Royal Navy warships and aircraft were activated to shadow Russian naval vessels during a two-day operation in the English Channel, the UK Ministry of Defence confirmed, as Russian forces transited waters near Britain en route to the North Sea. Portsmouth-based patrol ships HMS Mersey and HMS Severn were deployed alongside a Wildcat helicopter from 815 […]

The United Kingdom has selected seven defense companies to develop prototype uncrewed aircraft that will operate alongside Apache attack helicopters, advancing a British Army program aimed at integrating autonomous systems into frontline aviation operations. The UK Ministry of Defence confirmed that the companies were invited to the next stage of Project NYX, a program designed […]

Longtime Slashdot reader AmiMoJo shares a report from the Guardian: The financial campaigner James Daley has launched a 1.5 billion pound (approximately $1.5 billion) class action lawsuit against Apple over its mobile phone wallet, claiming the U.S. tech company blocked competition and charged hidden fees that ultimately harmed 50 million UK consumers. The lawsuit takes aim at Apple Pay, which they say has been the only contactless payment service available for iPhone users in Britain over the past decade. Daley, who is the founder of the advocacy group Fairer Finance, claims this situation amounted to anti-competitive behavior and allowed Apple to charge hidden fees, ultimately pushing up costs for banks that passed charges on to consumers, regardless of whether they owned an iPhone. It is the first UK legal challenge to the company's conduct in relation to Apple Pay, and takes place months after regulators like the Competition and Markets Authority and the Payments Systems Regulator began scrutinising the tech industry's digital wallet services. The case has been filed with the Competition Appeal Tribunal, which will now decide whether the class action case can move forward. [...] Daley's lawsuit alleges that Apple refused to give other app developers and outside businesses access to the contactless payment technology on its iPhones, which meant it could charge banks and card issuers fees on Apple Pay transactions that his lawyers say "are not in line with industry practice." The lawsuit notes that similar fees are not charged on equivalent payments on Android devices, which are built by Google. It says that the additional costs were borne by UK consumers, having been passed on through charges on a range of personal banking products ranging from current accounts, credit cards, to savings and mortgages. The lawsuit says that about 98% of consumers are exposed to banks that listed cards on Apple Pay, meaning the vast majority of the UK population may have been affected.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded BAE Systems a £453.5 million ($613 million) contract to begin full production of the ECRS Mk2 radar for Royal Air Force Typhoon aircraft. The contract follows a completed program of testing and evaluation and represents the next phase of the UK’s long-term investment in Typhoon capability. The Ministry […]

The United Kingdom has deployed Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets to Qatar as part of a defensive mission in response to regional tensions, the British government said in a press release on Friday. The deployment involves 12 Squadron, the joint RAF–Qatar Emiri Air Force Typhoon unit, which has moved aircraft to the Gulf region […]

GM Defense has launched GM Defense UK, establishing a dedicated British presence to support the United Kingdom’s defense priorities and lead engagement with the UK Ministry of Defence, the company announced this week. The new entity will operate from General Motors facilities in Leamington Spa and Silverstone and will serve as the focal point for […]

Harriet Rees from Starling Bank and Dr Rohit Dhawan from Lloyds Banking Group will spearhead AI adoption.

The post UK Appoints AI Champions to Boost Financial Services appeared first on TechRepublic.

Harriet Rees from Starling Bank and Dr Rohit Dhawan from Lloyds Banking Group will spearhead AI adoption.

The post UK Appoints AI Champions to Boost Financial Services appeared first on TechRepublic.

UK MPs warn regulators’ hands-off stance on AI in finance risks consumer harm, fraud, and systemic shocks as adoption outpaces oversight.

The post Lawmakers Raise Concerns Over Unchecked AI Use in UK Finance appeared first on TechRepublic.

UK MPs warn regulators’ hands-off stance on AI in finance risks consumer harm, fraud, and systemic shocks as adoption outpaces oversight.

The post Lawmakers Raise Concerns Over Unchecked AI Use in UK Finance appeared first on TechRepublic.

