Latest news with #Data(UseandAccess)Bill
Coin Geek
4 days ago
- Business
- Coin Geek
UK passes updated data bill, without AI copyright provisions
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... After intensive debates, the United Kingdom parliament has finally passed the 'Data (Use and Access) Bill' (DUA Act), intended to simplify the use of and access to personal data for U.K. data regulators whilst easing the administrative burden of using personal data. The DUA Act builds on the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)—the landmark European Union regulation on information privacy and data use—to modernize the U.K.'s data regime and facilitate more streamlined compliance processes without eroding the protections of the GDPR legislation. On June 11, the bill passed from the House of Lords to the Royal Assent stage—the final stage of the legislative process in the U.K., in which the King essentially rubber stamps bills that Parliament has approved. When it does get its Royal approval—at a date to be decided soon—the DUA Act will become law and herald in the most significant change to the U.K.'s data protection framework since GDPR. Key updates in the bill include expanding the scope for data processing under 'Legitimate Interests,' such as for direct marketing and security processing, reducing interruptive and ineffective cookie consent banners, and provisions to boost market research, product development, and technological innovation. The structure and remit of the U.K.'s information rights regulator, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), will also be 'modernized,' requiring it to consider the public interest in promoting innovation and competition alongside privacy and data protection. Another change involves streamlining the process of submitting a 'Data Subject Access Request' to make it more efficient for individuals and organizations to request information on how a company uses or stores its data. However, one key change the bill doesn't include is a much-debated amendment to force big tech firms and artificial intelligence (AI) companies to get permission and/or pay for U.K. content, as the government insisted that it was planning to address this topic in future AI and copyright legislation—after the conclusion of a consultation on the topic in February. The DPO Centre, a leading U.K. data protection officer and resource center, described the DUA Act as 'a targeted evolution of the current regime' rather than a complete departure from existing frameworks. The rocky road to Royal Assent The DUA Act's passage to Royal Assent was a long, bumpy road that started under the previous Conservative government with the Data Protection and Digital Access (DPDI) Bill, first introduced in 2022. The DPDI set out a range of provisions for how data can be accessed, used, and processed, including making it easier and clearer for organizations to use and re-use data for research purposes; clarifying the processes and safeguards for the re-use of personal data; and easing compliance burdens on organizations related to record keeping, breach reporting and responding to unreasonable information requests from individuals. However, the DPDI failed to pass before the 2024 general election, and in October 2024, the new Labour government introduced the revised DUA Act. The Labour bill retained much of the original content while removing some of the more controversial provisions of the DPDI, including one that would have allowed government oversight of the ICO's strategic priorities and another that required telecom providers to report suspected illegal marketing to the ICO. On May 12, the House of Lords—the Upper chamber of U.K. Parliament—voted by a 147 majority to amend the DUA Act, adding transparency requirements to ensure U.K. copyright holders have to give permission for their work to be used. The amendment would have forced tech companies to declare their use of copyright material when training AI tools so that they could not access U.K. content without paying for it—a proposal backed by prominent U.K. recording artists such as Elton John and Dua Lipa. However, a couple of days later, the House of Common—the lower (and elected) chamber of Parliament primarily responsible for producing legislation—rejected this change, with the government reasoning that it was already carrying out a separate consultation on AI and copyright and wanted to wait on the outcome. In an interview with BBC journalist Laura Kuenssberg, Elton John described the Commons' rejection of the amendment as 'criminal,' adding that if ministers went ahead with plans to allow AI firms to use artists' content without paying, they would be 'committing theft, thievery on a high scale.' The Commons' decision also resulted in an extended back and forth, known as a 'ping-pong,' between the two houses of Parliament, as amendments were debated, changed, and rejected, with the legislation bouncing from one chamber to another in the process. Ultimately, a compromise was struck, with the Commons rejecting the Lords' amendment on AI, but the government agreed to publish reports on its AI and copyright proposals within nine months of Royal Assent. Ben Seretny, Head of DPOs at The DPO Centre, says, 'The final version of the DUA Bill feels more like a careful update than a radical overhaul of the UK GDPR and Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) frameworks.' Commenting on June 12 on the bill's passage from Parliament, Seretny warned that 'while some areas are now clearer, others may introduce uncertainty.' In particular, he noted that the DUA Act gives the Secretary of State more power to decide which countries have data protection standards that are not 'materially lower' than the U.K.—a shift in language that he suggested may concern the European Commission, which is due to review the U.K.'s data adequacy status in December. In order for artificial intelligence (AI) to work right within the law and thrive in the face of growing challenges, it needs to integrate an enterprise blockchain system that ensures data input quality and ownership—allowing it to keep data safe while also guaranteeing the immutability of data. Check out CoinGeek's coverage on this emerging tech to learn more why Enterprise blockchain will be the backbone of AI . Watch: Blockchain & AI unlock possibilities title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen="">
