Ofcom is set to make search engines do more to protect users against self-harm content. A study it commissioned found that self-harm glorification was easily accessible from search results.
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Shell Energy was fined £1.4 million by the regulator Ofcom for not properly informing customers that they were out of contract or that their contract was coming to an end. The issue is now resolved.
Which? has called on the broadband regulator, Ofcom, to put a ban in place on mid-contract price rises. It said consumers will face steep price increases in 2024 just as they have in 2023.
Microsoft and Amazon are among the cloud providers that are the target of a newly announced investigation by the UK Competition and Markets Authority regulatory body, based on an Ofcom study.
According to Ofcom, the UK broadband situation has improved over the last year. It said download and upload speeds had improved and that peak-time usage was having a bit less impact on speeds.
A new amendment to the Online Safety Bill will require a report to be submitted by an expert before Ofcom can decrypt people's messages. It's designed to add balance to the safety bill.
Ofcom has outlined how the upper 6 GHz spectrum band could be used by both Wi-Fi and mobile traffic. It calls the approach 'hybrid sharing' and outlined several ways that it could be implemented.
Just 5% of eligible households in the UK are subscribed to a social broadband tariff. They are priced more reasonably for people on welfare who have tighter budgets but still need internet access.
Ofcom has proposed that the competition watchdog in the UK investigate cloud providers like Microsoft and Amazon AWS to see if they're engaged in anti-competitive practices after it noticed issues.
Ofcom says it's going to take measures against broadband providers for failing to implement the One Touch Switch (OTS) process by the April 3 deadline. OTS would allow for easier broadband switching.
Ofcom has looked at the online viewing habits of children in the UK. It found that videos focused on gossip, conflict, and controversy were among the most popular videos being consumed.
A new study says that 46 percent of UK online adults have been drawn into an online scam. Of that number, 25 percent have lost money due to a scam, with 21 percent claiming they lost over £1,000.
Ofcom is planning to unlock more mmWave bands to help improve mobile data speeds in congested areas. It will also help networks handle upcoming, data-heavy technologies such as virtual reality.
Ofcom has released lists of the best broadband and mobile companies in the UK based on the number of complaints they received. The report suggests Shell Energy was the worst among all.
Ofcom has confirmed that it's removing the fax service requirements from the universal service obligation. This should lower costs for BT and KCOM who had to offer fax services affordably.
The consumer group Which? has urged people to look around for cheaper broadband, TV, and mobile deals to save money. It said people could cut £162 a year by switching to a cheaper provider.
Ofcom is introducing new rules that will force phone companies to do more to block spoofed calls. The rules will start being enforced from May 2023 after companies implement measures.
Ofcom has said it wants to change the universal service obligation (USO) so that telecoms providers no longer need to support fax machines. The USO has not been updated since 2003.
Ofcom has set out proposed changes to net neutrality rules. It could see providers throttle traffic of certain services at peak times, the introduction of premium packages by providers, and more.
Ofcom has revealed that the median average broadband speed has jumped 18% in the most recent year compared to the year before. Upload speeds are also increasing, but are well below download speeds.
Ofcom has warned that some websites are not doing enough to tackle adult video content on their platforms. Its concerns fell mainly on smaller websites, which could be hurt by the measures.
Ofcom has pushed some interesting data on loudcasting where people play music or videos on their phones in public without earbuds. Unsurprisingly, 80% of Brits find loudcasters to be rather annoying.
Ofcom has launched a study into large cloud service providers, communications apps such as WhatsApp, and connected devices like smart TVs and smart speakers. It wants to identify competition concerns.
Young adults in the UK are watching seven times less broadcast TV than the over 65s. The younger cohort prefers to fill its time watching YouTube videos and content on subscription streaming sites.
The government is making it easier for welfare claimants to get social tariffs. Claimants can give permission to their ISP to check with the DWP to see if they're eligible for a social tariff.
Martin Lewis from MoneySavingExpert.com has released a new report urging Ofcom to strengthen rules around EU roaming. The report highlights that providers aren't being as clear as they could be.
Citizens Advice wants Ofcom to ban the loyalty penalty. Customers who stay with their mobile or broadband provider after their contract ends are hit with high costs. It's hurting low earners the most.
Younger internet users are getting their news primarily through social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, according to a survey done by the UK's communications regulator, Ofcom.
Following Prime Minister Boris Johnson's resignation, the Online Safety Bill has been postponed. There are speculations that it will be discarded, however, it depends on the new Prime Minister.
Ofcom has named and shamed the worst broadband and mobile companies in a new report. It has ranked each of the companies based on the number of complaints that have been received from customers.
Ofcom has launched a campaign with a TikTok influencer to encourage young people to report harmful content. It found just one in six young people were reporting harmful content they saw online.
Which? has found that broadband companies are not doing enough to advertise their social tariff broadband plans. It said vulnerable customers are missing out on savings of up to £250 per year.
Ofcom's latest Connected Nations report has found that 66% of homes in the UK can now access gigabit broadband ensuring they are prepared for a data-heavy future. 5G is also making progress.
People in the UK are saving £110 on average per year by switching providers when their contract is nearing its end. Ofcom makes providers notify customers that their current contract is due to end.
The UK government is introducing its Online Safety Bill before parliament today for its first reading. MPs will be able to debate on the wide-ranging legislation that could bring age checks for porn.
Ofcom has released its annual Connected Nations report which outlines the state of connectivity in the UK. It found that just a quarter of people with access to FTTP broadband utilised it.
The UK's digital regulator has revealed data pertaining to some changes it introduced last year to help customers. It said its changes to broadband and mobile costs were saving people millions.
Ofcom has asked phone networks to block internet calls from abroad posing with UK numbers. It hopes that it will make a dent in the number of spam calls that people in the UK receive.
Ofcom has announced One Touch Switch making it easier to switch between broadband providers. The new system is complicated to implement so it won't be available to customers until April 2023.
Ofcom has released its annual Online Nation report. It's quite interesting because it factors in the COVID-19 impact on Britain's digital life. It suggests that the UK spent over 3 hours online daily.
