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.
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ArticleAspen to pay $9.7M to settle U.K. competition concerns
Aspen Pharmacare has offered to pay the U.K.’s National Health Service £8 million (U.S. $9.7 million) following suspicions that the company paid rival firms to delay marketing a vital medicine to retain market dominance.
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SFO cooperation guidance provides clarity on leniency
In recent guidance, the SFO for the first time has formally set out expectations essential to U.S.-type deferred prosecution agreements, but some say the low number of companies accepting criminal responsibility may negate the provision’s worth.
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EU assessment: GDPR showing results, but ‘work needs to continue’
The EU’s tough new data rules are “bearing fruit,” but some member states have still not put GDPR into law, and only 20 percent of EU citizens seem aware of which public authority is responsible for protecting their personal information.
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New PM Boris Johnson vows Brexit by Oct. 31 deadline; businesses wary
Newly elected Prime Minister Boris Johnson will enter 10 Downing Street with exactly 100 days to deliver the Brexit he has promised.
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GDPR enforcement varies widely by country
Most EU countries have now issued fines under the GDPR. Determining which are the toughest enforcers depends on one’s viewpoint—we lay out country-by-country look at the enforcement trends to date.
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All eyes on how Ireland will handle Big Tech and GDPR
Ireland—home EU regulator to Big Tech firms including Google, Twitter, and Facebook—is the key country not to have issued a GDPR-related fine yet, though the regulator has said it has started at least 19 inquiries into the sector.
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What we can learn from the biggest GDPR fines so far
Recent record-breaking fines for GDPR violations levied on British Airways and Marriott by the U.K. Information Commissioner’s Office offer a glimpse into what GDPR enforcement might look like going forward and serve up a warning to companies that data privacy protocols must be foolproof.
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New EC president willing to extend Brexit third time
New European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said she is willing to extend the Brexit deadline for a third time “should more time be required for a good reason.”
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EU investigating Amazon over antitrust concerns
The European Commission is investigating Amazon over concerns that the company’s use of data gathered from independent retailers that sell on its marketplace breaches EU competition rules.
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U.K.'s CMA mulls new regulator to tackle Big Tech
The CMA, U.K.’s competition watchdog, explores whether a separate regulator is needed to oversee leading digital firms that have become “data monopolies” that stifle competition.
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Yet another misstep by Danske results in firing of interim Danish CEO
Danske Bank has been forced to fire yet another board member—this time for mis-selling thousands of customers a wealth management product that charged excessive fees.
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Facebook exec echoes calls for regulation
One of Facebook’s top executives added his voice to the growing movement among technology firms that the sector cannot police the internet on its own.
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FCA fines BOS over failure to report fraud suspicions
Bank of Scotland (BOS) has been slammed with a £45.5 million (U.S. $57.8 million) fine by the Financial Conduct Authority for failing to inform authorities of its suspicions that a BOS turnaround unit was committing fraud.
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U.K. tax havens promise greater transparency on company ownership
Starting in 2021, Guernsey, Jersey, and the Isle of Man will make records of company ownership public, which should please members of parliament who have argued that not doing so has made them vulnerable to financial crime.
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Nordea raided over ML probe in Denmark
Scandinavian banking giant Nordea revealed its Copenhagen office was raided by Danish police as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged money laundering.
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Amnesty International culls top team after report reveals ‘toxic’ culture
Human rights campaign group Amnesty International has said it will lose most of its senior leadership team after a scathing report slammed the organization’s “toxic” workplace culture.
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IBE produces AI guidance for boards
The U.K. Institute of Business Ethics is offering a new guide for companies faced with the ethical challenges of artificial intelligence.
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Privacy groups launch GDPR complaints
European privacy rights groups have launched a campaign to stop social media platforms and internet search engines from “spying” on users through online advertising by filing GDPR complaints with nine EU data regulators.
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‘Context’ matters in AI decision making, says ICO
Transparency for all AI-generated decisions is not as important as context, according to new research from U.K. data regulator the Information Commissioner’s Office.
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One year in, no fines yet from U.K. regulator on GDPR
A Freedom of Information Act request shows Britain’s data protection watchdog has imposed just 29 financial penalties in the last year, none of which came under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation.
