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The draft Online Safety Bill harms free speech and hands policing the internet to Silicon Valley, a new campaign claims.

The “Legal to Say. Legal to Type” campaign says if it becomes law, US tech firms would gain too much power.

The draft bill places new duties on social media firms to remove harmful or illegal content.

The government has said firms should have safeguards to ensure freedom of speech.

These would include effective routes for people who have had their content removed to appeal against any decision.

The new campaign includes Ruth Smeeth, of Index on Censorship, Jim Killock of the Open Rights Group, Gavin Millar QC and MP David Davis.

While the group supports the bill’s aim of ensuring online platforms remove images of child sexual abuse, terrorist material and content which incites racial hatred and violence, it fears other provisions will adversely affect free speech.

The new bill could see legal online posts from ordinary people blocked and would turn Ofcom into a free speech “super regulator”, it claims.

Legal harms
Published in May 2021 the Draft Online Safety Bill imposes a “duty of care” on social media companies, and some other platforms that allow users to share and post material, to remove “harmful content”.

This can include content that is legal but still judged to be harmful, such as abuse that doesn’t reach the threshold of criminality, and posts that encourage self-harm and misinformation.

Under the bill, Ofcom will be given the power to block access to sites and fine companies which do not protect users from harmful content up to £18m, or 10% of annual global turnover, whichever is the greater.

Campaigners claim this gives tech firms an incentive to “over-censor”, and “effectively outsources internet policing from the police, courts and Parliament to Silicon Valley”.

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Campaigners are particularly concerned about content that is legal, but deemed to be harmful.

Mr Davis described the bill as a “censor’s charter”. He added: “Lobby groups will be able to push social networks to take down content they view as not politically correct, even though the content is legal.”

The bill includes some protections for political speech and journalism, but in a report published simultaneously with the launch of the new campaign, Index on Censorship argued they did not go far enough.

“For instance, while news published on the Telegraph’s website would be subject to the journalistic exemptions in the bill, the article disseminated on Facebook would be subject to the algorithmic removal of ‘legal but harmful’ content’,” the report said.

Campaigners are also concerned that technology companies may use artificial intelligence to identify harmful content.

That, they say, may introduce racial biases and will wrongly censor language, “especially when it comes to irony-loving Brits”.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has been approached for comment.

The European Commission has opened an investigation into whether Google is dominating the online-advertising market at the expense of its rivals.

It will examine Google’s role in collecting data, selling advertising space and acting as an online-advertising intermediary.

The commission is concerned the technology giant is making it hard for other online advertisers to compete.

Google has said it will co-operate with the inquiry.

‘Fair competition’
The fact the company is present “at all levels of the supply chain for online display advertising” is concerning, commission executive vice-president Margrethe Vestager said.

“Online-advertising services are at the heart of how Google and publishers monetise their online services,” she said.

“Google collects data to be used for targeted advertising purposes, it sells advertising space and also acts as an online advertising intermediary.

“A level playing field is of the essence for everyone in the supply chain.

“Fair competition is important – both for advertisers to reach consumers on publishers’ sites and for publishers to sell their space to advertisers.”

The inquiry will look at:

the obligation to use Google’s services and or Google Ads to purchase display ads on YouTube
the obligation to use Google Ad Manager to service online display ads on YouTube
the apparent favouring of Google’s ad exchange, AdX, by its other services
the restrictions placed by Google on the ability of rival advertisers to access data about user identity or behaviour
Google’s plans to prohibit third-party cookies on Chrome
Google’s plans to stop making the advertising identifier available to third parties on Android smart mobile devicesGoogle says its plans will strengthen user control over their own data.

Its Privacy Sandbox alternative to cookies, which track users as they move around the web, on Chrome will provide only anonymised feedback.

But there are concerns it will also favour Google over its rivals.

Increased scrutiny
In the UK, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has won commitments from the search giant any alternatives it develops will avoid this.

Google has also agreed with the CMA to publicly disclose the results of tests of new technologies and limit how it uses and combines individual user’s data for advertising purposes.

Google has been hit with a series of EU fines in the past three years, totalling 8.25bn euros (£7bn).

In March 2019, it was fined £91m for abusing its market dominance by restricting third-party rivals from displaying search ads between 2006 and 2016.

Google and Facebook together account for most of the global internet-ad sales market but the practices of both are now under increased scrutiny from regulators around the world.

Apple is under investigation by the German competition watchdog.