The UK government has launched a public consultation on whether to ban social media use for children under 16, drawing inspiration from Australia's recently enacted age-based restrictions. "It would also explore how to enforce that limit, how to limit tech companies from being able to access children's data and how to limit 'infinite scrolling,' as well as access to addictive online tools," reports Engadget. "In addition to seeking feedback from parents and young people themselves, the country's ministers are going to visit Australia to see the effects of the country's social media ban for kids, according to Financial Times."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

The regulators in the U.K. are being cautioned that their existing approach to artificial intelligence in financial services may expose consumers to severe harm, as loopholes in regulation increase when AI is taking off more rapidly in the industry.

The Treasury Select Committee has issued this warning, saying the Bank of England, the Financial Conduct Authority, and HM Treasury have been over-reliant on a wait-and-see strategy when AI is already in the heart of financial decision-making.

In a report published on January 20, the committee said the pace of AI adoption has outstripped the regulators’ ability to manage its risks.

Approximately 75% of financial services companies in the UK are currently employing AI, with the most intense adoption amongst insurers and major global banks.

Although MPs admitted that AI is able to enhance efficiency, accelerate customer services, and enhance cyber defenses, they concluded that all that is being compromised by unaddressed risks to both consumers and financial stability.

Lawmakers Say UK’s AI Approach in Finance Is Too Reactive

Currently, there is no specific AI legislation for financial services in the UK. Rather, regulators use pre-existing rules and claim they are flexible enough to include new technologies.

The FCA has pointed to the Consumer Duty and the Senior Managers and Certification Regime as providing sufficient protection, while the Bank of England has said its role is to respond when problems arise rather than regulate AI in advance.

The committee rejected this position, saying it places too much responsibility on firms to interpret complex rules on their own.

AI-driven decisions in credit and insurance are often opaque, making it difficult for customers to understand or challenge outcomes.

Automated product tailoring could deepen financial exclusion, particularly for vulnerable groups. Unregulated financial advice generated by AI tools risks misleading users, while the use of AI by criminals could increase fraud.

A 2024 @chainalysis report reveals that cryptocurrency scams defrauded victims of at least $9.9 billion, with AI-powered fraud and pig butchering scams surging by 40%.#CryptoScams #CryptoFraud #AIhttps://t.co/Mt5c5XXmOL

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) February 13, 2025

The committee said these issues are not hypothetical and require more than monitoring after the fact.

Regulators have taken some steps, including the creation of an AI Consortium and voluntary testing schemes such as the FCA’s AI Live Testing and Supercharged Sandbox.

However, MPs said these initiatives reach only a small number of firms and do not provide the clarity the wider market needs.

Industry participants told the committee that the current approach is reactive, leaving firms uncertain about accountability, especially when AI systems behave in unpredictable ways.

AI Risks Rise as UK Regulators Lag on Testing and Oversight

The report also raised concerns about financial stability, as AI could amplify cyber risks, concentrate operational dependence on a small number of US-based cloud providers, and intensify herding behavior in markets.

Despite this, neither the FCA nor the Bank of England currently runs AI-specific stress tests. Members of the Bank’s Financial Policy Committee said such testing could be valuable, but no timetable has been set.

Reliance on third-party technology providers was another focus.

Although Parliament created the Critical Third Parties Regime in 2023 to give regulators oversight of firms providing essential services, no major AI or cloud provider has yet been designated.

This delay persists despite high-profile outages, including an Amazon Web Services disruption in October 2025 that affected major UK banks.

Multiple major platforms — including Snapchat, Amazon, Coinbase, — went down early Monday due to an AWS outage. #AWS #Outage https://t.co/tsgRVsx830

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) October 20, 2025

The committee said the slow rollout of the regime leaves the financial system exposed.

The findings land as the UK continues to promote a pro-innovation, principles-based AI strategy aimed at supporting growth while avoiding heavy-handed regulation.

The government has backed this stance through initiatives such as the AI Opportunities Action Plan and the AI Safety Institute.

However, MPs said ambition must be matched with action.

