Harassment

6.05.25

Ofcom publishes final guidance on protecting children online

According to Ofcom, three in five teenagers have seen harmful content online in a four-week period.  Children describe seeing violent content online as “unavoidable” and say that content relating to suicide, self-harm and eating disorder content as “prolific”. It is apt timing then that Ofcom has published its final guidance for online service providers to…

7.04.25

HXZ v NMX: Businessman secures injunction against former lover accused of blackmailing him

On 13 March 2025, in HXZ v NMX [2025] EWHC 697 (KB) Mr Justice Ritchie granted a without notice interim injunction to a businessman who alleged that he was being blackmailed and harassed by a former lover.  Judgment was handed down on 21 March 2025. The Claimant (anonymised as ‘HXZ’) is the chairman of a…

12.03.25

Ofcom publishes draft guidance on safeguarding women and girls from online harms

The Online Safety Act 2023 (the “Act”) established a regulatory framework for online service providers (defined under the Act to include technology companies such as dating apps, search engines, social media platforms and pornography platforms) to address illegal content and protect users from online harms (see our blog post here). The Act stipulated that Ofcom,…

7.03.25

Meta facing damages claim for failing to properly respond to Facebook complaint

In AB v Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd [2025] NIMaster 2 the Northern Ireland High Court granted permission for proceedings to be served on the defendant tech giant out of the jurisdiction.  The claim relates to Meta’s alleged delay in removing content published on a Facebook page that sought to vilify the anonymous plaintiff AB. AB…

12.02.25

New duties herald a new age of online regulation in the UK and set the stage for a clash with US tech giants

2025 is set to be a busy year for providers of user-to-user (e.g. social media) and online search services in the UK. The Online Safety Act 2023 (‘OSA’) – a new set of laws designed to protect children and adults online – received Royal Assent on 26 October 2023.  It is a significant piece of…

11.02.25

A bit of banter, or alarming and distressing harassment?

Harassment has always been an offence of fact and degree.  Behaviour that in one context might be a joke between friends, can, in another context, form part of a course of conduct that amounts to harassment. Never has this been more aptly demonstrated than in a recent criminal case, in which Rhiannon Evans, a 25…

29.02.24

The Online Safety Act 2023: nine new criminal offences come into force

In an increasingly digital world, where our lives are intertwined with online platforms and social media networks, ensuring safety and security in the virtual realm has become paramount. Governments worldwide are continuously refining legislation to address the challenges posed by the digital landscape. One such significant step is the enactment of the Online Safety Act…

21.11.23

Is it safe to use AI for legal research?  Not yet

The development and use of AI (artificial intelligence) has increased dramatically in the past year. Widely available AI apps can be used to ask complex questions and immediately receive ostensibly sophisticated answers. The use of AI has extended to the legal sector where chatbots can be used to search for cases relating to a particular…

1.11.23

Press statement: Caroline Ley

This press statement has been issued following the handing down of Mr Justice Julian Knowles’ judgment in Crosbie v Ley [2023] EWHC 2626 (KB)   Our client Caroline Ley is relieved by the outcome of these proceedings which fully vindicate her and highlight the harassment she has suffered at the hands of her former colleague and…

Psychotherapist awarded £75,000 in libel and harassment damages after former colleague found to have pursued a targeted public vendetta and false passing off claim

On 1 November 2023, the High Court handed down judgment in Crosbie v Ley [2023] EWHC 2626 (KB). The Defendant, Siobhain Crosbie, sued the Claimant, Caroline Ley, for passing off.  She sought damages of £1.4 million, plus interest. Ms Ley counterclaimed for libel, harassment, and breach of data protection rights. Mr Justice Julian Knowles dismissed…