Neil Hodge
Neil Hodge is a freelance business journalist and photographer based in Nottingham, United Kingdom. He writes on insurance and risk management, corporate governance, internal audit, compliance, and legal issues for a wide range of publications in the United Kingdom and United States.
PremiumEDPB decision sparks ‘consent or pay’ debate for Big Tech firms
Big Tech firms might need to rethink their plans to charge users for not selling their personal data for behavioral advertising following a decision by Europe’s primary data regulator.
PremiumFocused on consumer privacy? Don’t forget employees’ rights
The implications of a privacy rights case involving a U.K.-based Uber Eats driver underscore a popular belief that companies prioritize protecting the personal information of their customers over the data rights of their employees.
PremiumNeed to know: How AI Act sets tone for AI regulation
The European Union’s AI Act follows a risk-based approach: the higher the risk the artificial intelligence poses, the stricter the rules. Understanding each category is key to compliance.
OpinionNew leadership no easy fix for Irish DPC’s GDPR woes
The Irish Data Protection Commission has a new leadership structure, but it is uncertain whether the changes can get the key privacy regulator caught up on enforcement of the General Data Protection Regulation.
PremiumBig Tech practices draw early scrutiny under DSA, DMA
TikTok and X are under investigation related to their respective compliance with the European Union’s Digital Services Act, while the first three companies probed under the Digital Markets Act include Apple, Alphabet, and Meta.
PremiumICO primed for enforcement increase behind new fining guidance?
The Information Commissioner’s Office updated its data protection fining guidance to provide companies with greater transparency and clarity about how and why it would issue penalties for a breach of the U.K. General Data Protection Regulation or Data Protection Act 2018.
PremiumPrivacy by design a silver bullet for stemming AI risks?
The proliferation of artificial intelligence technologies—and their reliance on publicly available data—has reinforced the need for tech developers and the companies using their solutions to ensure privacy by design and by default is at the crux of any offering.
PremiumSFO director support for whistleblower incentives enough to drive change?
When Nick Ephgrave of the Serious Fraud Office said in his maiden speech he favored paying whistleblowers in exchange for information, he might not have been fully aware of the implications, according to legal experts.
PremiumExperts: No easy fix for U.K. senior manager accountability shortcomings
Legal experts generally agree the U.K.’s record for prosecuting board-level executives for financial and economic crime could be better. But some believe there is a problem criticizing poor enforcement when the legislation in place has its own shortcomings.
PremiumPublic consultation on GDPR opens door for changes
Feedback from a European Commission consultation on the six years of enforcement of the General Data Protection Regulation could result in tweaks to the rules and potential changes to the way data protection authorities enforce them.
PremiumThe blurred lines of employee monitoring under GDPR
The French data regulator’s fine against an Amazon warehouse manager for violating employees’ rights to privacy in the workplace once again raises questions about what constitutes an overzealous approach to employee monitoring and why companies fail to recognize the signs.
PremiumExamining precedent set by French DPA’s Amazon employee monitoring fine
The decision by France’s data regulator to fine an Amazon warehouse manager for breaches of the General Data Protection Regulation over the way it monitored employee productivity raises questions about the reach data protection authorities have over corporate conduct.
PremiumJury out on viability of AI in ESG reporting
Tech vendors believe ESG reporting is a ripe market for artificial intelligence to help companies sift through data and ensure compliance with both mandatory and voluntary reporting standards. Compliance officers appear less sure.
PremiumMeta’s ‘pay or consent’ model to force GDPR to adapt?
Experts weigh in on Meta’s plans to charge EU users monthly if they do not want to be tracked for online advertising and what the ramifications of the model would mean for the future of the General Data Protection Regulation.
PremiumU.K. Post Office scandal sparks contractor accountability debate
The recent furor in the United Kingdom over the Post Office’s wrongful prosecutions of sub-postmasters for alleged fraud has put the government’s relationship with private contractors under the spotlight and raised questions about how companies could be held more accountable in future.
PremiumStiffer U.K. audit penalties posing more problems?
Legal experts are unconvinced record fines against audit firms imposed last year by the U.K. Financial Reporting Council will necessarily improve audit quality.
PremiumU.K. push for more listings to lower bar on governance?
Moves by the U.K.’s financial regulatory body to encourage companies to list in London might fail to deliver or send mixed messages about the value placed on corporate governance, according to experts.
PremiumDisclosure rules not enough to curb U.K. salary gaps
The issue of “fat cat” pay awards was reignited in the United Kingdom after a think tank found a typical FTSE 100 CEO earned the average annual salary for a full-time worker after just four days into the new year.
PremiumCompliance with CSRD, CS3D, national laws an EU balancing act
Companies could be in danger of failing to comply with a raft of social responsibility-minded legislation at the European Union and national level because they might mistakenly think duties on corporates overlap when they do not.
PremiumShades of GDPR? Experts assess AI Act as global standard
As the European Union’s AI Act sets its sights on 2026 to take full effect, experts are concerned other key jurisdictions might introduce divergent legislation that treats artificial intelligence use differently, thus making it difficult for companies to ensure compliance.