Blog posts

Handley Gill’s specialist AI governance consultants review the implementation of the EU AI Act and highlight the obligations coming into force on providers of general-purpose AI models, including those posing systemic risk, in just 4 months’ time from 02 August 2025.

March 2025 edition of Handley Gill’s monthly digital newsletter, On Hand, with all the latest developments in data protection (UK, EU and global), cyber security, AI and machine learning, content regulation, open justice, access to information, reputation management, digital markets regulation, human rights & ESG. Presented in a readily digestible digital format, those who prefer the traditional newsletter format can export the newsletter to pdf.

Handley Gill’s specialist online safety consultants analyse the fine imposed on the provider of OnlyFans, its second fine against a video sharing platform provider for failure to comply with an information notice issued under Part 4B Communications Act 2003, the precursor to the Online Safety Act 2023 regulating video sharing platforms, examining common themes in Ofcom’s approach to enforcement having regard to its earlier fine on TikTok and, considering the implications for entities subject to the Online Safety Act 2023.

Handley Gill’s AI governance consultants identify the children’s rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child most relevant to the development and deployment of AI systems, and consider their enforceability in the context of summarising the 5Rights Foundation’s recently launched Children and AI Design Code and analysing its implications for developers and deployers of AI systems, addressing the extent to which they are obliged to comply with its requirements.

Handley Gill’s specialist data protection consultants report on the final sessions of the House of Commons Public Bill Committee on the Data (Use and Access) Bill on 11 March 2025, when the government reversed several amendments made in the House of Lords.

Handley Gill’s specialist data protection consultants summarise and comment on the efficacy of the Information Commissioner’s strategy to enforce its Age Appropriate Design Code aka the Children’s Code, the likely targets of future enforcement activity and, the impact of regulatory co-operation with Ofcom.

Handley Gill’s specialist artificial intelligence (AI) governance consultants analyse the requirements of the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention on Artificial Intelligence (AI), and its HUDERIA methodology for conducting artificial intelligence (AI) impact assessments (or conformity assessments under the EU AI Act) addressing the impact of AI systems impact on human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

Handley Gill’s specialist online safety consultants highlight the passing of the deadline for online services to complete their illegal content risk assessments under the Online Safety Act 2023 and comment on next steps, including the obligation to implement mitigations against the identified risks and the online safety regulator, Ofcom’s, enforcement measures.

Handley Gill’s specialist data protection consultants highlight the European Data Protection Board’s (EDPB’s) announcement of action throughout 2025 under its Co-ordinated Enforcement Framework on the right to erasure, or right to be forgotten, under Article 17 GDPR, identifying likely recipients, how controllers can prepare and how they might respond.

Handley Gill is the winner of the 2025 Cybersecurity and Resilience Award for Best Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign for our work securing amendments to the Institute of Directors’ voluntary Code of Conduct for Directors to reflect that risk management, including cyber risk, and business resilience across supply chains are essential tenets of responsible business. But we’re not stopping there, and are calling on the government to incorporate several provisions into the Cybersecurity & Resilience Bill to protect the people, property and prosperity of UK plc.

To coincide with Public Sector AI Week 2025, Handley Gill’s specialist AI governance consultants consider how public law obligations apply to public authorities and other bodies carrying out public functions when using artificial intelligence (AI) and the measures they can take to demonstrate compliance and minimise the risk of judicial review challenge.

Handley Gill’s specialist data protection consultants report on the first sittings of the House of Commons Public Bill Committee on the Data (Use and Access) Bill on 04 March 2025, when the government reversed several amendments made in the House of Lords.

Handley Gill’s specialist content moderation, online safety and responsible AI consultants consider the report of the Independent Pornography Review carried out by Baroness Bertin, which has implications not only for platforms hosting pornographic content but for producers, adult performers and creators, ancillary service providers, advertisers, AI developers and regulators.

Unofficial Keeling schedules demonstrating the effect that the Data (Use & Access) Bill (Bill 179 20224-25) (as brought from the Lords) will have on the Data Protection Act 2018, UK GDPR and Privacy and Electronic Communications (EC Directive) Regulations (PECR).

Handley Gill highlights the written evidence submitted by its expert data protection consultants to the House of Commons Public Bill Committee on the the Data (Use & Access) Bill, detailing the implications of the Bill and opportunities to improve it through amendments, which has been accepted and published by the Committee as DUAB20.