The Federal Cartel Office (FCO) said the initial investigation will look at whether the company is of “paramount significance across markets”.

Apple said it looked forward to “having an open dialogue” with the FCO about any of its concerns.

Facebook, Amazon and Google have faced similar probes this year, after a new German competition law enabled early action against large digital firms.

In a statement, Andreas Mundt, President of the FCO, said it would examine whether with iOS Apple had created “a digital ecosystem around its iPhone that extends across several markets”.

He added that a focus of the investigation would be the App Store, “as it enables Apple in many ways to influence the business activities of third parties”.

In June the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) confirmed it was investigating Apple and Google over their “effective duopoly” in mobile app stores, operating systems and web browsers.

Further scrutiny
Depending on the outcome of its investigation, the FCO said it would look in more detail at specific practices of Apple, in a possible further proceeding.

The FCO said it had received various complaints alleging anti-competitive practices, which a further probe could consider.

The watchdog noted that App developers had criticised “the mandatory use of Apple’s own in-app purchase system and the 30% commission rate associated with this”.

It had also received a complaint from the advertising and media industry about restrictions on user tracking in iOS 14.5, the watchdog said.

The FCO said it would establish contact, where necessary, with the European Commission, which is currently investigating how App Store policies affect music streaming.

In response to the news, Apple said the “iOS app economy” supported more than 250,000 jobs in Germany.

It added that the App Store had given “German developers of all sizes the same opportunity to share their passion and creativity with users around the world, while creating a secure and trusted place for customers to download the apps they love with the privacy protections they expect.”

Manufacturing more computer chips in Europe and the US will be one of the key focuses of a new technology alliance between the two.

The Trade and Technology Council (TTC) was unveiled following talks between European commissioner Margrethe Vestager and US President Joe Biden.

The group will also seek to set common standards for new technologies such as artificial intelligence.

Both sides are concerned by the rise of China as a technology superpower.

Gaming consoles
A statement on the summit, includes a pledge to build “an EU-US partnership on the rebalancing of global supply chains in semiconductors”.

The pandemic has led to global chip shortages and exposed weaknesses in supply chains, causing shortages of consumer electronics, such as gaming consoles, as well as slowing down production of cars.

Last month, IBM president Jim Whitehurst said the shortage could last for another two years.

The EU wants to increase its share of the global chip-manufacturing market from 10% to 20% and has promised $150bn (£100bn) towards the effort.

Meanwhile, the US has allocated $52bn to domestic chip manufacturing.

The TTC will also include working groups on:

AI
the internet of things
climate
green technology
information and communications technology security
As well as looking at cooperation and standards, the groups will also assess the “misuse of technology threatening security and human rights”.

The UK Information Commissioner has said she is “deeply concerned” live facial recognition (LFR) may be used “inappropriately, excessively or even recklessly”.

Elizabeth Denham questioned what would happen if it was combined with social media and other big data.

There is a “high bar” for LFR where “we shop, socialise or gather”, she wrote.

New guidance for companies and public organisations using the technology has also been published.

In a blog post Ms Denham addressed the use of live face recognition, saying that facial recognition technology could be useful, allowing us to unlock our mobile phones, or set up a bank account online.

But when people’s faces were scanned and processed by algorithms in real time and in public places, the risks to privacy increased.

“We should be able to take our children to a leisure complex, visit a shopping centre or tour a city to see the sights without having our biometric data collected and analysed with every step we take,” she wrote.

The tech could create instant profiles of people to be used in serving personalised adverts or it could match shoppers’ faces against watch-lists of known shoplifters.

In a separate Commissioner’s Opinion, the ICO revealed it was aware of proposals to use live facial recognition in billboards.

Ads in public spaces might be able tell how engaged a person was, or estimate their age, ethnicity, sex and even clothing styles and brands, in order to serve personalised content.

Billboards might even remember faces allowing companies to track individuals visits across different locations.

Taking steps
Companies also needed to be aware of the dangers of bias in facial recognition systems and the risks of misidentification.

The Commissioner’s Opinion sets standards for the use of the live facial recognition by companies and public bodies; police use was addressed in an earlier document.

The new opinion revealed that out of six ICO investigations into LFR systems, none of the systems that actually went live were fully compliant with data protection law.

All of the organisations chose to stop, or not proceed with the use of the technology.

Manufacturing more computer chips in Europe and the US will be one of the key focuses of a new technology alliance between the two.

The Trade and Technology Council (TTC) was unveiled following talks between European commissioner Margrethe Vestager and US President Joe Biden.