The post UK Regulators “Exposing Consumers to Serious Harm” as AI Oversight Gaps Widen — Committee Warns appeared first on Cryptonews.

An anonymous reader shares a report: The prospect of Britain realigning its financial rules with the European Union has passed, and the country should avoid linking its regulations to any single jurisdiction, the ambassador for London's financial services sector told Reuters. Nearly a decade after Brexit, newly appointed Lady Mayor of London Susan Langley said that while maintaining dialogue with the EU remained important -- particularly on defence -- Britain should work with all nations that share its values and respect the rule of law. "We've still got huge alignment with Europe, cash flows between us are huge... Would we ever go back in terms of regulation? I think we've moved away from that," she said.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

To help rectify the situation, the mayor has unveiled plans for free AI skills training and a new taskforce aimed at protecting jobs in the capital.

The post London Mayor Urges Stronger Regulation as AI Threatens Workforce appeared first on TechRepublic.

To help rectify the situation, the mayor has unveiled plans for free AI skills training and a new taskforce aimed at protecting jobs in the capital.

The post London Mayor Urges Stronger Regulation as AI Threatens Workforce appeared first on TechRepublic.

The UK government has abandoned its controversial plan to require workers to sign up for a mandatory digital ID system to prove their eligibility to work in the country, opting instead to move existing document-based checks -- such as biometric passports -- fully online by 2029. The reversal follows a dramatic collapse in public support; polling showed approval falling from just over half the population in June to less than a third after Prime Minister Keir Starmer's announcement. Nearly 3 million people signed a parliamentary petition opposing the scheme. The government says it remains committed to mandatory digital right-to-work checks but will no longer require enrollment in a new ID system.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

After repeatedly denying for weeks that his force used AI tools, the chief constable of the West Midlands police has finally admitted that a hugely controversial decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv football fans from the UK did involve hallucinated information from Microsoft Copilot.

In October 2025, Birmingham's Safety Advisory Group (SAG) met to decide whether an upcoming football match between Aston Villa (based in Birmingham) and Maccabi Tel Aviv could be held safely.

Tensions were heightened in part due to an October 2 terror attack against a synagogue in Manchester where several people were killed by an Islamic attacker.

Read full article

Comments

© Getty Images

• Almost three million people signed a parliamentary petition opposing mandatory digital ID cards.
• Digital right-to-work checks will remain mandatory under the updated policy approach.
• The UK digital ID scheme, expected around 2029, will be offered as optional alongside electronic alternatives.

The UK government, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has dropped plans to make a centralised digital ID mandatory for workers, stepping back from a proposal that would have changed how employees prove their right to work.

Under the original plan, workers would have been required to use a government-issued digital credential, rather than relying on traditional documents such as passports.

The reversal follows months of criticism from politicians and civil liberties campaigners, as well as a large-scale public response that questioned whether employment access should depend on one centralised system.

Critics warn of surveillance and data security risks

The mandatory digital ID proposal drew backlash from opponents across the political spectrum, including UK Member of Parliament Rupert Lowe and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.

Civil liberties groups and campaigners also raised concerns about how a centralised identifier could be used over time.

Opponents warned it could lead to an “Orwellian nightmare” by giving the state a stronger ability to monitor citizens.

Another major fear was that centralising sensitive personal data could create a single “honeypot” vulnerable to hacking and misuse.

Critics also pointed to the risk of mission creep, where a scheme launched for employment checks could gradually expand into other areas, including housing, banking, and voting.

Petition pressure forces a policy climbdown

Public resistance to mandatory digital ID became visible through formal political channels.

Almost three million people signed a parliamentary petition opposing digital ID cards, making the issue difficult for ministers to ignore.

Lowe celebrated the policy shift in a video posted on X, saying he was off for “a very large drink to celebrate the demise of mandatory Digital ID”.

Farage also backed the rollback, calling it “a victory for individual liberty against a ghastly, authoritarian government”.

Digital right-to-work checks stay mandatory from government

Despite dropping plans for a mandatory digital ID credential, officials say digital right-to-work checks will remain mandatory.

