United Kingdom: Privacy

The Family Justice Council's May 2025 guidance addresses the increasingly common practice of making covert recordings in family proceedings involving children. While smartphones have made secret recording easier than ever, the legal and welfare implications of using such evidence in court are complex and potentially serious. Understanding when recordings may be admissible, and when they might actually harm your case, is crucial for anyone involved in family proceedings.

The UK government has launched consultations on data protection law in the age of AI, seeking practical examples of what works and where clarity is lacking. With the EU shifting its regulatory approach following the Draghi Report, the UK now has an opportunity to demonstrate how data protection rules can be simplified while maintaining high standards, potentially using the FCA's Consumer Duty as a blueprint for clearer, more intelligible regulations.

The UK's data protection regulator is preparing a formal Code of Practice on AI and automated decision-making, expecting businesses to assess their AI use well before it takes effect. Organizations subject to UK GDPR that develop or use AI tools—including those purchased from third parties—face significant compliance obligations that extend far beyond AI developers to any business making decisions about individuals through automated systems.

Recent EU and UK court decisions have reshaped the landscape of data protection compliance, clarifying critical boundaries around consent, data subject rights, cybersecurity obligations, and children's privacy. These rulings demonstrate that organizations must move beyond formal compliance to embed proportionality, accountability, and risk-based decision-making into their data processing activities, even when disclosures are legally required or supported by valid legal bases.

A global organization launches a critical report examining how AI transparency tools and content provenance systems, designed to promote trust and verify authenticity, could paradoxically be weaponized against journalists, human rights defenders, and documentary filmmakers in hostile political environments. The analysis explores the unintended surveillance risks embedded in digital watermarking and content credential technologies now being integrated into cameras, mobile devices, and distribution platforms.

The UK government is seeking practical insights into how current data protection frameworks interact with artificial intelligence and data-intensive technologies.