Tag: regulator

Ofcom launches investigation into X over Grok sexualised imagery

The UK’s independent online safety watchdog, Ofcom, has today opened a formal investigation into X under the UK’s Online Safety Act, to determine whether it has complied with its duties to protect people in the UK from content that is illegal in the UK.

Our initial assessment

There have been deeply concerning reports of the Grok AI chatbot account on X being used to create and share undressed images of people – which may amount to intimate image abuse or pornography – and sexualised images of children that may amount to child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

 As the UK’s independent online safety watchdog, we urgently made contact with X on Monday 5 January and set a firm deadline of Friday 9 January for it to explain what steps it has taken to comply with its duties to protect its users in the UK.

The company responded by the deadline, and we carried out an expedited assessment of available evidence as a matter of urgency.

What our investigation will examine

Ofcom has decided to open a formal investigation to establish whether X has failed to comply with its legal obligations under the Online Safety Act – in particular, to: 

  • assess the risk of people in the UK seeing content that is illegal in the UK, and to carry out an updated risk assessment before making any significant changes to their service;
  • take appropriate steps to prevent people in the UK from seeing ‘priority’ illegal content – including non-consensual intimate images and CSAM;
  • take down illegal content swiftly when they become aware of it;
  • have regard to protecting users from a breach of privacy laws;
  • assess the risk their service poses to UK children, and to carry out an updated risk assessment before making any significant changes to their service; and
  • use highly effective age assurance to protect UK children from seeing pornography.

Ofcom’s role

The legal responsibility is on platforms to decide whether content breaks UK laws, and they can use our Illegal Content Judgements Guidance when making these decisions. Ofcom is not a censor – we do not tell platforms which specific posts or accounts to take down.

Our job is to judge whether sites and apps have taken appropriate steps to protect people in the UK from content that is illegal in the UK, and protect UK children from other content that is harmful to them, such as pornography.

Ofcom’s investigation process

The Online Safety Act sets out the process Ofcom must follow when investigating a company and deciding whether it has failed to comply with its legal obligations.

Our first step is to gather and analyse evidence to determine whether a breach has occurred. If, based on that evidence, we consider that a compliance failure has taken place, we will issue a provisional decision to the company, who will then have an opportunity to respond our findings in full, as required by the Act, before we make our final decision.

Enforcement powers

If our investigation finds that a company has broken the law, we can require platforms to take specific steps to come into compliance or to remedy harm caused by the breach. We can also impose fines of up to £18 million or 10% of qualifying worldwide revenue, whichever is greater.

In the most serious cases of ongoing non-compliance, we can make an application to a court for ‘business disruption measures’, through which a court could impose an order, on an interim or full basis, requiring payment providers or advertisers to withdraw their services from a platform, or requiring internet service providers to block access to a site in the UK. The court may only impose such orders where appropriate and proportionate to prevent significant harm to individuals in the UK.

UK jurisdiction

In any industry, companies that want to provide a service to people in the UK must comply with UK laws. The UK’s Online Safety Act is concerned with protecting people in the UK. It does not require platforms to restrict what people in other countries can see.

There are ways platforms can protect people in the UK without stopping their users elsewhere in the world from continuing to see that content.

An Ofcom spokesperson said: “Reports of Grok being used to create and share illegal non-consensual intimate images and child sexual abuse material on X have been deeply concerning.

“Platforms must protect people in the UK from content that’s illegal in the UK, and we won’t hesitate to investigate where we suspect companies are failing in their duties, especially where there’s a risk of harm to children.

“We’ll progress this investigation as a matter of the highest priority, while ensuring we follow due process. As the UK’s independent online safety enforcement agency, it’s important we make sure our investigations are legally robust and fairly decided.”

Ofcom will provide an update on this investigation as soon as possible.

UK Government pledge to cut sewage pollution in half by 2030

ENVIRONMENT SECRETARY TAKES ON ENGLAND’s WATER COMPANIES

Sewage pollution from water companies will be cut in half by the end of the decade, the Environment Secretary Steve Reed will pledge today. 

Our rivers, lakes and seas will be the cleanest since records began, meaning millions of families will benefit from cleaner beaches and rivers.  

For the first time the Government has made a pledge to cut sewage pollution with a clear target which they will be held accountable to, but campaigners say the Government’s pledge is ‘too little, too late’.

The Government, in partnership with investors, has secured funding to rebuild the entire water network to clean up our rivers. 

In one of the largest infrastructure projects in this country’s history, a record £104 billion is being invested to upgrade crumbling pipes and build new sewage treatment works cutting sewage pollution into rivers.  

Over the past year, the Government has introduced a package of measures to slash pollution levels. Bills are now ringfenced to force companies to invest in upgrades and over £100 million of water fines are being spent on local clean-up projects.  

The commitment comes as the Government vows “root and branch reform” to usher in a revolution in the water industry, ahead of the Independent Water Commission’s final report, which will be published tomorrow.

