Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum (DRCF)

🔦 We'll be shining a light on online safety practices with our new transparency powers. For the first time in the UK, certain tech services will have to publish detailed information about the safety of their platforms for all to see. We'll also have information gathering powers. This will help us understand how effective tech firms' safety measures are and address specific concerns. For example, we'll have the ability to: 🏵️ remotely view how a platform’s algorithm works in real-time. 🔎 carry out an audit of a tech firm’s safety measures or features. We're consulting on draft guidance setting out our proposed approach to transparency and information gathering. Respond by 4 October 2024. Find out more here ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/e_s6pYmc

In the last year, people have faced rising pressures on household budgets, businesses have had to work through rising costs and the UK economy has struggled to grow.   That’s why we’ve been working to protect consumers and drive growth in 2023 and 2024.   Our latest annual report highlights the impact we’ve continued to deliver for people, businesses and the UK economy.   Over the last year, we’ve taken action to:   - help consumers get great choices and fair deals - keep markets open so that fair dealing businesses of all sizes are free to compete and thrive - foster the competitive conditions for innovation, investment and productivity that our economy needs to grow   Read more: https://lnkd.in/gRZ5ZiQv #UKEconomy #Mergers #CompetitionLaw #ConsumerProtection #CMAAR24

NEW: Exploring the Future of Digital Identity The DRCF has published a summary of its research on the future of digital identity, outlining potential regulatory implications. Read the article in full here https://lnkd.in/dtSFTDk2 Digital identity has potential to deliver a range of benefits, including more convenience; more accessibility and inclusion; less processing of personal data; and environmental benefits, if companies maintain fewer overlapping sets of data. However, it also gives rise to some significant risks that will need to be addressed as it develops, such as abuse by bad actors, misuse of personal data, and creation of a digital divide between those who use it and those who do not. #digitalidentity #data #regulation

DRCF: Delivering impact through cooperation  Published today, this new article measures the DRCF’s impact and how its work benefits regulators, government, industry and the wider economy. Read in full - https://lnkd.in/eSNq9e27 Some highlights - • Stakeholders recognise the value of our joint publications on topics such as harmful online choice architecture, which provide greater clarity of regulator expectations and help improve outcomes for consumers. • Our joint work and shared expertise have supported timely and cost-effective delivery including, for example, the DRCF AI and Digital Hub. This ambitious one-year pilot service helps unlock innovation and supports UK economic growth. • Internationally, the DRCF acts as a vehicle for greater cooperation and is inspiring the adoption of similar models.       We are keen to hear from stakeholders about the impact of the DRCF’s work and the approaches we can take to assess it. Please contact drcf@ofcom.org.uk to share your views.  #digital #regulation #cooperation

"AI is not a sector, it's going to permeate everywhere" - CEO Kate Jones discusses innovation, regulation, the role of the DRCF and how the AI and Digital Hub can support innovators -

NEW - Ensuring Trustworthy AI: the Emerging AI Assurance Market A new article on the emerging AI assurance market and the key takeaways from DRCF interviews regarding the development of this sector and its relationship with our regulatory remits. Themes include the importance of standards, definitions, skills and the role of regulators. Read the article in full at https://lnkd.in/eT4AZEGd #AI #assurance #regulation

Innovators! The DRCF AI and Digital Hub can help you! Find out how.      Our new video explains the benefits and how to apply the Hub - 👇    ✨ The DRCF AI and Digital Hub is an ambitious one-year pilot service offering free, informal advice.     ✨ This a time-limited opportunity to access experts about your ideas across four UK digital regulators at once.    ✨ The Hub aims to boost your confidence in bringing new products, services and business models to market by helping you navigate regulatory requirements in areas such as data protection, competition, communications and consumer protection.    ✨ So if you’re developing a new AI or digital product that will benefit UK consumers, apply to the Hub today for clear, practical informal advice.       ✨ We think this service will save you both time and money.      Apply to the Hub today to help develop the innovations of tomorrow.      #innovation #AI #digital #AIDigHub

Just published - Consumer use and understanding of Generative AI, including financial and debt advice   The DRCF has published a new report which reviews consumer perceptions of the benefits and risks of generative AI in financial services and appetite for future use. Read in full at https://lnkd.in/ed58ZmVV We found that consumers have some awareness of generative AI but few of them have a deep understanding of how it works or how it is different from other AI. Consumers are concerned about risks and tend to use “signifiers” as short cuts to decide how much they can trust generative AI in different contexts. This summary report will inform the Competition and Markets Authority’s Foundational Models Review and the Financial Conduct Authority’s overall approach to the regulation of AI, as well as informing further joint DRCF research.  #generativeai #consumers #regulation

Building on Innovation – DRCF Away Day at Digital Catapult Unlocking digital innovation and economic growth is one element of the DRCF’s three-year vision. To explore this further, we made innovation the theme of our recent Away Day at Digital Catapult's London office. We spent the morning focusing on innovation in our own team, and the afternoon exploring innovation in technology. We were fortunate to experience Digital Catapult’s Sonic, Immersive and Future Network labs, and to meet some dinosaurs on the not-yet-released Apple Vision Pro VR headset.    The Away Day was an opportunity to see how we could work further with Digital Catapult, not least in encouraging their innovator start-ups to benefit from the DRCF AI and Digital Hub. Innovators can find out more and apply to the Hub at https://lnkd.in/eW3-wPhk #digital #AIDigHub #innovation

Just three weeks after launch, our ambitious, multi-agency DRCF AI and Digital Hub pilot is receiving some interesting applications. Innovators – the Hub is available for free, informal advice on queries that cross more than one of our regulators’ remits. The service offers access to the Competition and Markets Authority, the Financial Conduct Authority, the Information Commissioner's Office and Ofcom. You will receive a consolidated response, making it easier to develop your new product or service. Find out more and apply at https://lnkd.in/eW3-wPhk #AIDigHub #innovation #collaboration