This year’s King’s Speech marked a pivotal moment as the Labour Government takes over after 14 years of Conservative rule.

With tech becoming increasingly integrated into our daily lives, it’s unsurprising that new bills were introduced to significantly influence the landscape of technology, innovation, and digital governance. We dive into two upcoming bills our B2B tech clients need to be aware of.

Digital Information and Smart Data Bill

The Digital Information and Smart Data Bill aims to enhance the management and use of digital information across various sectors, while ensuring safe usage. This legislation will provide a clear framework for data innovation and sharing, offering businesses more opportunities to develop new data-driven products and services. Scientific research and public services will benefit from better access to potentially helpful data, encouraging growth and innovation. Establishing frameworks for secure and standardised data sharing will aid interoperability, facilitating a smoother flow of information and potential collaboration between technologies.

For those concerned about data privacy, the bill is a double-edged sword. It strengthens data protection regulation potentially leading to stricter controls on how companies handle personal information. Additionally, Smart Data Schemes could offer users more control over what data they share. However, uncertainties remain about how these measures will be enforced and how user control will be balanced with industry needs in Smart Data programs.

The bill promises a boost for the tech industry by fostering data innovation and potentially stricter data protection, however, navigating user control within Smart Data schemes will be crucial for its success.

Cybersecurity and Resilience Bill

Recent events like the Synnovis attack, underscore the urgency of the Cybersecurity and Resilience Bill, designed to help organisations defend against cyberattacks. This bill will extend protection to sectors and services beyond those covered by NIS regulations, ensuring that prime targets for hackers are safeguarded. Businesses can expect stricter security rules, more frequent vulnerability checks, and a requirement to have a solid plan for handling cyber incidents. 

While compliance might increase costs, the bill hopes to create a secure digital environment for everyone. The tech sector will need to adapt to this new landscape, but it could position the UK as a leader in cybersecurity, attracting businesses that value strong digital defences.

The Synnovis attack, which severely disrupted London hospitals’ operations, highlights the risk posed to our critical national infrastructure (CNI) and the paramount importance of cyber resilience. This attack caused significant delays in patient care, compromised sensitive health data, and strained hospital resources, demonstrating the severe consequences of cyber threats. 

The UK cannot afford such blows to its fragile infrastructure again. The bill has the potential to not only raise the bar for tech companies but also fortify the UK’s CNI. Businesses and institutions across all sectors will need to ensure the implementation of a cyber resiliency plan to avoid financial losses, operational disruptions, and reputational damage. Ensuring cyber resilience is essential for safeguarding essential services, public safety, and the economy.

Paving the Way for a Secure and Innovative Future

The new legislative agenda outlined in the King’s Speech aims to protect the UK and foster a new era of growth and development within the tech industry. By addressing both data innovation and cybersecurity, these bills could significantly shape the future of technology and digital governance in the UK. However, the effectiveness of these bills will depend on how well they are crafted in order to allow businesses to comply. The new government needs to listen to the advice of tech experts and ensure that the legislation benefits the entire industry, not just big tech.