When, to coin the Little Britain phrase, the “computer says no”, what information are individuals entitled to know? Handley Gill’s specialist data protection and responsible AI consultants summarise the ruling in C‑203/22 CK v Magistrat der Stadt Wien (commonly referred to as the Dun & Bradstreet case) determining how to comply with the obligation to provide meaningful information on automated decision-making.

Handley Gill‘s specialist responsible AI and human rights consultants explain the basis for the argument in their response to the government’s consultation on copyright and artificial intelligence (AI) that proposals to create an exception to the exclusive rights of copyright holders to permit web scraping/data mining for the training validation and testing of AI models infringe human rights.

Handley Gill’s specialist responsible AI consultants respond to the Government’s consultation on Copyright and Artificial Intelligence (AI), in which the Government proposes to create a copyright exception for data mining which would require rights holders to opt out through approved means and that AI developers be transparent about the sources of their AI training material.

Handley Gill Limited has been shortlisted for the 2025 Cybersecurity and Resilience Awards for its campaign to get company directors and charity trustees to address cyber security and business resilience, including in respect of their supply chains, and its success in lobbying the Institute of Directors to recognise risk management and business resilience as a core tenet of responsible business in its Code of Conduct for Directors.

Handley Gill’s specialist data protection consultants highlight the increase by an average of 29.9% in the data protection fee payable to the Information Commissioner with effect from 17 February 2025, and consider what controllers and the public can expect from the data protection regulator as a consequence.

Handley Gill’s specialist data protection consultants report on the Data (Use and Access) Bill’s Second Reading in the House of Commons on 12 February 2025, which provided MPs with the first opportunity to debate proposals to reform the UK’s data protection legislation.

This Safer Internet Day 2025, Handley Gill considers recent developments and reports on the UK government’s policy stance on the regulation of Big Tech and how Labour’s ambitions have been tempered since President Trump’s inauguration, particularly in relation to online safety and artificial intelligence, and even pandering to AI developers by taking steps toward reforming copyright laws restricting data mining for AI training.

Handley Gill’s specialist data protection consultants report on peers’ final consideration of the Data (Use and Access) Bill at Third Reading on 05 February 2025, when the Government was defeated by Baroness Owen’s amendments in relation to non-consensual deepfake intimate image offences, before the Bill was sent to the House of Commons.

As the deadline for online services to conduct an illegal harms risk assessment/illegal content risk assessment under the Online Safety Act 2023 approaches, Handley Gill’s specialist online safety consultants consider the implications of the posting of illegal content on popular online forum Mumsnet for online services subject to the online safety regime and the efficacy of the regime for preventing users from encountering illegal content in light of Ofcom’s guidance.

Handley Gill’s specialist responsible AI consultants highlight the provisions of the EU AI Act coming into force on 02 February 2025 which ban certain AI practices within the EU, including manipulative or deceptive techniques, exploiting vulnerabilities, social scoring, predictive policing, facial recognition databases based on scraping, emotion recognition at school or work, biometric categorisation and real time biometric identification in public spaces for law enforcement, as well as new positive obligations on AI developers and deployers relating to AI literacy.

Handley Gill’s specialist responsible artificial intelligence (AI) consultants consider the requirements of the new Code of Practice for the Cyber Security of AI published by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and highlight the implications of the Code of Conduct for stakeholders in the AI lifecycle.

Following the conclusion of the House of Lords’ Grand Committee’s scrutiny of the Data (Use and Access) Bill, Handley Gill’s specialist data protection consultants report on peers’ consideration of the Bill at Report stage on 21 and 28 January 2025.

Handley Gill’s specialist data protection consultants discuss the history of Data Protection Day and propose methods to utilise the celebration of the anniversary to further your organisation’s data protection compliance in line with this year’s theme ‘A New Mandate for Data Protection’ in light of emerging technologies and legislative change.

Handley Gill’s specialist responsible AI consultants consider the requirements of the government’s AI Management Essentials (AIME) self-assessment tool, and address their adequacy in response to the government’s consultation, their role in establishing responsible AI management systems and processes and informing public procurement of AI models and their interaction with the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard (ATRS).

Get your tickets to Enterprise Nation’s StartUp Show 2025, download the app and book an appointment with us to get free legal and regulatory compliance advice on 25 January 2025. We can’t wait to meet you.