Environment Secretary Steve Reed said: “Families have watched their local rivers, coastlines and lakes suffer from record levels of pollution.

“My pledge to you: the Government will halve sewage pollution from water companies by the end of the decade.

“One of the largest infrastructure projects in England’s history will clean up our rivers, lakes and seas for good.” 

 The Government has already taken decisive action to clean up England’s waterways:

  • Record investment: with £104 billion to upgrade crumbling pipes and build sewage treatment works across the country.  
  • Ringfence customers’ bills for upgrades: customer bills earmarked for investment must now be spent on new sewage pipes and treatment works – not spent on shareholder payments or bonuses.  
  • Reinvesting company fines into local projects: with over £100million being invested into local clean-up projects in communities.  
  • Largest budget for water regulation: the Environment Agency received a record £189 million to fund hundreds of enforcement officers to inspect and prosecute polluting water companies. 
  • Polluter Pays: companies will now cover the cost of prosecutions and successful investigations into pollution incidents, enabling the regulator to hire more staff and pursue further enforcement activity.  
  • Banning wet wipes containing plastic in England: introducing legislation to reduce microplastics in our waters. 
  • The Water (Special Measures) Act: banned unfair bonuses for ten polluting water bosses this year and threatened prison sentences for law-breaking executives. 

This package of measures will slash storm overflow spills by 50% by 2030 and halve phosphorus from treated wastewater by 2028. 

Both contaminants choke our rivers, suffocate wildlife and destroy ecosystems. In 2024, sewage spilled into waterways for a record 3,614,428 hours.  

Pollution levels were a decisive factor in the Government launching the Independent Water Commission last October – the largest review of the sector since privatisation.     

Led by Sir Jon Cunliffe, the Commission’s final report will be published tomorrow with recommendations on regulation, strategic frameworks and support for consumers.

The Government will respond to the recommendations in Parliament on Monday.  

Environment Secretary Steve Reed’s pledge is based on:   

  • A 50% reduction in spills from storm overflows – an outlet from the public sewer that spills both sewage and rainwater into the environment – by 2030. 
  • A 50% reduction in the amount of phosphorus from water company treated wastewater entering our waterways by the end of January 2028. 
  • Work with devolved governments to ban wet wipes containing plastic across the UK. We will go further to tackle the issues caused by unflushables to reduce plastic and microplastic pollution, particularly in our waters. 
  • Continued work on pre-pipe measures, such as sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) which help to reduce pressure on the sewerage system.     
  • The start of trials by water companies of nature-based solutions, such as constructed wetlands, to investigate if they can be used in the treatment process to reduce harm. 

ICO takes action to improve access to personal information from local authorities across Scotland

  • Reprimands issued to Glasgow City Council and City of Edinburgh Council for failing to respond to requests for personal information on time   
  • Action follows ICO engagement with local authorities across Scotland to improve right of access, including for people with care experience and those applying for redress after suffering abuse while in care   
  • “Those who were let down in the past are being let down again, this time by poor SAR compliance.” 

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is taking action to tackle significant delays for people who are trying to access copies of their personal information held by local authorities across Scotland.  

Under data protection law, people have the right to ask an organisation if it holds their personal information and receive a copy of any personal information held within a month, unless an extension is applied – this is known as a subject access request (SAR).  

The regulator has now reprimanded both Glasgow City Council and City of Edinburgh Council for repeatedly failing to respond to SARs within the legal timeframe, leading to a significant backlog of requests.  

The reprimands follow the ICO’s proactive engagement with all 32 local authorities in Scotland after it became aware of delays in responses to SARs, amounting to years in some cases.  

Many local authorities have seen an increase in SARs received, many in relation to the Redress Scotland scheme where people who suffered abuse while in care can apply for redress using supporting documents such as their care records.  

Jenny Brotchie, Acting Head of Scottish Affairs at the ICO, said: “Those who were let down in the past are being let down again, this time by poor SAR compliance.

“We have heard how undue delays and lack of communication from local authorities can cause further distress for people, including those with care experience and those trying to claim redress in Scotland.

“Local authorities must get this right despite the rising numbers of requests, which is why we have been offering support and monitoring those with poor compliance until we are satisfied that improvements have been made.”  

Following the ICO’s scrutiny and support to put action plans in place, many local authorities have significantly reduced their backlog of requests and improved their response times.  

Despite a 67% overall increase in the total number of SARs to local authorities in Scotland between 2021 and 2024, 75% of local authorities improved their SAR compliance, with 13 local authorities reporting a compliance rate of 90% in 2023/24. 

However, the regulator launched investigations into two local authorities, Glasgow City Council and City of Edinburgh Council, after it did not see any tangible improvements over 12 months.  

The ICO’s recent compulsory audit of Glasgow City Council found that the council has good policies and procedures in place to handle SARs. However, lack of resource and budget remains an issue, with the council still unable to respond to many SARs within the legal timeframe.   