The group will also seek to set common standards for new technologies such as artificial intelligence.

Both sides are concerned by the rise of China as a technology superpower.

Gaming consoles
A statement on the summit, includes a pledge to build “an EU-US partnership on the rebalancing of global supply chains in semiconductors”.

The pandemic has led to global chip shortages and exposed weaknesses in supply chains, causing shortages of consumer electronics, such as gaming consoles, as well as slowing down production of cars.

Last month, IBM president Jim Whitehurst said the shortage could last for another two years.

The EU wants to increase its share of the global chip-manufacturing market from 10% to 20% and has promised $150bn (£100bn) towards the effort.

Meanwhile, the US has allocated $52bn to domestic chip manufacturing.

The TTC will also include working groups on:

AI
the internet of things
climate
green technology
information and communications technology security
As well as looking at cooperation and standards, the groups will also assess the “misuse of technology threatening security and human rights”.

Irish police will have the power to compel people to provide passwords for electronic devices when carrying out a search warrant under new legislation.

The change is part of the Garda Síochána Bill published by Irish Justice Minister Heather Humphreys on Monday.

Gardaí will also be required to make a written record of a stop and search.

This will enable data to be collected so the effectiveness and use of the powers can be assessed.

Special measures will be introduced for suspects who are children and suspects who may have impaired capacity.

The bill will bring in longer detention periods for the investigation of multiple offences being investigated together, for a maximum of up to 48 hours.

It will also allow for a week’s detention for suspects in human trafficking offences, which are currently subject to a maximum of 24 hours detention.

‘Powers and safeguards’
“The law in this area is currently very complex, spread across the common law, hundreds of pieces of legislation, constitutional and EU law,” the minister said.

“Bringing it together will make the use of police powers by gardaí clear, transparent and accessible.

“The aim is to create a system that is both clear and straightforward for gardaí to use and easy for people to understand what powers gardaí can use and what their rights are in those circumstances.

“At the same time, where we are proposing to extend additional powers to gardaí, we are also strengthening safeguards. The bill will have a strong focus on the fundamental rights and procedural rights of the accused.

“I believe this will maintain the crucial balance which is key to our criminal justice system, while ensuring greater clarity and streamlining of Garda powers.”

Facebook is developing a smartwatch that will act as a controller for its forthcoming augmented-reality projects.

Reports claimed the device was due for release in mid-2022 and would feature multiple cameras.

But a senior Facebook executive said the smartwatch was in only its early stages – and may never be released to the public.

“We’re investing in technologies across the board… research doesn’t always lead to product development,” he said.

Detachable display
The watch’s existence was revealed by technology news website the Verge, which cited anonymous sources familiar with its development.

It would feature a detachable display with two cameras that would integrate with Facebook networks, including Instagram, the site reported.

“It’s part of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s plan to build more consumer devices that circumvent Apple and Google, the two dominant mobile-phone platform creators that largely control Facebook’s ability to reach people,” the Verge said.

It also reported the device was set to be a controller, linking to planned augmented-reality glasses, which Facebook has made no secret of developing.

And Facebook Reality Labs vice-president Andrew Bosworth lent that version of the product credence, while dismissing the idea of a mainstream smartwatch.

“We’ve said we want AR glasses to be truly useful… to make that interaction feel more natural and intuitive,” he tweeted.

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“This includes research like EMG [electromyography] , haptics, adaptive interfaces that could come together in a wrist-based form factor.”

“We’ll share more when we’re ready.”

Facebook announced a similar “controller” idea in March, saying its researchers had designed a wristband that could detect hand movements based on nerve signals.

The technology giant is a powerful force in virtual reality, through its range of Oculus headsets, which have pushed forward low-cost VR that does not always require external powerful computers.

But it has also been criticised within the VR community for requiring a Facebook account to use its newer products.

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Augmented reality differs from virtual reality in that it mixes projected images with the real world.

Among the best known examples are Google’s ill-fated Glass spectacles and Microsoft’s Hololens platform.

Other technology titans such as Apple are also thought to be researching future mainstream products in AR.

But Facebook is known to have expressed an interest in the commercial smartwatch space, dominated by Apple.

Main competitor
And it is widely reported to have been one of the main bidders to acquire fitness smartwatch brand Fitbit, eventually bought by Google.

Google’s own WearOS smartwatch system is widely reviewed as the main competitor to apple’s WatchOS but lacking many important features.