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Data bill opposed by Sir Elton John and Dua Lipa finally passes
A bill which sparked an extraordinary stand-off between some of the UK's most high-profile artists - and their backers in the House of Lords - has finally been passed. Peers wanted an amendment to the drably-titled Data (Use and Access) Bill which would have forced tech companies to declare their use of copyright material when training AI tools. Without it, they argued, tech firms would be given free rein to help themselves to UK content without paying for it, and then train their AI products to mimic it, putting human artists out of work. That would be "committing theft, thievery on a high scale", Sir Elton John told the BBC. He was one of a number of household names from the UK creative industries, including Sir Paul McCartney and Dua Lipa to oppose the government. The government refused the amendment. It says it is already carrying out a separate consultation around copyright and it wants to wait for the outcome of that. In addition there are plans for a separate AI bill. Critics of the peers' proposal say it would stifle the AI industry and result in the UK getting left behind in this lucrative and booming sector. So, this left the bill in limbo, pingponging between the Houses of Commons and Lords for a month. But it has now finally been passed, without the amendment, and will become law once royal assent is given. "We can only do so much here. I believe we've done it. It's up to the government and the other place (the Commons) now to listen," said composer and broadcaster Lord Berkeley. The government has welcomed the wide-ranging bill passing. "This Bill is about using data to grow the economy and improve people's lives, from health to infrastructure and we can now get on with the job of doing that", a Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) spokesperson said. Caught in the crossfire of this row were other useful proposals contained within the bill, including: New rules on the rights of bereaved parents to access their children's data if they die Changes to allow NHS trusts to share patient data more easily A 3D underground map of the UK's pipes and cables, aimed at improving the efficiency of roadworks by minimising the possibility of them being accidentally dug up. "So this is good news for NHS workers and the police who will be freed from over a million hours of time spent doing admin, bereaved parents who will be supported to get the answers they deserve, and people who will be kept safer online thanks to new offences for deepfake abuse," DSIT said. But even though the Lords have decided they had made their point on AI, the argument has not gone away. Those who fought the battle have not changed their minds. Baroness Kidron, a film maker who led the charge for the amendment, told me the passing of the bill was "a pyrrhic victory at best" for the government, meaning it would lose more than it gains. That cost, she argues, is the giving away of UK assets, in the form of creative content, to largely US-based AI developers. There are many who remain defiant and they believe strongly that the UK's £124bn creative industry is under threat if the government doesn't actively engage with their demands Owen Meredith, chief executive of the News Media Association which supported the Lords said the bill sent a "clear message" to the government "that Parliament, and the UK's 2.4 million creative workers, will fight tirelessly to ensure our world-renowned copyright law is enforced". "We keep being told that AI will change everything, which, I'm afraid, means that we will discuss this during debates on every bill," said Baroness Dido Harding in the House of Lords, recorded in Hansard. "We will prevail in the end." Peers demand more protection from AI for creatives Government AI copyright plan suffers fourth House of Lords defeat Sign up for our Tech Decoded newsletter to follow the world's top tech stories and trends. Outside the UK? Sign up here.
Finextra
12-06-2025
- Business
- Finextra
New data access bill paves the way for evolution of open banking to open finance
The UK Government has passed the Data (Use and Access) Bill through the House of Parliament, paving the way for expansion of open banking and smart data sharing across multiple business sectors. 0 The legislation is a key lever to support the expansion of open banking beyond payments to a more general open finance model, giving consumers the power to share their data more widely across new use cases in energy, telecoms, transport and retail sectors. This broader vision expands the open-data concept beyond banks to encompass insurance, investments, pensions, and other financial services. One example would be an insurance company offering an overview of existing pension products or the access to loans and deposits data from different banks in one application. The UK Centre for Finance, Innovation and Technology (CFIT) has already built two working prototypes of open finance applications for providing financial advice to vulnerable consumers and to speed up credit assessments for SME loan applications. Other use cases could include the sharing of mortgage data to grease the wheels of the property market and provide the best deals on utility bills. Open Banking Limited CEO Henk Van Hulle comments: 'This is a landmark moment for the sector, but it is just the beginning. Now is the time to turn these foundations into real-world outcomes which empower consumers, drive innovation, and unlock growth. 'Having set the legislative foundations for a smarter, more connected data economy, government, regulators and industry need to come together to make this a reality. The coming months will see important choices made that will frame the type of ecosystem and outcomes we deliver in the years to come.'
