On 23 July 2025, the Supreme Court dismissed the ICO’s appeal against Department for Business and Trade v The Information Commissioner [2025] UKSC 27.

In a statement, the ICO acknowledged the Supreme Court’s decision and confirmed that they “are now considering the Court’s findings and how we implement them in our own casework practice as well as the guidance we give to organisations responding to FOI (Freedom of Information) requests.”

The Protection of Children Codes (Codes), which set out safety measures recommended for user-to-user or search engine services to comply with their duties under the Online Safety Act 2024, came into effect on 25 July 2025. These Codes come into force ahead of the deadline of 7 August 2025 for certain services to disclose their children’s risk assessments to Ofcom. Mishcon de Reya has more information here.

Courts in England and Wales will be required to notify journalists in advance when discretionary reporting restrictions are being considered. The amendment to the Criminal Procedure Rules takes effect on 6 October 2025 and will see the press receive a notification when reporting restrictions are applied for. The change is expected to see an increase in transparency within the media industry. InPublishing and The Press Gazette have more information.

Internet and Social Media

On 22 and 23 July 2025, the High Court heard the Wikimedia Foundation’s legal challenge to the Categorisation Regulations of the Online Safety Act. Wikipedia issued proceedings against the government in an attempt to secure exemption from the Online Safety Act’s requirement that big online platforms verify the identities of their users. Wikipedia argues that the law designed to protect people from online trolls and anonymous attacks will end up hurting the free digital encyclopedia’s collaborators, who provide a vital public resource but many of whom wish to remain anonymous. Read Wikimedia’s summary of their claim here. Biometric Update and Courthouse News Service also report on the hearing.

Data Privacy and Data Protection

On 22 July 2025, the European Commission announced the launch of the process to adopt new adequacy decisions to allow the free flow of data between the European Economic Area and the UK following the European Commission’s assessment of the recently passed UK Data (Use and Access) Act 2025. The European Commission has confirmed that the UK maintains data protection safeguards equivalent to those of the EU. The Privacy & Information Security Law Blog has more information here.

Surveillance

On 23 July 2023, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal announced the schedule for proceedings in Apple’s and Privacy International’s (PI) challenges to the purported UK order undermining iCloud’s security. The Tribunal will aim to hear much of Apple’s and PI’s case in public based on assumed facts. The Tribunal will convene a seven-day hearing to be scheduled in early 2026. PI has more information here.

Newspapers Journalism and Regulation

Ofcom’s Public Service Media Review is arguing for news to be easily available on YouTube as audiences are found to be turning increasingly online for news. While seven in ten said they consume news online, half (51%) of respondents to Ofcom’s latest UK news consumption survey said they get their news from social media. One fifth said they use YouTube for this purpose. The Press Gazette reports on Ofcom’s findings here.

Hacked Off has condemned the appointment of former Sun editor David Dinsmore as Communications Chief, one of the most senior communications roles in government. Hacked Off calls the move a “serious error of judgment” and a “dangerous precedent for democracy.” Read their reasons for objecting to Dinsmore’s appointment here.

Events 

Registration is now open for the annual Data Protection Practitioners’ Conference hosted by the Information Commissioner’s Office on Tuesday 14 October 2025. It is open to professionals in any sector and will cover current data protection issues. Register here.

IPSO

Statements in Open Court and Apologies

We are not aware of any apologies or statements in open court from the last week.

New Issued Cases

There were two Defamation (libel and slander) claims filed on the Media and Communication list last week.

Last Week in the Courts

On 21 to 24 July 2025 there was a trial in the case of Naseer v Raja QB-2022-002648 before Richard Spearman KC.  Judgment was reserved.

On 21 and 22 July 2025 there was a two-day hearing in the case of Steadman v Systmz KB-2024-002972 before Nicklin J.

As mentioned above, on 22 and 23 July 2025, the High Court heard the Wikimedia Foundation’s legal challenge to the Online Safety Act. 

On Wednesday 23 July 2024 Aidan Eardley KC heard an application in the case of Ponting v Wilby KB-2024-003985.

