President Donald Trump says he plans to sue the BBC for anything between $1 to 5bn after Panorama edited his 6 January 2021 speech in a way the BBC admits mistakenly implied a direct call for violence. The BBC apologised and withdrew the clip but refused compensation, arguing there is no basis for a defamation claim. Trump insists the edit “cheated” him, though no claim has yet been filed.

The controversy, which has already prompted the resignation of senior BBC figures, has intensified debate over the broadcaster’s handling of political content. BBC, ITVX, Sky News, Bloomberg, Reuters, NBC, France24, The Times and The Telegraph covered the development.

Reach PLC has issued a full correction and apology for the publication of an article in Manchester Evening News which wrongly reported that lead singer of the band, Bob Vylan had “performed Nazi salutes on stage.” The band have faced controversy since leading a “death to the IDF” chant at Glastonbury in June, which led to a criminal investigation and cancellation of several scheduled international performances.  The paper accepted that the gesture was, in reality, a meditative sun salutation performed at the start of all Bob Vylan shows and has agreed to pay £16,000 in damages. Press Gazette and NME have more information.

Internet and Social Media

Government amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill will allow approved tech companies and child protection agencies to test AI models to see whether they can generate child abuse images, after reports of AI-created CSAM more than doubled in the past year. The changes will allow experts to examine AI systems under strict conditions before harmful material appears online, whereas creating such images for testing was previously illegal. Read the Government’s press release here. The BBC and Guardian have more information.

A 17-year-old from Devon, Flossie McShea, is joining a High Court judicial review against the education secretary, arguing the government has failed to protect pupils from violent, graphic and pornographic content shared on smartphones at school. The claimants argue current guidance, which allows headteachers to set their own phone policies is unsafe, pointing to widespread safeguarding failures and calling for a nationwide ban on internet-connected devices in schools. The Sun, Guardian, GB News and the Daily Mail covered the development.

Internet Safety campaigner, Ian Russell, whose daughter Molly died after viewing harmful online content, has called for new leadership at Ofcom, saying he has lost confidence in the regulator’s urgency and willingness to enforce the Online Safety Act. He criticised delays in tackling dangerous sites and echoed government concerns about slow implementation of key safety measures, while Ofcom defended its efforts and said it is working urgently to make the internet safer. The Guardian has more information.

Data privacy and data protection

More than 100 people who applied for a website developer job at the Tate have had their personal information leaked online, exposing applicants’ addresses, salaries, employment and education histories, as well as the names and contact details of their referees, according to the Guardian. The personal data was published on an unrelated website and it is unclear how long it was available online. The Tate is investigating the incident and but has not identified any breach of its own systems.

The Government has introduced the Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill to update cross-sector cyber regulations relating to the security and resilience of information systems and give Ministers new powers to respond more effectively to emerging cyber threats.

Surveillance

Privacy International has launched a new series which profiles ten companies whose technologies were originally built for a military context but are now being repurposed for civilian life. The aim of the series is to challenge the assumption that innovation is always in the public interest by analysing how dual-use technologies are developed, marketed, and deployed.

Newspaper Journalism and regulation

US private equity firm RedBird Capital has withdrawn its £500m bid to buy the Daily and Sunday Telegraph, ending a deal that faced intense newsroom criticism, regulatory scrutiny, and concerns over links to China. RedBird’s earlier attempt to buy the Telegraph was blocked because it was mostly funded by Abu Dhabi’s royal-owned IMI group. A law change later allowed foreign sovereign funds to hold up to 15%, which the new bid complied with, though the government still planned a regulatory review of the proposed deal. The BBC, Financial Times, Guardian, CNN, Press Gazette and The Independent have more information.

Reform UK deputy leader, Richard Tice won complaints to press regulator IPSO against Reach titles including the Sunday People, Daily Record, and Mirror over inaccurate reporting that linked the closure of a British Steel plant to a threatened rent hike by Tice’s company. IPSO found the headlines and social media posts created a misleading impression of causation, and that including Tice’s denials at the end of the articles was insufficient to correct it. Although corrections were eventually published, IPSO ruled they were not prompt or prominent enough, meaning the coverage breached the Editors’ Code of Practice. The Press Gazette reported on the rulings.

IPSO

The following decisions were published last week

Statements in open court and apologies

As mentioned above, Reach PLC has apologised for its paper Manchester Evening News’ publication of an article which wrongly reported that lead singer of the band, Bob Vylan had “performed Nazi salutes on stage.” The paper accepted that the gesture was, in reality, a meditative sun salutation performed at the start of all Bob Vylan shows and has agreed to pay £16,000 in damages. Press Gazette and NME have more information.

