UK Develops New Global Guidelines for AI Cybersecurity - DIGIT Tech News Roundup

Welcome to the latest edition of the DIGIT Tech News Roundup.

In this week’s newsletter, we will cover some of our top-trending tech news stories, features and op-eds from the week beginning the 27th of November.

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DIGIT's Top Trending Stories

UK Develops Landmark New Global Guidelines for AI Cybersecurity

The new guidelines were created in collaboration with the US’s own cybersecurity organisation. 

The UK has published global guidelines to ensure the secure development of AI technology, which has already been endorsed by 18 countries, including the US.

Dubbed Guidelines for Secure AI System Development, the standards aim to raise the cybersecurity levels of AI and help ensure that it is designed, developed, and deployed securely.

17 other countries have already confirmed they will endorse and co-seal the new guidelines, a testament to the UK’s leadership in AI safety following the AI Safety Summit.

Scots NHS Board Receives Reprimand from ICO for Data Breach

NHS Fife is facing a reprimand from the ICO after a breach of patient data security. 

According to the ICO, an unauthorised person gained access to a ward to obtain personal information of 14 patients in February of 2023. They did so by entering the ward at NHS, Fife, and were handed a document by a member of staff containing the personal information. 

“Patient data is highly sensitive information that must be handled with the appropriate security. When accessing healthcare and other vital services, people need to trust that their data is secure and only available to authorised individuals,” said Natasha Longson, ICO head of investigations.

Tech Giants Sign Online Fraud Charter with UK Gov

Some of the world’s biggest tech companies banded together to protect UK consumers from online scams, fake adverts, and romance fraud in a pledge with the Home Secretary.

With fraud being the most common crime in the UK, the government has joined forces with leading tech companies – Amazon, eBay, Facebook, Google, Instagram, LinkedIn, Match Group, Microsoft, Snapchat, TikTok, X (Twitter) and YouTube – to develop and commit to the Online Fraud Charter, the first agreement of its kind in the world.

“The nature of online fraud is constantly evolving and tech companies are continually adapting and improving their approaches to combat this criminal activity,” Antony Walker, deputy chief executive officer of techUK said. 

New Initiative to Boost Entrepreneurship Opportunities for Scots Minorities

Knowvate Hub, in collaboration with Startup Grind Scotland and Black Professionals Scotland, has announced a new initiative aimed at empowering and educating Black and minority ethnic communities about the opportunities in entrepreneurship across Scotland.

The Include & Inspire Business Series project, funded by the Ecosystem Fund from the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise, will feature a series of inclusive events and online resources to showcase local success stories from minority ethnic entrepreneurs and encourage others to explore entrepreneurship as a viable path.

Knowvate Hub is a recent spin-out group from Black Professionals Scotland, the community group founded in 2016 which boasts a membership community of about 5,000 Black students and professionals.

UK Gov Coming After Unpaid Crypto Taxes

In a move that reflects the evolving  nature of the digital currencies landscape, the UK government is revising its approach to taxation on crypto assets. As part of this, there will be a structured process to report and pay any unpaid tax, crypto gains, or undeclared income from past years. 

The update, which was outlined in HM Revenue & Customs’ latest publication, published specific guidelines for individuals and entities dealing with crypto assets like exchange tokens, NFTs (non-fungible tokens), and utility tokens.

One critical aspect of the revised policy is the requirement for taxpayers to have a government gateway user ID to initiate the disclosure. This would require detailed information such as a National Insurance Number, transaction details, and financial figures. 

Guidance for Boosting Employee AI Skills Released by UK Gov

The UK Government has published new draft guidance for employers to help them upskill their employees’ AI understanding and skills.

Developed with The Alan Turing Institute and the Innovate UK BridgeAI programme, the guidance is intended to help employers boost their employees’ grasp on artificial intelligence so they can deploy it in their day-to-day roles.

“The new framework clarifies routes to workforce upskilling and will support businesses across the country to harness the value of AI,” said Matt Forshaw, senior advisor for skills at The Alan Turing Institute.

CMA Finds Adobe-Figma Deal Could Harm UK’s Digital Design Sector

Following its phase two investigation, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has provisionally found that Adobe’s deal to buy Figma would likely harm choice and innovation in digital design software.

The inquiry is the latest in a series of actions undertaken by the CMA, and led by an independent group, amid concerns that the deal could negatively impact the UK’s digital design sector.

The proposed deal “has the potential to impact the UK’s digital design industry by reducing choice, innovation and the development of new competitive products,” said Margot Daly, chair of the independent group conducting the investigation.

The FCA is Coming After Greenwashing with New Regulations

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is releasing new measures to battle greenwashing and improve the trust and transparency of sustainable investment products.

‘Greenwashing’ is a term referring to false sustainability claims made by corporations to profit from climate-conscious consumers. Common greenwashing tactics include planting trees to offset carbon emissions, claiming manufacturing processes are green or use less water, and claiming a product is sustainable if it uses just one sustainable product.

These claims often go unchecked, leaving consumers in the dark, and allowing more companies to claim they are environmentally friendly in order to gain more consumer trust.