The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) released its fifth report in its Digital Platforms Services Inquiry. The report concerns competition and consumer issues identified throughout the Digital Platforms Services Inquiry and recommends regulation of digital platforms to address competition and consumer concerns in emerging digital markets. The ACCC has identified significant competition and consumer …
The Federal Budget has extended the operation of the Cyber Hubs pilot for a further six months until June 2023 and allocated an additional $31.3 million to the program. The Cyber Hub program was first announced in 2020 with the intention to strengthen government information technology by focusing investment on a smaller footprint of networks. …
The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) has launched the Critical Infrastructure Uplift Program (CI-UP) to assist owners and operators of Critical Infrastructure assets. The CI-UP is available to any critical infrastructure organisations that are part of the ACSC Partnership Program. The CI-UP is designed to: Assist partners that own or operate Critical Infrastructure assets or …
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has commenced civil penalty proceedings against BPS Financial Pty Ltd (BPS) for making allegedly false, misleading, or deceptive representations and unlicenced conduct in respect of the non-cash payment facility, Qoin. BPS offered retail consumers and business owners access to the Qoin cryptocurrency token and digital wallet since 2020. …
The Australian Government has proposed the Privacy Legislation Amendment (Enforcement and Other Measures) Bill to strengthen Australia’s privacy and security framework following the increased data breaches. The Bill covers four main objectives: Significantly increase penalties for serious or repeated privacy breaches – most notably, the penalty cap will be raised from $2.22 million to greater …
Litigation refers to court proceedings commenced by a company or other entity. It can be time consuming, expensive and intense. Therefore, litigation should only be pursued as a last resort. A good lawyer can help clients involved in commercial disputes firstly to prevent litigation, if possible, and then if litigation is commenced, to achieve a …
The New Zealand (NZ) Employment Court has handed down a landmark decision to declare that Uber drivers are to be classified as employees. The employment status of Uber drivers on the ride-sharing platform has been in contention in many nations around the world. In early 2021, the UK Supreme Court held that Uber drivers are …
The NSW Government will back an artificial intelligence (AI) NSW Parliamentary Inquiry into the development and use of AI across the state. The Inquiry will determine whether NSW’s legislative framework is fit-for-purpose in regard to AI use. The Inquiry is said to explore areas such as health, transport, and cybersecurity, as well as assess facial …
The UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has announced plans to replace the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the UK with a completely new data protection regime. Secretary of State for the DCMS, Michelle Donelan, addressed this change during the Conservative Party Conference 2022 with a focus on growth in the …
A class action lawsuit has been brought in the UK against Amazon for allegedly abusing its dominant position to promote its own products and hide deals from consumers. The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has been investigating Amazon’s allegedly anti-competitive behaviour since July 2022. The CMA believes that Amazon’s UK marketplace may have breached …