IT for government and public sector

Tech sector calls on government to 'urgently' resolve delays in digital identity policy

Trade body TechUK has written privately to DCMS secretary of state to express industry frustrations and request ‘urgent needs’ are resolved to enable digital identity market in UK Continue Reading

Finland government funds work on potential quantum leap

Finland's government is committing money to the development of quantum computing technologies to potentially provide a giant leap for the nation's industries Continue Reading

List of Blackbaud breach victims tops 120

More than 120 education and third-sector organisations may have had their data compromised through the breach of Blackbaud’s cloud platform Continue Reading

Campaigners urge government to resist big tech lobbying pressure

Lobbyists for big tech, supported by senior US politicians, have rallied against stricter regulation of technology companies, and threatened the US-UK trade deal unless Britain scraps plans to levy a digital services tax Continue Reading

Schrems steps up pressure on Irish data protection commissioner on Facebook’s data sharing with US

Austrian lawyer is considering ‘other’ options if the Irish data protection commissioner does not make a decision by October on his seven-year-old complaint against Facebook Continue Reading

Taking back control of government data mustn’t leave the public in the dark

Boris Johnson has quietly transferred control over government data to Number 10, without explaining why. The public deserves more involvement in how their personal data is being used, says Labour Continue Reading

De Montfort, KCL, Newcastle universities join list of Blackbaud victims

Embattled cloud services provider now has big questions to answer over its handling of data belonging to UK universities and charities Continue Reading

NCSC names national security expert Lindy Cameron as new CEO

New National Cyber Security Centre head joins from the Northern Ireland Office and has spent 20 years in government at home and abroad Continue Reading

UK government aims fintech industry at Africa

UK government is building fintech relationships with developing countries, beginning with a pilot programme in Africa Continue Reading

Councils get funding to build on Covid-19 digital progress

The latest council funding is intended to ensure continued modernisation in public services delivery Continue Reading

MI6 apologises after attempt to interfere with intelligence court

The UK Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, has apologised after attempting to persuade the secretary of Britain’s most secret court to withhold documents from senior judges in a case about crimes by undercover agents Continue Reading

Venture firm Public launches fourth GovTech accelerator

The GovStart 2020 accelerator programme is looking for innovators working on transport, health and workforce-related technology to help get more startups working on the delivery of public services Continue Reading

Inquiry launched into role of tech in Covid-19 recovery

Science and Technology Committee will look at the role of technology and innovation as the UK recovers from the coronavirus pandemic Continue Reading

Courts to trial digital case management system from September 2020

The Common Platform digital system will eventually replace a series of existing software applications, and will be rolled out to criminal courts over the next year Continue Reading

Government launches space innovation programme

The government’s innovation programme will initially pump £15m into projects using space technology to tackle global issues, as well as international space projects and partnerships Continue Reading

How Schrems II will impact data sharing between the UK and the US

At the end of this year, the UK will no longer be subject to the EU’s treaties, opening the way for it and the US to finalise a new trade relationship. Could the UK leave EU data protection standards behind? Continue Reading

Making Tax Digital will boost business resilience in case of future Covid crises

HMRC is expanding the digitisation of income and corporation tax in a move that will benefit businesses, the self-employed and the economy, writes the government's financial secretary to the Treasury Continue Reading

UK government aims for tech-enabled border

A consultation has been launched to gather views on how digital approaches can improve trader and traveller demands by 2025 Continue Reading

DCMS loses government data policy to the Cabinet Office

Prime minister Boris Johnson has taken away responsibility for the government use of data from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and given it to the Cabinet Office Continue Reading

New opportunities for Nordic startups post-Covid-19 as virtual offices become the norm

As companies adjust to digital office life in the pandemic era, a host of Nordic startups are already helping them convert these short-term fixes into long-term strategy Continue Reading

TfL contracts Capita for London Underground section of emergency services network

Capita will implement the network infrastructure that will enable the emergency services mobile network to work on the London Underground Continue Reading

