the form of a tweet by Tottenham Hotspur FC that was deemed socially irresponsible by the ASA…

This and much, much more…

Enjoy! 

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