Following its reprimand, City of Edinburgh Council has now reported some improvement in its response times.   

Jenny Brotchie added: “While I’m pleased to see significant improvements from most of the local authorities that we engaged with, SAR compliance in Scotland remains a concern and we must ensure people can exercise their information rights effectively and without further harm.

“We expect all local authorities to have sufficient resources in place to handle the volume and complexity of SARs, and to keep people updated on the progress of their request.  

“We are taking a proportionate approach to monitoring local authorities, but these reprimands show that we will not hesitate to take enforcement action where necessary.”  

Looking forward, the ICO continues to engage with local authorities and other key stakeholders to drive further improvements and ensure that people can access their own personal information. 

The ICO has committed to improving the support it provides to both people who grew up in the care system across the UK and the organisations that hold their information. It has been gathering evidence of the challenges facing both people and organisations when it comes to accessing care records and will share its findings and next steps over the coming months.  

Read more detail about the ICO’s work with local authorities in Scotland here. 

Find out more about your information rights here, including the right of access.  

Government welcomes the MHRA review into Pfizer and BioNTech vaccine

UK’s independent regulator to evaluate latest data from Pfizer and BioNTech to ensure the quality, safety and effectiveness of the vaccine meets the standards required.

  • The UK has ordered 40 million vaccine doses from Pfizer/BioNTech – enough for up to a third of the population
  • Initial data shows the vaccine is 94% effective in protecting people over 65 years old from coronavirus and clinical trials have not reported any serious safety concerns

The UK Government has today (Monday 23 November) welcomed the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA) review of data from Pfizer/BioNTech to determine whether its vaccine meets robust standards of quality, safety, and effectiveness.

The companies have reported data that indicates their vaccine is 94% effective in protecting people over 65 years old from COVID-19, with trials suggesting it works equally well in people of all ages, races and ethnicities.

As the first country to pre-order the vaccine from Pfizer/BioNTech, the UK is expected to receive a total of 40 million doses by the end of 2021, enough to vaccinate up to a third of the population, with the majority of doses anticipated in the first half of next year.

The COVID-19 vaccine will only be authorised for supply by the UK’s independent regulator the MHRA if it meets strict standards of quality, safety, and effectiveness, and if they are satisfied the vaccine can be consistently manufactured.

Today marks the next step forward for the vaccine following the MHRA’s confirmation that it has received the necessary data to progress their review into whether the vaccine meets the required standards.

Despite encouraging data about this vaccine, people must continue to follow public health advice to keep themselves and their loved ones safe; regularly washing their hands, wearing a face mask and making space.

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “The whole country will be cheered by the news that Pfizer/BioNTech have formally reported the data from their clinical trials for their vaccine to the regulator.

“This is another important step on the road to recovery. We must now allow the MHRA’s renowned teams of scientists and clinicians to make an independent assessment of whether it meets their robust standards of quality, safety, and effectiveness.

“If approval is granted, the NHS will be ready to deliver. The NHS has vast experience in delivering widespread vaccination programmes and an enormous amount of work has taken place to ensure we have the logistical expertise, transport and workforce to roll out a vaccine according to clinical priority, at the speed at which it can be manufactured.”

Business Secretary Alok Sharma said: “Today, we have renewed hope that we are on the brink of one of the most significant scientific discoveries of our time, as we reach the crucial last stage to finding a COVID-19 vaccine.

“While this news is a cause for celebration, we must make sure that this vaccine, like all new medicines, meets standards of quality, safety, and effectiveness. I urge the public to be patient while we wait for regulators to do a thorough assessment.

“Finding a vaccine is not going to end the pandemic overnight, but we are hopeful of being one step closer to defeating this terrible virus.”

Final deployment plans will depend on decisions by regulators but preparations have been underway for months and are in place to ensure that:

  • the NHS will be ready to begin vaccinating as soon as the first vaccine is approved and delivered to the UK
  • GPs have already been signed up to take part in the programme when an appropriate vaccine is ready
  • dozens of hospitals across the country will lead co-ordination on behalf of neighbouring hospitals, community trusts and local health groups in vaccinating staff and other priority groups
  • there will also be vaccinations sites across the country

The government has purchased 7 different types of vaccine in advance and procured 355 million doses. This includes 100 million doses of the vaccine being developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford.

The UK government is working closely with the devolved administrations to ensure an aligned approach to COVID-19 vaccine deployment across the UK.

Chair of Vaccines Taskforce, Kate Bingham, said: “We are moving ever closer to having the means with which to help end this pandemic but we must wait for the outcome of the MHRA assessment before we will truly know if we have our first approved vaccine.

“Irrespective of the outcome, which we all hope will be positive, this is a tremendous day for science. It is testament to the Herculean efforts of the scientific and biopharmaceutical community and it makes me immensely proud.”