On Thursday 24 July 2024 Aidan Eardley KC heard an application in the case of Hargreaves v Dixon KB-2025-002142

On 25 July 2025, judgment was handed down by Heather Williams J in Chaudhry & Anor v Qureshi [2025] EWHC 1912 (KB). The claimants were the Regional President of the Pakistan People’s Party in the state of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (“AJK”) in Pakistan and the current holder of a parliamentary seat in the AJK Legislative Assembly (“AJKLA”) and his son; who is also the current holder of a parliamentary seat in the AJKLA. The Defendant is a well-known journalist from the AJK region who now lives in the UK. He has a global social media following of over one million. The claim was for libel arising from the Defendant’s publication of an interview that he conducted in 2021 with a former employee of the First Claimant, Chaudhry Muhammed Sabeel. Heather Williams J agreed with most of the pleaded meanings in finding that the Defendant had endorsed Mr Sabeel’s account that the claimants had, inter alia, colluded with the entire district administration of Kotli in preventing action being taken in respect of the persecution and mistreatment of Mr Sabeel in jail; deliberately caused a fake case to be brought against Mr Sabeel which led Mr Sabeel to be imprisoned; burnt down the government offices of Benish Jaraal; were involved in blackmail; sourced the income for the family business from the selling off of government land, the expropriation of land from weak people, and the further expropriation of monies from other schemes involving tax-payer’s money; were involved in orchestrating the sexual assault and torture of Mr Sabeel; filmed the sexual assault of Mr Sabeel by two of the Second Claimant’s gunmen in prison, and did so in order to blackmail Mr Sabeel; burnt Mr Sabeel with cigarettes and otherwise tortured him. [78-94]. The statements were of fact rather than expressions of opinion [99], were defamatory at common law [95] and occasioned substantial damage to the reputations of both the Claimants [112]. The Defendant failed to establish a public interest defence [136]. Heather Williams J found he had not carried out a proper investigation before publishing the videos [131], nor gave the Claimants the opportunity to respond [132], nor did the videos contain sufficient disclaimers [133]. Each Claimant was awarded £130,000 by way of compensatory damages.

Media Law in Other Jurisdictions

Australia

Three-time Olympian Brendan Kerry has initiated legal proceedings for defamation against the New South Wales Ice Skating Association over “false imputations of paedophilia.” The Sydney Morning Herald has more information here.

France

On 23 July 2025 Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte, initiated legal proceedings in a Delaware court against right-wing podcaster Candace Owens over her promotion of the conspiracy theory alleging Brigitte was born a man. Owens produced an eight-part podcast series titled ‘Becoming Brigitte,’ and, through both her show and social media, has repeatedly levelled accusations against the French First Lady was, in fact, a man. CityAM, Guardian, BBC, Independent and Al Jazeera have more information.

Ireland

On 24 July 2025, the Irish Supreme Court issued a landmark decision offering greater clarity on non-material damages in the context of privacy claims under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The judgment in Dillon v Irish Life Assurance plc [2025] IESC 37 marks a significant development for both individuals seeking compensation following data protection breaches and organisations responsible for safeguarding personal information. DLA Piper has more information here.

United States

On July 23, 2025, the White House released a sweeping new policy framework titled Winning the AI Race: America’s AI Action Plan, which describes the federal government’s approach to artificial intelligence.  This initiative, developed under the executive order, “Removing Barriers to American Leadership in AI,” outlines a plan relating to various aspects of AI.  The Norton Rose Fulbright Data Protection Report summarises the 90+ distinct proposed policy actions and explains the Plan’s aim to accelerate domestic AI development, modernize critical infrastructure, foster innovation, drive economic growth, and counter geopolitical threats—particularly from China—through a combination of export controls, diplomatic engagement, and national security safeguards.

Meta Platforms Inc. has categorically denied that it ever received the sensitive menstrual health data of millions of women using the popular period tracking app Flo Health. On the first day of the San Francisco privacy trial, counsel for Meta told the eight person jury the class action’s claims that Meta scooped data about the dates and lengths of users’ periods through a piece of code embedded in the Flo app called a software development kit are entirely untrue. Bloomberg Law has more information here.

Research and Resources

Next Week in the Courts 

On 28 and 29 July 2025, the Court of Appeal (Dingemans, Elisabeth Laing and Warby LJJ ) will hear the appeal in the case of Blake v Fox.  The 5RB website has a news item about the hearing.  The hearing will be livestreamed.

On 28 to 31 July 2025, there will be a trial in the case of Sayed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari v Syed Tauqeer Bukhari QB-2020-001139 before Aidan Eardley KC.

On 29 July 2025, there will be hearings in Oldknow & ors v Evans QB-2021-001196 and Tattersall v Tattersall QB-2022-002867.

On 30 July 2025, there will be hearings in Aluko v Barton KB-2024-001987 and Emerging Media Ventures Ltd v Kundra KB-2025-001918.

Reserved Judgments

Naseer v Raja – 21 to 24 July 2025 (Spearman KC).

Hegab (“Hijab”) v The Spectator (1828) Ltd – 14-18 July 2025 (Johnson J).

Kul and Ors v DWF Law LLP – 4 and 5 June 2025 (Eady J).

Clarke v Guardian News and Media – 4 March – 4 April and 11 April 2025 (Steyn J).

Colette Allen is the host of Newscast on Dr Thomas Bennett and Professor Paul Wragg’s The Media Law Podcast (@MediaLawPodcast).