In quick succession, two articles have been published, one by Simon Lock for the Bureau of Investigative Journalists, the other by Peter Geoghegan and Jenna Corderoy in the New Statesman, suggesting that the Society for Media Lawyers (the “SML”) is sinister and powerful organisation, singly responsible for stymying further legislation relating to SLAPPs. Continue reading
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In April 2026, the Divisional Court handed down its judgment in R (Thompson and Carlo) v The Commissioner of Police of The Metropolis [2026] EWHC 915 (Admin), the second major judicial challenge to the use of Live Facial Recognition (LFR) by law enforcement in England and Wales. Continue reading
On Saturday 16 May 2026, two separate protests took place in central London – one pro-Palestine demonstration a day after Nakba Day, and the other, a far-right rally staged by Tommy Robinson. Police deployed 4,000 officers, including reinforcements from outside the Capital. A total of 43 arrests were made at the Unite the Kingdom and Nakba Day protests: 20 linked with the former and 12 associated with the latter. Continue reading
Meta has launched a legal challenge against Ofcom over the fees and fines regime it is enforcing under the Online Safety Act. This is the first major challenge to the enforcement architecture of the landmark legislation. Meta claims that Ofcom’s methodology for calculating the charges is flawed and should not be based on a company’s global revenue, but instead UK only revenues. Continue reading
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has indicated that he believes it may be appropriate to police chants at pro-Palestine marches or stop some protests altogether in the wake of the Golders Green terror attack, which targeted two Jewish men. Starmer told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that he is concerned about the “repeat nature” and “cumulative effects” of the protests. Continue reading
Recent international developments, particularly Australia’s move to ban under‑16s from social media, have reignited debate in the UK about how best to protect young people online. As a result, pressure has been mounting on the UK Government to go further than the measures already set out in the Online Safety Act 2023, most notably the banning of under-16s from social media. Continue reading
The government’s plan to fund Australian journalism through a levy on digital platforms rests on a sound premise: a healthy democracy depends on reliable information. But this latest attempt – following the shortcomings of the News Media Bargaining Code – is a high-risk move. Continue reading
The company which operates the World Check database, Refinitiv, settled the data protection claim brought by two children ( Lazarevic and another v Refinitiv Ltd KB-2024-003170) on the first day of what was to be a five day trial. Refinitiv agreed to remove the profiles . Continue reading
Columbia Global Freedom of Expression seeks to contribute to the development of an integrated and progressive jurisprudence and understanding on freedom of expression and information around the world. It maintains an extensive database of international case law. This is its newsletter dealing with recent developments in the field. Continue reading
The former hedge fund manager Crispin Odey has dropped his £79m libel case against the Financial Times. The move comes almost two years after he filed the claim and three years after the FT and Tortoise Media jointly published accusations that he sexually assaulted multiple women. Continue reading
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