Top in Tech

This week on Top in Tech, Director Megan Stagman and Senior Associate Josh Bates explore the UK communications regulator Ofcom’s recently published illegal harms codes and the regulator’s broader efforts to implement the UK’s new online safety regime. They also assess the extent of the appetite in both government and parliament for further regulation, and how geopolitics and international influence might shape the new trajectory.

In this episode of Top in Tech, Megan Stagman, Director and Ugonma Nwankwo, Senior Associate in our Tech, media and telecoms practice discuss the Biden administration’s new export restrictions aimed at limiting China’s access to advanced semiconductors and chipmaking equipment, technologies critical for AI development and military applications.They break down the key features of the restrictions, potential loopholes and challenges that could lessen their impact, and what to anticipate from the incoming Trump administration on China and export controls. In response to the new restrictions, China moved to immediately restrict the export of critical raw materials to the US escalating the tech war and exasperating trade tensions only a few weeks before President-elect Trump is set to take office. 

In this episode, Conan D'Arcy is joined by Fergus Cameron-Watt to discuss the implications of the recent UK budget on the technology sector. They explore the political landscape, the budget's impact on tech investment, public sector digitisation, and the effects of taxation on start-ups and investors. They also touch on the Conservative Party's approach to technology policy under new leadership.

As AI uptake surges, policymakers and industry alike have woken up to the reality that its energy demand will soon outstrip the current number and capacity of data centres. However, there are significant obstacles to addressing this challenge, with concerns about insufficient grid connections, the emissions and energy efficiency of data centres, and opposition from local communities. This week on Top in Tech, Megan Stagman is joined by Natasha Dixon to discuss these challenges and some of the innovative commercial and policy solutions that will impact the future of AI. 

In this episode, Conan D'Arcy and Ugonma Nwankwo discuss the failure of California’s SB 1047, a bill aimed at mitigating the potential catastrophic risks posed by future advanced AI systems. They break down the bill’s key provisions, its overall significance, the reasoning behind Governor Gavin Newsom’s veto, and the broader implications for AI regulation in the US and globally. The debate around SB 1047 has highlighted divisions among industry stakeholders, including revealing which types of regulations some companies are open to and which they oppose—a dynamic that lawmakers at both the state and federal levels are watching closely.

This week on Top in Tech, fresh from the UK Labour Party Conference, Director Megan Stagman and Senior Associate Josh Bates discuss their insights from their time in Liverpool.They cover the broad conclusions from the conference, including the key announcements for the tech sector, the feeling on the ground towards both the government and the DSIT ministerial team, and their thoughts on the up-and-coming MPs within the digital policy space.  

Conan D'Arcy and Jack Keevill, Associate Director in our Brussels office, unpack the Draghi Report and its implications for the tech and telecoms sectors in the EU. The report, which will shape the policy agenda of the next von der Leyen Commission, calls for a radical overhaul of the EU's economic and fiscal policies. It has also a flurry of recommendations on the future of the telecoms market, cloud computing, AI and semi-conductors. They also explore where Draghi's policy proposals match his ambitious rhetoric, where they do not, and which sectors will stand to benefit. 

On Tuesday, the US Senate passed the Kids Online Safety Act and the Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act with an overwhelming majority, advancing the package to the House, where their future remains uncertain. In this week’s episode of Top in Tech, Conan D’Arcy and Ugonma Nwankwo discuss the significance of these bills, the challenges they face in passing the House, and the potential state of US child online safety and privacy in 2025 if the bills do not pass.