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Articles for Category Tag - Internet Law

Questions for UK Gov as EU Court Rules on Internet Data Snooping

6th October, 2020 (12 Comments)

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has this morning issued a ruling that appears to impose restrictions on the general and indiscriminate retention of phone and internet data, which raises some new questions for the UK Government’s Investigatory Powers Act (IPAct) – also known as the “snoopers charter.”

EU Court Ruling Challenges Mobile Operators Zero Rating Plans UPDATE

15th September, 2020 (18 Comments)

A new ruling by Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has today, for the first time, interpreted the EU regulation enshrining “internet neutrality” (this was also adopted in the UK), which appears to restrict mobile and broadband operators when offering zero rating plans (i.e. unlimited data on certain services).

Gigaclear Settles Broadband Lawsuit with Scottish Government UPDATE

25th August, 2020 (17 Comments)

We’ve just been informed that UK ISP Gigaclear has today reached a settlement in their R100 (Reaching 100%) legal dispute with the Scottish Government. The case had been preventing the LOT 1 part of the deployment contract from being award to BT and thus delaying the roll-out of “superfast broadband” (30Mbps+).

UEFA Wrongfully Hit Virgin Media UK with Piracy Takedown Notice

24th August, 2020 (1 Comment)

The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has somewhat comically included broadband ISP Virgin Media UK in their latest list of DMCA takedown notices, which as part of a crackdown against illegal IPTV services ordered Google to remove the provider’s online bundles shop from their search results.

5G Conspiracy Theorists Hire Lawyer to Sue UK Gov Over Health Fears

15th August, 2020 (0 Comments)

The Action Against 5G mobile group, which holds to a widely debunked conspiracy theory that “radio-frequency radiation from masts and wireless devices puts health and life at risk“, has crowd-funded £105K to hire barrister Michael Mansfield QC in order to take legal action against the UK Government to stop the roll-out.

Fears of More Broadband Delays in Scotland from Gigaclear’s Lawsuit

29th June, 2020 (19 Comments)

At the end of last year the Scottish Government revealed that LOT 1 of their £600m R100 (Reaching 100%) project, which had given BT “preferred bidder” status and was aiming to extend “superfast broadband” (30Mbps+) coverage, had become the subject of a legal challenge by Gigaclear. Sadly the case is now threatening more delays.

13th June, 2020 (18 Comments)

Over the past decade it’s become fairly normal to see Rights Holders pursue individual broadband ISPs when one of the internet provider’s customers is suspected of committing copyright infringement (piracy). Now the same is starting to happen further upstream, with major internet backbone provider Hurricane Electric in the firing line.

COVID-19 5G Conspiracy Arsonist Gets 3 Years for Burning Mast

9th June, 2020 (0 Comments)

The Liverpool Crown Court has sentenced Michael Whitty (47) to three years in prison after he set fire to one of Vodafone UK’s 4G masts in Kirkby on 5th April 2020, which caused damage estimated to be worth up to £15,000. Whitty’s action was fuelled by a bonkers conspiracy theory that links the spread of COVID-19 to 5G.

Trading Standards to Halt Sales of £300 SCAM Anti-5G USB Stick

29th May, 2020 (0 Comments)

The City of London Police (Action Fraud Squad) and UK Trading Standards are to target sales of the bizarre £300 5GBioShield, which was recommended by a member of Glastonbury Town Council’s much criticised 5G Advisory Committee and falsely promised to create a shield against 5G mobile radiation. Except it’s just a USB stick.

EU Court Overturns 2016 Block of O2 and Three UK Merger

28th May, 2020 (7 Comments)

The European Court of Justice (General Court) has today annulled a decision by the European Commission’s competition authority, which in 2016 blocked mobile operators O2 and Three UK from merging. The ruling found that the decision to block the £10.45bn deal had failed to prove that such a merger would damage competition.

Government Attempts to Expand UK Internet Snooping Bodies

23rd April, 2020 (8 Comments)

The Government appears to have decided that, while the country’s attention is distracted by the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) crisis, it might as well try to increase the number of bodies capable of obtaining communications data from UK phone, mobile and broadband ISPs under the Investigatory Powers Act (IPAct).

BT Reopens 10 Year Old Case – Demands HMRC Repay Millions

30th March, 2020 (4 Comments)

Broadband ISP and media giant BT appears to have successfully lifted a stay against a decade old restitution suit in the UK High Court for Value Added Tax (VAT) refunds, which originally claimed that HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) owed them £91.8 million plus interest in overpaid tax.

Ofcom Repay £218m to UK Mobile Operators for Overcharging

19th February, 2020 (5 Comments)

Ofcom has lost its appeal against last year’s ruling by the UK High Court of Justice (here), which ordered them to repay £218m to mobile operators as part of restitution for their handling of a licence fee hike to the 900MHz and 1800MHz spectrum bands (i.e. £82.4m to EE, £54m for Vodafone, £54m for O2 and £26m for Three UK).

Problems Remain – CMA Updates on Ofcom Loyalty Penalty Fixes

21st January, 2020 (0 Comments)

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has issued its annual update on Ofcom’s progress toward tackling the “loyalty penalty” in UK broadband ISP and mobile services, which can result in existing customers paying “significantly more” than new ones. Overall the progress has been good, but not all operators are playing ball.

Ruling by EU Court Adviser May Hamper UK Internet Snooping

15th January, 2020 (2 Comments)

The Advocate General for the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), Campos Sánchez-Bordona, has today issued a landmark legal “opinion” that could effectively limit the ability of national security agencies (e.g. GCHQ) to force internet providers (e.g. broadband ISPs) into the bulk retention of personal customer data.

Owner of Multi-Million Pound UK Flat Sues Over Poor Broadband

9th December, 2019 (30 Comments)

The owner of a £2.95m 30th floor apartment in The Heron (Barbican, London), 70 year old travel boss Stephen Shalson, is suing the building’s owners – Heron Residences LLP – for £97,300 after he moved in to find that the property didn’t have good broadband, which forced him to get online via external locations instead (cafes etc.).

Mobile Operators Win Key UK Appeal Case Over Building Access

27th November, 2019 (0 Comments)

The Court of Appeal has upheld a key judgement in favour of Cornerstone (umbrella company for O2 and Vodafone’s network sharing), which means that 4G / 5G mobile and broadband operators can force access to land in order to conduct a survey. The case was a key test of the revised Electronic Communications Code (ECC).