CDEI calls for ‘step change’ in public sector data sharing

Public sector needs to change the way data is shared, clarify governance arrangements and work on building public trust and awareness, according to a Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation report Continue Reading

HMRC extends Making Tax Digital programme

Programme to be extended gradually until April 2023 to cover business below the VAT threshold and income tax self-assessments above £10,000 a year Continue Reading

Covid-19 outbreak ramps up data focus at LOTI

The boroughs working in local government coalition LOTI are focusing on joining up and acting on data-driven insights to help communities through the crisis and beyond Continue Reading

Government launches fintech review

Sector review, first touted in the 2020 Budget, aims to find ways to boost competitiveness and growth Continue Reading

DVLA makes technological progress

Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency has introduced a 24/7 chatbot, modernised its core IT network and is prototyping robotic process automation Continue Reading

Building trust in the future of London’s data

Sharing data by default could turbocharge London’s potential for radical improvements across the ecosystem, according to London First’s director of connectivity and competitiveness, David Lutton Continue Reading

Unesco launches global consultation on AI ethics

The United Nations (UN) body opens up public consultation to help experts draft new global framework on artificial intelligence ethics Continue Reading

Government gives £24m boost to agricultural tech

Nine agricultural technology projects are receiving government funding to create more efficient food production and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Continue Reading

Lockdown sparks interest in digital skills for 58% of adults

Adults in the UK are becoming increasingly interested in digital skills, with over 80% saying they will become even more important over the next year Continue Reading

Loan charge: Government dashes hopes of revised down settlements for contractors

HMRC and HM Treasury confirm there are no plans to alter the loan charge settlement terms, despite calls from cross-party MPs to consider doing so Continue Reading

Public sector not considering the elderly in development of digital services

A study by software firm Civica found public sector leaders have admitted to not targeting digital services at those over 70, despite many people this age claiming to use digital technology Continue Reading

Russian state hackers attacking Covid-19 researchers

Kremlin-linked APT29 group, also known as Cozy Bear, is conducting a campaign against Covid-19 researchers around the world Continue Reading

IR35 private sector reforms: Government response to Finance Bill Sub-Committee inquiry slammed

Contracting stakeholders claim HMRC and HM Treasury are ‘burying their heads in the sand’ over impact IR35 reforms are set to have on the private sector Continue Reading

Schrems v Facebook: European court strikes down EU-US Privacy Shield agreement

The European Court of Justice has struck down Privacy Shield, the EU-US data-sharing agreement, creating uncertainty for European countries that share data with the US and pressuring the US to reform surveillance laws Continue Reading

Gov.uk Verify sees surge during Covid-19 outbreak but remains unachievable

The government's flagship identity service and over half of the 26 major IT projects led by the government bear highest risks and are unlikely to be completed, according to the Infrastructure and Projects Authority. Continue Reading

Room for improvement in Dutch digital skills

The Netherlands has good telecommunications and IT networks that can be used safely and reliably, but there is room for improvement in digital skills among the Dutch Continue Reading

Defra releases sustainable IT strategy

Defra’s sustainable IT strategy seeks to help government and private organisations maximise the benefits of sustainability, with an overall mission to ‘leave the environment in a better state than we found it’ Continue Reading

Overseas IT directors could need salary of £56,100 to work in the UK

The government has confirmed the salaries it considers as the ‘going rate’ for tech professions, which overseas applicants will need to earn to gain immigration points Continue Reading

Huge declines in traditional outsourcing as Covid-19 puts a stop on deals

Traditional IT outsourcing deals value plummets in the last quarter as contracts dry up amid Covid-19 disruption Continue Reading

11 obscure questions, Facebook, Max Schrems and the European Court of Justice

Eleven obscure questions will be the first step towards explaining why we in the UK and Europe have experienced 13 years of what has been described as ‘mass and indiscriminate surveillance’ by the US Continue Reading