Since acquiring Fitbit, Google has announced the upcoming WearOS 3 will merge with Samsung’s well respected Tizen watch system.

The move is widely seen as a bid to improve the open system to more firmly compete with the Apple Watch.

US Senate lawmakers have approved a massive spending plan to boost technology research and production.

The proposed measures come in the face of growing international competition, particularly from China.

A Beijing official hit back at the bill on Wednesday, saying it “exaggerated the ‘China threat'”.

The bill, which must pass the House of Representatives before being signed into law, is a rare point of agreement between Republicans and Democrats.

In a vote in the upper chamber of the US Congress, 68 of the 100-member Senate supported the measure, with 32 against. The Senate is evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats, and experts say the vote shows how the two political parties are united on the need to counter Beijing’s economic and military ambitions.

Supporters say the package is one of the largest industrial bills in US history and the biggest investment in scientific research that the country has seen in decades.

“I believe that this legislation will enable the United States to out-innovate, out-produce, and out-compete the world in the industries of the future,” Senate majority leader and co-sponsor of the bill Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor.

It authorises roughly $250bn (£176bn) in funding for technology research, semiconductor development and manufacturing, as well as subsidies for robot makers and chipmakers amid a shortage of computer chips worldwide.

The computer chip shortage has hit automobile production at a time of rebounding global demand and bosses of big tech firms have told the BBC it could last as long as two years.

Why is Huawei still in the UK?
IBM says chip shortage could last two years
China’s tech giants fall under regulator’s pressure
The bill includes a number of China-specific provisions, including the prohibition of the social media app TikTok from being downloaded on government devices.

The purchase of drones manufactured and sold by Chinese state enterprises would also be blocked under the legislation.

Chinese organisations engaged in US cyber attacks or theft of US intellectual property from US firms would face sanctions too, once the bill is passed.

The legislation was passed amid some signs of a thaw in relations between Beijing and Washington. In May, China and the US held virtual talks between trade negotiators in the first such meeting of the Biden presidency.

China’s Commerce Ministry said in early June that China and the US had agreed to restart normal communications.

But on Wednesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin suggested the bill could harm these efforts, saying it was “full of Cold War and zero-sum thinking and runs counter to the public aspiration in both countries to strengthen exchanges and cooperation”.

“The China-related content of the bill passed by the US Senate distorts facts and slanders China’s development path and its domestic and foreign policies,” he said. “It exaggerates the ‘China threat’, advocates traditional competition with China and seriously interferes with China’s internal affairs on Taiwan.”

A version of the legislation must still pass the US House of Representatives and then be reconciled with the Senate version before being signed by President Joe Biden to become law.

However, President Biden praised the bill’s passage.

“It is long past time that we invest in American workers and American innovation,” President Biden said in a statement.

“We are in a competition to win the 21st century, and the starting gun has gone off. As other countries continue to invest in their own research and development, we cannot risk falling behind.”

Apple device users will now be able see when individual apps request to access features such as the microphone, camera and phone gallery, plus which third parties they have connected with in the last seven days.

The new “app privacy report” feature was unveiled at the firm’s annual developers’ conference, WWDC.

Apple has prioritised privacy lately, including a war on ad-tracking.

No new hardware was announced at the event, despite earlier speculation.

Privacy
The new privacy report goes further than Apple’s existing “nutrition labels” which show users what kinds of permissions apps ask for, before they are installed.

It will allow users to dive deep into when exactly an app used the permissions it has been given – and what third-party websites it contacted or sent data to.

“Apple continues to double down on privacy,” said Thomas Husson, analyst at Forrester.

“In this area, no doubt Apple is leading the pack and setting the tone for the rest of the industry.”

Apple device users will now be able see when individual apps request to access features such as the microphone, camera and phone gallery, plus which third parties they have connected with in the last seven days.

The new “app privacy report” feature was unveiled at the firm’s annual developers’ conference, WWDC.

Apple has prioritised privacy lately, including a war on ad-tracking.

No new hardware was announced at the event, despite earlier speculation.

Privacy
The new privacy report goes further than Apple’s existing “nutrition labels” which show users what kinds of permissions apps ask for, before they are installed.

It will allow users to dive deep into when exactly an app used the permissions it has been given – and what third-party websites it contacted or sent data to.

“Apple continues to double down on privacy,” said Thomas Husson, analyst at Forrester.

“In this area, no doubt Apple is leading the pack and setting the tone for the rest of the industry.”