That means the government is still committed to keeping employment verification in a digital process, even if it is no longer built around a single government ID system.

When the UK’s digital ID scheme launches around 2029, it is now expected to be optional rather than compulsory.

Instead of becoming the only approved route for proving work eligibility, it will be offered alongside alternative electronic documentation.

Digital euro, EU identity, and crypto privacy debates return

The UK’s partial rollback is also feeding into wider debates about digital control systems, including central bank digital currencies and the European Central Bank’s digital euro project.

In those discussions, civil society groups and some lawmakers have argued for strict privacy guarantees rather than systems that could allow broad traceability.

At the same time, the European Union is moving ahead with its own digital identity framework and digital euro work, while exploring privacy-preserving designs.

One approach includes using zero-knowledge proofs, allowing citizens to prove attributes such as age or residency without revealing their full personal information.

These designs connect to decentralised identity tools and privacy-preserving blockchain technologies, including zero-knowledge credential systems and privacy-enhancing smart contract structures.

The aim is to support compliance while minimising how much personal data is exposed or stored in one place.

Privacy-focused crypto tools have also remained in focus, including privacy coins such as Zcash (ZEC) and Monero (XMR), alongside decentralised identity protocols.

Interest in these tools has continued as regulators step up scrutiny of DeFi and explore identity checks for self-hosted wallets.

The US Treasury’s proposed DeFi ID framework, alongside renewed attention on privacy tokens, shows how policymakers are testing stronger Anti-Money Laundering and Know Your Customer controls on-chain, even as builders push alternative designs.

The post UK drops mandatory digital ID for workers after backlash and liberty concerns appeared first on CoinJournal.

• The approval allows limited crypto-related activities but not full financial services authorisation.
• Registration confirms compliance with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing rules.
• The approval supports Ripple’s expansion in regulated international markets.

Ripple has taken a formal step into the regulated UK crypto market after securing approval from the country’s financial watchdog.

The development places Ripple among a limited group of digital asset firms that have met the UK’s compliance standards, at a time when regulators are tightening supervision of the sector.

The move reflects how crypto companies are increasingly navigating jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction rules to maintain access to key financial centres.

For the UK, it also underscores efforts to bring crypto activity within an established regulatory perimeter rather than leaving it to operate on the margins.

FCA registration status

Ripple’s UK subsidiary, Ripple Markets UK Ltd., has been registered with the Financial Conduct Authority under the country’s money laundering regulations.

The update appeared on the FCA’s official register on Friday, confirming that the entity has satisfied the regulator’s requirements related to financial crime controls.

Registration under these rules signals that Ripple complies with UK standards on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing.

Firms listed on the register are required to monitor transactions, carry out customer due diligence, and report suspicious activity.

For crypto businesses, this registration is a legal requirement to operate certain services in the UK.

Scope of the approval

While the registration allows Ripple to carry out specific crypto-related activities, it does not amount to full financial services authorisation.

The FCA’s approval is limited in scope and does not permit activities such as offering regulated investment products or providing broader banking services.

This distinction is central to the UK’s regulatory framework for digital assets.

Crypto firms can gain entry to the market by meeting baseline compliance requirements, but further permissions are needed as business models expand into more heavily regulated areas.

Ripple’s status reflects compliance with financial crime rules rather than a comprehensive licence.

UK regulatory direction

Ripple’s approval comes as the UK seeks to position itself as a global hub for digital assets while strengthening oversight.

Policymakers have been working to integrate crypto firms into existing regulatory structures, focusing first on areas such as money laundering and terrorist financing risks.

The FCA has adopted a selective approach to crypto registrations, with many applicants failing to meet its standards in previous years.

Against this background, inclusion on the register indicates that Ripple has cleared a relatively high compliance bar.

The process also highlights the regulator’s emphasis on governance and controls rather than rapid market expansion.

The post UK’s FCA grants regulatory approval to Ripple appeared first on CoinJournal.

This was in Yorkshire, UK. But it could happen anywhere.

The post Fake UK Council Posts Show the Power of AI Misinformation appeared first on TechRepublic.