On Monday 27 October 2025, there was a statement in open court in Richard Taylor v Pathe Productions Ltd KB-2023-003648 before Collins Rice J. The claimant, Richard Taylor, who was the former Deputy Registrar for the University of Leicester, sued two production companies and the actor Steve Coogan who made the 2022 film, ‘The Lost King’ about the search to find Richard III’s remains, centering the role of Phillipa Langley.

At a preliminary issue trial, HHJ Lewis found that the film depicted the claimant as (i) knowingly misrepresenting facts to the media and the public about the University’s role in finding Richard III’s remains and marginalising Langley’s role and (ii) “smug, unduly dismissive and patronising” towards Langley in relation to the project ([2024] EWHC 1475 (KB)). The defendants sought to defend the claim with the defences of truth and honest opinion, however the case was settled before trial. The defendants have agreed to pay damages, costs and make changes to the film to retract the allegations. 5RB has a summary. The BBC, Press Gazette, The Telegraph, Sky News, LBC and Guardian covered the settlement.

One of the defendants, Steve Coogan, has wrote a piece about the case in the Guardian entitled “I won’t apologise for The Lost King – Leicester University’s treatment of Philippa Langley is a profound injustice”

British journalist and commentator Sami Hamdi was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement at San Francisco International Airport pending deportation, after his visa was revoked. The US authorities allege that Hamdi supports terrorism and poses a national security threat, while Muslim advocacy group CAIR and press unions condemn the arrest as political retaliation for his criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza and a violation of free speech. The International Federation of Journalists has called for his immediate release. The BBC, Guardian, The Telegraph, CNN, Al Jazeera, Sky News and NPR covered the story.

Internet and Social Media

Meta and TikTok have pledged to comply with Australia’s new law banning users under 16 from social media starting December 10, though both warned it will be extremely difficult to enforce. The policy will require platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube to take “reasonable steps” to detect and remove underage users or face fines up to A$49.5 million. While Meta and TikTok said they are working to meet the deadline, they cited major technical and privacy challenges, with critics arguing the rushed, vague law could drive minors to less regulated corners of the internet without improving safety. Reuters, France 24, Digital Watch Observatory reported on the development.

Brett Wilson Media Law blog has an article exploring the data protection issues arising from ‘Are we dating the same guy’ style social media groups, which allow users to check whether their partner is dating other people.

Mischon de Reya has an article examining the ethical and legal concerns relating to AI-generated deepfakes of deceased individuals following the launch of Open AI’s video-generation tool, Sora 2.

Data privacy and data protection

The ICO has issued South Wales Police with an enforcement notice resulting from its serious delay in handling subject access requests. An investigation found that the force had only responded to 29% within the times required between April 2023 – March 2024. The SWP were ordered to clear their backlog, which of August 2025 stood at 352 SARs, by June 2026.

The ICO has also issued a sole trader who sent almost one million spam texts about debt solutions and energy saving grants with a £200,000 fine. The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 only allow organisations to send marketing texts where individuals have agreed to received them or where a clearly defined customer relationship exists. The trader has appealed the ICO’s decision.

Statewatch has published a handbook explaining how data protection law can be used to protect the rights of people in the EU’s immigration and asylum systems, offering practical guidance for lawyers and advocates on digital technologies, privacy principles, and legal remedies for misuse of personal data.

Mischon de Reya has an article explaining how the EU Data Act introduces new rights for EU customers of cloud services to switch providers mid-contract with minimal notice and limited or no switching fees and the obligations for cloud vendors.

Surveillance

The Metropolitan Police plan to expand the use of live facial recognition (LFR) cameras across London after reporting 962 arrests between September 2024 and 2025, with no arrests resulting from false alerts. However, the annual report also revealed that 80% of individuals wrongly identified by the software were black people. The police have biometrically scanned more than 3 million faces, referring to what they describe as a “game-changing” tool, however civil liberties campaigners have warned that the controversial technology enables mass surveillance and threatens privacy. The BBC and London Evening Standard have more information.

Newspaper Journalism and regulation

IPSO has found the Express has published nine inaccurate or misleading headlines in 2025, Press Gazette reports. Most stories, published around Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s first Budget, exaggerated or misrepresented tax and economic impacts. IPSO criticised the Express for repeated verification failures and misleading coverage of major public issues.

The Press Gazette covered IPSO’s ruling, which found that the Mail on Sunday was not misleading in its front-page headline claiming punk duo Bob Vylan “led ‘death to Israelis’ chants” at Glastonbury. The regulator found the article, which received 123 complaints, had clearly reported the actual words used by the band and that the paper was entitled to summarise and interpret them as it did.

A cross-party Speaker’s Conference report has urged stronger media and social media regulation to curb abuse and intimidation of MPs and candidates. It calls for tighter Ofcom oversight of online platforms under the Online Safety Act, new laws to tackle disinformation and deepfakes, and consistent moderation of abusive content. The report also recommends that IPSO tighten headline accuracy rules and that media regulators ban harassment tactics such as doorstepping politicians’ families. The full report is available here.

IPSO

Statements in open court and apologies

As mentioned above, on Monday 27 October 2025, there was a statement in open court in Richard Taylor v Pathe Productions Ltd KB-2023-003648 before Collins Rice J.

