Parallel Private Members’ Bills which are said to be aimed at tackling Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) were introduced in both the House of Lords and the House of Commons by Baroness Stowell and Sir John Whittingdale MP.

The proposed legislation would allow courts to dismiss cases where the subject matter of the publication relates to the public interest – whether or not the case is meritless or abusive – at an early stage  The UK Anti-SLAPP coalition welcomed the introduction of the Bills. The Guardian, Law Society Gazette and TBIJ covered the development.

Creator and host of America’s Next Top Model, Tyra Banks, has filed a defamation lawsuit against Netflix and EverWonder Studio for their docuseries ‘Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model,’ alleging that her three-and-a-half-hour interview was heavily edited and manipulated to create the false impression that she ignored or condoned a contestant’s alleged sexual assault and later tried to evade questions about it. Banks claims the documentary omitted statements in which she accepted responsibility for aspects of the show, damaging her reputation. She seeks damages and an injunction preventing the use of her image in connection with the series’ soundtrack. The Guardian, New York Times, AP News, Rolling Stone and Los Angeles Times have more information.

A Brighton woman was acquitted of a charge under the Communications Act 2003 relating to emails she sent to the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and her local MP, Peter Kyle, expressing concerns about the conflict in Gaza. Her defence argued that the emails were neither persistent nor intended to cause annoyance and were protected as free expression. At trial, the prosecution unsuccessfully sought to broaden the charge to include additional emails and requested an adjournment. Both applications were rejected, and the case was dismissed after the prosecution offered no evidence. Doughty Street Chambers has a summary.

Internet and Social Media

Graham Norton has secured a US court order requiring Meta to identify the person behind an anonymous Facebook account that allegedly published AI-generated images and false stories about him. Norton said the posts falsely claimed he was ill, had been hospitalised, held racist views, and experienced family tragedies, causing him significant distress and reputational harm. The order will allow him to pursue legal action in the High Court in England against those responsible for the alleged deepfake and defamatory content. The Independent and The Evening Standard covered the story.

The Competition Markets Authority has issued two new conduct requirements for Google. First, the company will be required to improve the transparency and fairness of its search rankings. Second, Google will be required to make an existing voluntary data sharing tool mandatory. The Press Gazette has more information.

Data privacy and data protection

Information Commissioner John Edwards has resigned following an independent workplace investigation that found a case to answer regarding his conduct. Edwards acknowledged using inappropriate humour and “poor judgement” but was critical about the investigation process. The ICO said his behaviour fell short of the standards expected of a public official and Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, Liz Kendall confirmed she had seen evidence of Edwards using vulgar and highly sexualised language in interactions with his staff. The BBC, Politico, Daily Express, The Register have more information.

The ICO has concluded its investigation into the attempted unauthorised access and disclosure of the Princess of Wales’s medical records, issuing a formal caution to a former healthcare worker from The London Clinic. The ICO found the individual deliberately misused sensitive personal information and offered to disclose it for financial gain, determining that a caution was the proportionate response. The regulator also found no evidence of wider organisational failings at the hospital that would justify further enforcement action. The BBC, ITVX, The New York Times, The Guardian, Reuters and Sky News reported on the sanction.

Surveillance

An independent investigation conducted by Aileen McColgan KC found no evidence that Bristol City Council carried out widespread surveillance of parents of children with special educational needs, despite allegations dating back to 2022. The £90,000 inquiry concluded that information had been gathered on two members of the Bristol Parent Carers Forum but found no broader spying operation. The report recommended the council consider surveillance laws when collecting social media evidence in future and criticised its practice of deleting former employees’ email accounts, which created gaps in the investigation. The BBC and Bristol24/7 covered the investigation.

Newspaper Journalism and regulation

Thirty-one UK websites supported by Movement for an Open Web have introduced new “Search-Only Contracts” aimed at preventing AI companies from copying and reusing their content without permission. The terms supplement existing robots.txt restrictions by setting standard fees, typically £500 per article, for unauthorised scraping and are designed to enable publishers to pursue small claims against AI firms such as OpenAI and Google if their content is used without authorisation. The Press Gazette has more information.

Events

Hacked Off is staging a rally at Central Hall Westminster on 24 June 2026, 3pm to 5pm, Free tickets can be obtained from Eventbrite, here.

IPSO

Statements in open court and apologies

We are not aware of any Statements in Open Court or Apologies from the last week.

New Issued cases

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

Last week in the courts

On Tuesday 16 June 2026, there was a trial of a preliminary issue before Hill J in the case of Drabble v Bramhill KB-2025-004185.

On Wednesday 17 June 2026, there was a PTR before Griffiths J in the privacy case of DBA v Altaii and another QB-2020-003567.

On Thursday 18 June 2026, the part heard application in the breach of confidence case of Ahluwalia v Verma and others KB-2023-001466 continued before Richard Spearman KC (Sitting as a Deputy Judge of the High Court). There was also a contempt application in the case of Pattinson v Winsor KB-2024-000256.

On Friday 19 June 2026, there was a return date hearing before Hill J in the case of Cancer Services and another v Airedale NHS Foundation Trust KB-2026-001977.

Media law in other jurisdictions

Ireland

The Court of Appeal has upheld the murder conviction of Kevin Braney, leader of the New IRA in Dublin, ruling that gardaí did not breach his privacy rights by using a covert listening device to record conversations at a KFC restaurant the day after the 2013 murder of Peter Butterly. The court found the emergency authorisation for the surveillance was lawful, rejected challenges to the admissibility of the recordings and the anonymity of surveillance officers, and dismissed all grounds of Braney’s appeal against his conviction. The Irish Times covered the ruling.

Poland

Poland has formally adopted anti-SLAPP legislation after the president signed the Bill on Special Measures for the Protection of Participants in Public Debate. The new law, designed to protect individuals and organisations from abusive legal actions aimed at discouraging public participation, follows years of advocacy by civil society groups, legal experts and media organisations. Article 19 welcomed the passing of the Bill.

Uganda

The High Court has ordered Uganda Revenue Authority employee James Abola to pay Shs100 million in damages to colleague Nicholas Jjengo for defamatory messages posted in a URA Senior Management WhatsApp group. The court found that Abola shared unverified allegations linking Jjengo to a shooting incident and a dispute involving a woman, damaging his reputation among senior managers. The court ruled that qualified privilege did not protect the publications and ordered Abola to issue a written apology and refrain from making similar statements in future. The Monitor covered the ruling.

United States

A report by the Institute for Justice alleges that some US police officers have misused automated licence plate reader systems, including those operated by Flock Safety, to monitor the movements of current and former romantic partners, according to Novara Media. The organisation identified at least 18 recent cases involving alleged misuse of location-tracking data, while noting the true number could be higher. Privacy advocates argue that broad access to these databases, which store vehicle location and timestamp information, increases the risk of abuse when searches can be conducted without a warrant.

Research and Resources

Next week in the courts

On Monday 22 June 2026 Griffiths J will hear an application to commit in the case of Northcott v Hundeyin KB-2023-002761.

On Tuesday 23 June 2026, there will be a hearing of an application in the case of Phillips v Oloffs 

On Wednesday 24 June 2026, there will be a hearing of an application in the case of Emerging Media Ventures Ltd v Kundra  KB-2025-001918

.Reserved judgements

Kaur v Fox, heard 8 June 2026 (Linden J)

Bridgen v Hancock, heard 20 May 2026 (King, Warby and Whipple LJJ)

Vince v Tice, heard 14 May 2026 (Lewison, Coulson and Warby LJJ)

Baroness Lawrence & ors v ANL, heard 19 January to 31 March 2026 (Nicklin J)

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