New Issued cases

There were two defamation (libel and slander) claim filed on the media and communications list last week.

Last week in the courts

On Mon 10 November and Tuesday 11 November 2025, there was a hearing before Nicklin J in Baroness Lawrence & ors v ANL KB-2022-003316.  The judge handed down a judgment reserved from 1 and 2 October 2025 ([2025] EWHC 2930 (KB)).  The hearing concerned whether private investigator Gavin Burrows, who was once a key witness in the claimants’ lawsuit against the Daily Mail’s publisher ANL, will appear as a witness at the January trial. Burrows claimed that an alleged 2021 statement attributing illegal hacking and information-gathering to him was fabricated and that his signature on it was forged. Burrows, who has repeatedly denied carrying out unlawful work for ANL, now says the earlier statement was written by others and is largely untrue. The claimants sought to call his evidence as hearsay and ANL requested permission to cross-examine him. Nicklin J gave the claimants a week to decide whether to summon Burrows and ruled that, if his testimony contradicts their evidence, they may apply to treat him as a hostile witness. The BBC, Guardian and The Times covered the hearing.

On Tuesday and Wednesday 11 and 12 November 2025, Steyn J heard a 2-day trial in the case of Optosafe Ltd v Robertson KB-2024-000054.  Judgment was reserved.

Media law in other jurisdictions

Australia

On 12 November 2025, Hoser v Eleftheriou (No 2) [2025] FedCFamC2G 1855, the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia dismissed the plaintiff’s application. The court found the trademark claim “fatally flawed” because the plaintiff failed to join the trademark owner – his daughter – as a party and provided no evidence that she consented to him bringing the action or had declined to bring it herself [24–25]. It further held that the defendant had not infringed the “Snakeman” mark, as the term was descriptive and used in good faith to describe his services [43]. The court also concluded that it lacked jurisdiction over the defamation claim because it did not arise from substantially the same or closely connected facts as the trademark complaint [69].

China

China has removed two of its most popular gay dating apps, Blued and Finka, from Apple and Android app stores, sparking concerns of a growing crackdown on LGBT rights. While existing users can still access the apps and downloads remain available on official websites, no official explanation has been given. Apple confirmed the removal was in compliance with an order from China’s Cyberspace Administration. The BBC, The Telegraph, The Independent, France 24, Guardian, Wired and CNN covered the story.

India

India has finalised its Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025, enabling phased enforcement of the 2023 data protection law and introducing strict requirements for consent, data security, breach notification, retention limits, and oversight. The new protections are being hailed as India’s first privacy law, after the Supreme Court ruled privacy was a fundamental right eight years earlier. The IAPP, The Hindu, The Indian Express and The Economic Times have more information.

United States

A new bipartisan bill, the GUARD Act, would require all AI chatbots to verify users’ ages, ban minors from using many AI tools, and impose steep penalties for certain content. The Electronic Frontier Foundation has warned it would force companies to collect sensitive IDs or biometric data from everyone, undermine privacy and anonymity, block teens from educational and everyday digital tools, and chill online speech.

A lawsuit by Amnesty International and S.T.O.P. forced the NYPD to release thousands of documents revealing widespread, discriminatory surveillance of protesters and communities of colour, including frequent use of error-prone facial recognition technology. The records show people were targeted for their language, appearance, online speech, and criticism of police. Amnesty and S.T.O.P. say the findings confirm systemic rights abuses and are calling for a citywide ban on facial recognition and stronger oversight.

Research and Resources

Next week in the courts

On Monday 17 November 2025 there will be a half day hearing in the case of Stedman-v-Syztmz KB-2024-002972

On  Tuesday 18 November 2025 there will be the hearing of an application for summary judgment in the case of Munim v Rahman KB-2024-001528.

On the same day there will be a preliminary issues trial in the malicious falsehood case of Digital Isle Limited v Marcos Enterprise Limited and another KB-2024-000614.

On Wednesday 19 November 2025 there will be a preliminary issues trial in the case of Andy Ngo v Guardian News and Media KB-2025-002764.

On Thursday 20 November 2025 there will be a PTR in the misuse of private information case of Feldman v Gambling Commission KB-2024-003588. 

On the same day there will be a preliminary issues trial in the case of Rashed v Deane KB-2022-004580

On Friday 21 November 2025 there will be an application in the case of Ali Ahmed (“Muhammed Ali”) v The Chief Constable of the Lancashire Constabulary KB-2025-001753.

Reserved judgements

Optosafe Ltd v Robertson,  heard 11 and 12 November 2025 (Steyn J)

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