New Issued cases

There were no new claims filed on the media and communications list last week.

Last week in the courts

As mentioned above, on Monday 27 October 2025, there was a statement in open court in Richard Taylor v Pathe Productions Ltd KB-2023-003648 before Collins Rice J.

On Thursday 30 October 2025, the defamation trial of Garrett v Schestowitz & Schestowitz KB-2024-001270 began before Collins Rice J. It is scheduled for five days.

Media law in other jurisdictions

Australia

Pro-Israel activist, Ofir Birenbaum, has brought a defamation claim against Cairo Takeaway, after the owner published a social media post suggesting that he visited the pro-Palestine Sydney restaurant with reporters from the Daily Telegraph as a stunt to provoke an anti-Semitic incident. The restaurant later retracted several allegations, including the suggestion that the plaintiff had verbally taunted the staff, and apologised. The plaintiff alleges that the allegations caused him to be shunned, vilified and subjected to a workplace investigation. The Guardian covered the claim. On 30 October 2025, the Federal Court of Australia dismissed the defendant’s application to strike out parts of Birenbaum’s statement of claim relating to serious harm or requiring particulars of his prior reputation in the case of Birenbaum v H & A Nominees Pty Ltd trading as Cairo Takeaway (strike out application) [2025] FCA 1345. The Court dismissed the application, holding that there is no general requirement to plead prior reputation [8], nor was it necessary or appropriate in this particular case [9].

The defamation case brought by Central Land Council chief executive, Lesley Turner against Liberal Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price was heard before Justice Michael Wheelahan. The plaintiff alleges that he was defamed in a media release published in July 2024 that accused him of unprofessional conduct and claimed there had been a failed no-confidence motion against him. The plaintiff argued that the defendant knowingly spread false information on social media and the press despite being told it was inaccurate. The defendant argued that the number of people who would have seen the release was small and that the plaintiff downplayed similar claims made by the council chair that were broadcast and which the plaintiff relied upon. She also argued that there was significant public interest in the allegations. Judgement was reserved. The Guardian, ABC, The Sydney Morning Herald and National Indigenous Times reported on the trial.

Canada

On 28 October 2025, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice dismissed the defendant’s motion to summarily dismiss the defamation claim in the case of Shearer v Oz, 2025 CanLII 110490 (ON SCSM). The plaintiffs brought the claim against their landlord, who spoke to the Children’s Aid Society (CAS) about his tenants, which led a case worker to visit the rental unit to check whether there were any child endangerment issues. The plaintiffs sought redress for harassment from the Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB), which ruled in favour of the defendant, finding that the defendant had not acted with malice in speaking to the CAS intake worker. The defendant sought to strike out the defamation claim on the basis of (i) abuse of process, arguing that the tenants were trying to relitigate settled matters and (ii) issue estoppel, arguing that the court is bound by the LTB’s finding that the defendant had not acted in malice. The Court dismissed the motion, finding that the claim discloses a reasonable cause of action and is neither inflammatory, nor nuisance.

On 30 October 2025,  the Supreme Court of British Columbia handed down judgement in the case of Carruthers v. Comox Valley School District No. 71, 2025 BCSC 2137. The plaintiff was employed as a temporary head School Counsellor before she was dismissed following disciplinary procedures against her. The plantiff alleges she faced bullying and systemic failures from the school districts and sought compensation, damages and apologies. The court struck all the claims for defamation against the school districts and employees, finding that the pleadings were defective [87] –[91].

Czechia

Czech police have been forced to shut down facial recognition cameras at Prague’s Václav Havel Airport after the EU AI Act made their use illegal. The system, in operation since 2018, had long been criticised by digital rights groups for violating data protection laws, which was later confirmed by the Czech Data Protection Authority. Despite repeated warnings, police kept it running and face further criticism for using another biometric database of 20 million identity photos for retrospective facial recognition. EDRi and Biometric Update have more information.

United States

Singer, Drake has filed a formal notice to appeal a New York federal judge’s decision dismissing his defamation lawsuit against Universal Music Group over Kendrick Lamar’s 2024 song, which accused Drake of Vargas sexual misconduct, after the Court ruled that the lyrics were “nonactionable opinion” expressed in the context of an intense rap battle, not factual assertions. ABC, Rolling Stone and Reuters covered the development.

Research and Resources

Next week in the courts

Monday 3 November to Wednesday 5 November 2025, the libel trial  in Garrett v Schestowitz and another KB-2024-001270 will continue before Collins Rice J.

On Tuesday 4 November 2025 there will be a hearing of a disclosure application in the case of Chanel Limited v Charlotte Skeens KB-2024-002470

On Wednesday 5 November and Thursday 6 November 2025 there will be a hearing in the case of Hale-Byrne v Secretary of State for Business and Trade and another

On Thursday 6 November 2025 there will be a hearing of applications in the case of Travellers Insurance Company Ltd & ors v Baldwin KB-2025-000703.

On Friday 7 November 2025 there will be a consequentials hearing in the case of Mahmood v ITV Plc KB-2024-001060.

Reserved judgements

We are not aware of any reserved media law judgments.

This Round Up was compiled by Jasleen Chaggar who is the Legal and Policy Officer at Big Brother Watch.