University graduates to Nutanix Files hyper-converged NAS

The University of Reading had already deployed Nutanix hyper-converged infrastructure so it made sense to add Nutanix Files when its ageing NAS boxes bit the dust Continue Reading

The UK government’s weaponization of data analytics

Data analytics seems to have emerged as a cure-all for the current Conservative government. Indeed, it is being positioned as a critical element in the wider revolution of Whitehall that Dominic ... Continue Reading

European court to decide legality of EU-US data sharing in dispute between Schrems and Facebook

A ruling by the European Court of Justice will have ramifications for hundreds of thousands of companies that share data with the US. The case aims to balance US surveillance laws with the rights of EU citizens to keep their data private Continue Reading

Government pumps more than £100m into border IT systems

HMRC will get more than £100m for border IT systems as part of a £705m government funding package for infrastructure, jobs and technology post-Brexit Continue Reading

Subpostmasters hit funding target to prevent government from burying IT scandal

The government is set to face scrutiny over its involvement in the Post Office Horizon IT scandal, described as one of the biggest miscarriages of justice in modern UK history Continue Reading

Universal Credit still struggles with digital issues, says NAO

The cost of rolling out Universal Credit continues to rise, while only 20% of new claimants attempt to verify their identity online and digital skills remain an issue, according to the National Audit Office Continue Reading

NHS North West London boosts analytics use during Covid-19 outbreak

A collaboration of NHS hospitals and health organisations in London is enhancing the use of data to improve their response to coronavirus Continue Reading

NHS trust uses case management software to deliver time savings

To deal with inefficient and unreliable processes, East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Trust has implemented a case management system specifically designed for HR practitioners Continue Reading

Clearview AI faces ICO investigation over facial recognition

Controversial company that scraped data from the public internet to build its facial recognition algorithm faces a joint UK-Australian investigation into its practices Continue Reading

The pandemic has made UK government rethink its relationship with data

Data has been essential to fighting the coronavirus outbreak, and the forthcoming National Data Strategy promises to place data at the heart of the UK's economic recovery Continue Reading

CW Middle East: Facing up to coronavirus

The UAE, like the rest of the world, continues to be heavily impacted by the fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic – and technology is helping to lead the fight. Also read why the the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company sees its flagship digital project in high demand, and how the coronavirus has spurred the use of financial technology in Bahrain. Continue Reading

Matt Hancock encourages private sector involvement in post-pandemic NHS technology

Health secretary Matt Hancock has outlined how the NHS will continue to leverage digital technologies with the help of the private sector after the Covid-19 pandemic ends Continue Reading

Political awareness needed to ethically handle migration data, panel claims

Understanding the political, social and economic relationships between different groups in society is needed to ensure location data is not used in ways that further endanger already vulnerable people on the move Continue Reading

Post Office scandal victims have days to raise thousands of pounds or perpetrators go scot-free

Victims of the Post Office Horizon IT scandal need to raise thousands of pounds in a week or those responsible for their suffering will avoid scrutiny Continue Reading

Auditing for algorithmic discrimination

Despite the abundance of decision-making algorithms with social impacts, many companies are not conducting specific audits for bias and discrimination that can help mitigate their potentially negative consequences Continue Reading

It’s time to party! Yet another government digital identity scheme is on the way

On 14 March 2021, we will mark the tenth anniversary of the official approval for the development of a single government-wide digital identity system. Save the date in your diaries. Intended to ... Continue Reading

Green tech needed for post-Covid economic recovery

Green technology investments could help society recover from the coronavirus – and prepare it for the long-term negative social and economic outcomes of climate change Continue Reading

GDS 'under duress' - is there a row going on down near Whitechapel?

