United Kingdom: Government, Public Sector

MI5 has issued an urgent alert identifying over 100 UK academics who unknowingly contributed to Chinese state security research through the China General Technology Research Institute. Universities now face potential criminal liability under the National Security Act 2023 and export control regulations if they fail to conduct proper due diligence on research collaborations. In-house legal teams must immediately review existing partnerships and implement robust screening systems to identify high-risk foreign

The Security Industry Authority has published a significant update on the implementation of Martyn's Law, providing crucial details on compliance templates, scope assessments, and the forthcoming notification portal. With the legislation expected to come into force in spring 2027, organisations must now turn their attention from understanding the requirements to preparing for practical compliance and regulatory oversight.

The Iran (Sanctions) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 introduce sweeping new financial, trade and transport restrictions affecting businesses across multiple sectors including financial services, commodities, shipping and software. These expanded controls require companies to reassess their products, services, counterparties and supply chains to identify both direct and indirect Iran-related exposure and ensure compliance with strengthened enforcement provisions.