Wales Online
09-06-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Minister says AI ‘does lie' but defends Government amid copyright row
Minister says AI 'does lie' but defends Government amid copyright row Peter Kyle acknowledged the technology was "not flawless" as he insisted the Government would "never sell downstream" the rights of artists in the UK (Image: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Future Publishing via Getty Images ) The Technology Secretary has said that AI "does lie" but defended his rejection of attempts to strengthen copyright protections amid concerns about tech firms using creatives' material to train their models. Peter Kyle acknowledged the technology was "not flawless" as he insisted the Government would "never sell downstream" the rights of artists in the UK. He also said he had "mistakenly" said his preferred option on AI and copyright was requiring rights-holders to "opt out" of their material being used by tech companies, and had since "gone back to the drawing board". Ministers have faced a backlash from major figures in the creative industries over their approach to copyright, with Sir Elton John this week describing the situation as an "existential issue." The Government is locked in a standoff with the House of Lords, which has demanded artists to be offered immediate copyright protection as an amendment to the Data (Use and Access) Bill. Peers have attempted to change the legislation by adding a commitment to introduce transparency requirements aimed at ensuring rights-holders are able to see when their work has been used and by whom. Article continues below Asked about the risk of AI producing unreliable information, Mr Kyle said "people need to understand that AI is not flawless, and that AI does lie because it's based on human characteristics". "Now it is getting more precise as we move forward. It's getting more powerful as we move forward," he told Sky News's Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips. "But as with every single technology that comes into society, you can only safely use it and wisely use it by understanding how it works." He added: "We are going to legislate for AI going forward and we're going to balance it with the same legislation that we'll bring in to modernise the copyright legislation as well." The Government has said it will address copyright issues as a whole after the more than 11,500 responses to its consultation on the impact of AI have been reviewed, rather than in what it has branded "piecemeal" legislation. Among the proposals had been a suggestion that tech companies could be given free access to British music, films, books in order to train AI models without permission or payment, with artists required to "opt-out" if they do not want their work to be used. Article continues below Asked about the prospect of an opt-out clause, Mr Kyle told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: "I always had on the table from the outset an opt-out clause. "But I mistakenly said this was my preferred option that had more prominence than perhaps some of the creatives wanted it to have, and I've now sort of gone back to the drawing board on that, because I am listening to what people want." Last month hundreds of stars including Sir Elton, Sir Paul McCartney and Kate Bush signed a joint letter to Sir Keir Starmer urging the Prime Minister to introduce safeguards against work being plundered for free.
South Wales Guardian
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Guardian
Minister says AI ‘does lie' but defends Government amid copyright row
Peter Kyle acknowledged the technology was 'not flawless' as he insisted the Government would 'never sell downstream' the rights of artists in the UK. He also said he had 'mistakenly' said his preferred option on AI and copyright was requiring rights-holders to 'opt out' of their material being used by tech companies, and had since 'gone back to the drawing board'. Ministers have faced a backlash from major figures in the creative industries over their approach to copyright, with Sir Elton John this week describing the situation as an 'existential issue.' The Government is locked in a standoff with the House of Lords, which has demanded artists to be offered immediate copyright protection as an amendment to the Data (Use and Access) Bill. Peers have attempted to change the legislation by adding a commitment to introduce transparency requirements aimed at ensuring rights-holders are able to see when their work has been used and by whom. Asked about the risk of AI producing unreliable information, Mr Kyle said 'people need to understand that AI is not flawless, and that AI does lie because it's based on human characteristics'. 'Now it is getting more precise as we move forward. It's getting more powerful as we move forward,' he told Sky News's Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips. 'But as with every single technology that comes into society, you can only safely use it and wisely use it by understanding how it works.' He added: 'We are going to legislate for AI going forward and we're going to balance it with the same legislation that we'll bring in to modernise the copyright legislation as well.' The Government has said it will address copyright issues as a whole after the more than 11,500 responses to its consultation on the impact of AI have been reviewed, rather than in what it has branded 'piecemeal' legislation. Among the proposals had been a suggestion that tech companies could be given free access to British music, films, books in order to train AI models without permission or payment, with artists required to 'opt-out' if they do not want their work to be used. Asked about the prospect of an opt-out clause, Mr Kyle told the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: 'I always had on the table from the outset an opt-out clause. 'But I mistakenly said this was my preferred option that had more prominence than perhaps some of the creatives wanted it to have, and I've now sort of gone back to the drawing board on that, because I am listening to what people want.' Last month hundreds of stars including Sir Elton, Sir Paul McCartney and Kate Bush signed a joint letter to Sir Keir Starmer urging the Prime Minister to introduce safeguards against work being plundered for free.
