UK Knowledge Collection | Employment law reforms, and AI in pricing, products and data

The government's implementation roadmap for its employment law reforms was updated this week, with publications released relating to four proposed changes. These include a consultation on non-disclosure agreements (NDAs); a response to a consultation on trade union workplace access and a new consultation on a code of practice on access requests; a call for evidence on the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2006 (TUPE); and detailed guidance on gender equality action plans. Our Insight examines the impact on employers of the proposed changes.

The Competition and Markets Authority has intensified its focus on businesses' use of algorithms, AI and third-party data tools in the context both of consumer protection and competition law. It has identified four categories of algorithmic collusion risk of which businesses should be aware and issued new guidance on how businesses can deploy AI agents in compliance with consumer law (breaches of which can be substantial).

The impact of technological leaps, such as the use of AI in consumer products, has led the Law Commission to review the adequacy of the UK's product liability regime under the Consumer Protection Act. An expansion of the existing regime could mark a fundamental shift in exposure to liability. Software developers and technology vendors that have not traditionally regarded themselves as "manufacturers" may find themselves newly exposed where their code or digital services are integral to a product's safety.

The expansion of AI and agentic AI systems that depend on vast quantities of data has led to difficult questions involving both intellectual property rights and data privacy. Our IP webinar series this month explores recent cases on copyright in AI training data, and our Dipping into data webinar next week looks at synthetic data (artificially generated data created by algorithms to imitate real-world data) and how it can be used to unlock innovation while managing privacy risk.

Recent Insights

Employment Law Coffee Break

This week's edition features the government's proposed reforms to NDAs, trade union workplace access, TUPE, and gender equality action plans as well as an Employment Appeal Tribunal ruling on the status of job offers.
Read more >

CMA targets pricing algorithms and AI agents in the UK

The regulator is intensifying scrutiny of businesses' use of algorithmic pricing, third-party data tools and consumer-facing AI agents.
Read more >

UK government sets out plans to update investment screening rules

The government's response to a consultation on updating the rules for investment screening under the National Security and Investment Act 2021 signals the most significant overhaul of the regime since it came into force in 2022.
Read more >

UK product liability: Law Commission reviews the Consumer Protection Act 1987

The review aims to determine whether, and to what extent, reform is required to ensure the product liability regime under the Act is fit for purpose in light of technological change.
Read more >

English Technology and Construction Court confirms building liability orders can be secured before trial

The decision confirms that anticipatory Building Liability Orders under the Building Safety Act 2022 are available as a remedy before trial of the underlying claim.
Read more >

Events

Dipping into Data | Synthetic Data

23 April | 16:00-16:30
Designed for in‑house privacy counsel and Data Protection Officers, this webinar will demystify what synthetic data is and how it relates to anonymisation and pseudonymisation, explore use cases, consider the legal and regulatory context, and flag key risks and governance steps.
Register now >

Eating Compliance for Breakfast | Class actions: the new litigation risk landscape

30 April | 09:00-09:30
In the last of our spring series of webinars on regulatory and legal developments affecting business, our experts discuss the growing risk arising from class actions.
Register now >

The future of IP

16:00-16:45
A series of webinars exploring the latest trends and cases in the world of intellectual property.
UPC long-arm jurisdiction: inside and outside the system | 21 April
Getty, GEMA and generative models | 28 April
Trade mark trends | 12 May
Trade secret protection: a pan-European perspective | 19 May
Register now >

Power Play Live: resolving disputes in renewable energy projects

29 April | One London Wall | 15:00-17:00
How to resolve disputes and claims that may arise from the development of a renewable energy project.
Register now >

Digital Regulation Download: the new cyber security rulebook

11 May | 14:00-15:00
How the new cyber security regulations in Europe fit together, and what this means in practice, including the NIS2 Directive, the EU Cyber Resilience Act, the UK Cyber Security and Resilience Bill and the UK Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act.
Register now >