The Government Digital Service (GDS) has taken its fair share of criticism in recent years – including from Computer Weekly - and much of it justified. But there’s little doubt the team at GDS HQ ... Continue Reading

DWP publishes digital delivery results and cost of IT blunders

DWP released a number of updates of its digital transformation work including several initiatives relating to the Covid-19 outbreak, and reported more than £10m sunk in failed IT projects Continue Reading

Why a shared channel experience will meet user needs at DWP Digital

The Department for Work and Pensions outlines the approach it is taking to developing user-focused digital services Continue Reading

Loan charge MPs denied House of Commons vote on Finance Bill policy amendments

Despite securing the support of 50 named MPs, an amendment to the forthcoming Finance Bill that could have seen thousands of people fall out of scope of the Loan Charge policy has been denied Continue Reading

Cops take out encrypted comms to disrupt organised crime

The UK’s National Crime Agency, alongside other law enforcement agencies in France and the Netherlands, have busted illicit arms and drugs rings after disabling an encrypted comms platform Continue Reading

Police secrecy over ‘IMSI-catcher’ mass surveillance of mobile phones

Following a tribunal ruling, constabularies in England and Wales can refuse to confirm or deny whether they use mass surveillance devices, known as IMSI-catchers to monitor people’s location, phone calls and text messages Continue Reading

Civil and family courts to get video platform for remote hearings

Video platform that has been used in magistrates’ and crown courts during the coronavirus pandemic will be extended to civil and family courts Continue Reading

CMA calls on government to revamp regulations for tech giants

Competition regulator says current laws are not fit for purpose and wants a new, ‘pro-competition regulatory regime’ that the likes of Google and Facebook must abide by Continue Reading

Equity in STEM education more important than ever, says Parliamentary group

All-Party Parliamentary Group on Diversity and Inclusion in STEM suggests recommendations for increasing equity in education after stating coronavirus makes diversity increasingly important Continue Reading

UK government announces Office for Talent

The Office for Talent is part of a research and development roadmap, which includes an innovation programme to accelerate innovation in government Continue Reading

Lenovo, top-of-the-world Chinese supercomputer supplier, sweeps all markets

Supercomputers are not just about computing power, they are a symbol of political ambition. Chinese supercomputer supplier Lenovo is now the dominant supplier across the world Continue Reading

Australia to invest a record A$1.35bn in cyber security

The Australian government is making its largest ever investment in cyber security over the next decade to identify cyber threats, disrupt foreign cyber criminals and build new capabilities Continue Reading

HMRC and Treasury accused of ‘direct interference’ in independent loan charge review

Loan Charge All-Party Parliamentary Group report pours scorn on claims that December 2019 review of government’s disguised renumeration policy was conducted independently Continue Reading

Government expands Future Fund eligibility criteria

The Future Fund will now be accessible to startups that have previously taken part in accelerator programmes, but early-stage firms continue to struggle Continue Reading

MPs urged to back Finance Bill amendments to loan charge policy

Loan Charge Action Group urges its members to ask their MPs to support an amendment to the controversial loan charge policy that could see more people fall outside its scope Continue Reading

Lawyers learn of fresh US allegations against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange from press reports

The US has filed an updated indictment against Julian Assange alleging that he conspired with hacking groups to obtain information for WikiLeaks. Defence and prosecution lawyers learned about it from press reports Continue Reading

MPs to examine fairness of private prosecutions in light of Post Office IT scandal

Parliamentary Justice Committee to hold short inquiry into the rules and regulations surrounding private organisations’ ability to initiate criminal proceedings Continue Reading

Lords urge government to take immediate action on online harms

Select committee calls for tech giants to be held responsible for the harm done to individuals, wider society and democratic processes through online misinformation Continue Reading

UKCloud signs MoU with CCS to provide public sector with discounted cloud pricing

Public sector-focused IaaS firm UKCloud has become the latest supplier to sign a discounted pricing deal with the UK government Continue Reading

CBI: Government must take steps to drive SME business innovation

The coronavirus pandemic has shown how much can be achieved in a short period with a strong partnership between government and industry – and this needs to continue Continue Reading

NHSX seeks evolution of digital transformation capabilities

New approaches and team structures could be tested as a result of learnings from the work around Covid-19 Continue Reading

Former Post Office CEO and Fujitsu play the blame game in Horizon IT scandal

Post Office and Fujitsu blame each other for many of the failings in the Horizon IT scandal that wrecked lives Continue Reading

CBI: UK needs an immigration and training rethink

For the UK to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, vast swathes of the population will need retraining – and overseas IT specialists will also be needed Continue Reading

CBI: Digital economy needs joined-up regulations and gigabit broadband

The coronavirus pandemic has shown the need for fast, reliable networking across the UK. The CBI is urging the government to do more Continue Reading

HMRC yet to begin building UK border IT system

The UK government has still not built its Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) IT system, despite the end of the Brexit transition period looming, while the Port of Dover’s head of EU exit proposes just licensing the French IT system instead Continue Reading

Firm that investigated controversial Post Office IT system to support criminal conviction appeals

Second Sight is working with law firm in appeals by subpostmasters against criminal convictions in Horizon IT scandal Continue Reading

IT services giant gives staff time out to volunteer for police clients

IT services company CGI responds to Met Police call by offering its staff the opportunity to take 11 days paid leave to volunteer their time Continue Reading

SoftIron aims at data too valuable for commodity storage

UK array maker hopes to be the storage provider of choice for those that really value their data, with highly optimised Ceph-powered hardware aimed at HPC users and enterprises Continue Reading

Government to publish digital strategy this autumn

Strategy will set out how to increase tech-led economic growth and productivity after the Covid-19 pandemic, says digital secretary Oliver Dowden Continue Reading

Immigrants’ rights campaigners take Home Office to court over visa algorithm

Campaigners claim built-in algorithmic bias makes processing of visa applications ‘discriminatory’ Continue Reading

East Coast Main Line to get £350m digital signalling boost

Government accelerates the roll-out of electronic signalling, pumping £350m into a digital signalling system on the East Coast Mainline Continue Reading

Care Quality Commission to discuss concerns over Paula Vennells’ NHS role

Healthcare regulator will be discussing concerns about former NHS boss chairing an NHS trust at an upcoming meeting Continue Reading

Post Office Horizon scandal victims keep pressure on government’s doorstep

Subpostmasters fighting for justice in IT scandal are pressuring government on numerous fronts, as momentum is regained after reduced activity due to Covid-19 lockdown Continue Reading

Technology firms come under scrutiny for ties to law enforcement

Three major technology companies have committed to not selling facial-recognition tech to law enforcement, but remain silent on how other technologies can be used to fuel racial injustice and discriminatory policing Continue Reading

AI bias and privacy issues require more than clever tech

The new AI Barometer report from the Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation has assessed the threats and opportunities of artificial intelligence in the UK Continue Reading

Facebook allows US users to disable political ads

Users of the social media platform will soon be able to opt out of seeing politically motivated posts Continue Reading

US pulls out of talks with Europe for global digital tax

Despite the US’s resistance to an international digital services tax, the UK and other European countries plan to continue pushing for a global solution to taxing technology giants Continue Reading

Data protection watchdog calls for controls on police mobile phone stop-and-searches

Information commissioner wants new safeguards on the use of police powers to download sensitive personal data from the mobile phones of suspects and crime victims Continue Reading

EU-backed bid to build data preservation cloud for European research community gathers pace

The Archiver project, which aims to create a hybrid cloud-based data preservation environment for scientific researchers across Europe, has named the ICT suppliers in the running to deliver on its vision Continue Reading

Survey finds 30% of people let down by public-sector tech during pandemic

ThoughtWorks research highlights problems around remote schooling, local government and GP services Continue Reading

Nordic business is leading open banking charge in Europe

Nordic region has the right ingredients to prove open banking can benefit consumers, businesses and the economy Continue Reading

Amnesty identifies most privacy-invasive Covid-19 contact-tracing apps

Bahrain’s ‘BeAware Bahrain’, Kuwait’s ‘Shlonik’ and Norway’s ‘Smittestopp’ are the most privacy-invasive contact-tracing apps, reveals Amnesty International study Continue Reading