Our contents this week:
Retail, Food & Hospitality updates
OFCOM Publish industry guidance on meeting ‘Age assurance’ requirement: We have today published industry guidance on how we expect age assurance to be implemented in practice for it to be considered highly effective. Any age-checking methods deployed by services must be technically accurate, robust, reliable and fair in order to be considered highly effective. The guidance sets out a non-exhaustive list of methods that OFCOM consider capable of being highly effective including: open banking, photo ID matching, facial age estimation, mobile network operator age checks, credit card checks, digital identity services and email-based age estimation. The guidance confirms that methods including self-declaration of age and online payments which don’t require a person to be 18 are not highly effective. Age restricted content must not be visible to users before, or during, the process of completing an age check. Nor should services host or permit content that directs or encourages users to attempt to circumvent an age assurance process. The guidance sets an expectation that sites and apps consider the interests of all users when implementing age assurance – affording strong protection to children, while taking care that privacy rights are respected, and adults can still access legal pornography. View >
AI Opportunities action plan to be implemented in full: The Government has decided to implement all fifty recommendations made in the action plan recommended in the independent report commissioned from Matt Clifford CBE and has published a response setting out the action to be taken in respect of each recommendation. The action plan has 3 main pillars intended to lay the foundations for AI to grow, boost adoption in existing private and public sectors, and keep the UK ahead of the pack internationally. Publication >Blueprint >AI use for bakers, road workers and more >Report >
CMA Announce first strategic market service designation investigation: The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has launched its first strategic market status (SMS) designation investigation under the new digital markets competition regime which came into force on 1 January 2025. The investigation will assess Google’s position in search and search advertising services and how this impacts consumers and businesses including advertisers, news publishers, and rival search engines. A firm has a position of strategic significance if it has at least 1 of the following: significant size or scale in the digital activity, a significant number of other firms use the digital activity to carry out business it can extend its market power to a range of other activities, it can substantially influence how other firms behave, in respect of the digital activity or otherwise. If the CMA designates a firm with SMS, it will have 2 key tools: Conduct Requirements and Pro-Competition Interventions. Through Conduct Requirements, the CMA will be able to guide the behaviour of SMS firms, tackling conduct that could undermine fair competition, or exploit people and businesses. Through Pro-Competition Interventions, the CMA will be able to address specific competition problems arising from a firm’s market power in a particular digital activity. News >Guidance >
Advertising watchdog rulings:
- The Advertising Standards Authority has upheld a complaint about Essence Vault Ltd for claiming a ‘from price’ for fragrances while merely picturing a 100mlsize pack whereas the from price related to a 5mls sample pack.View >
- The Portman Group has upheld a complaint about a tap handle and pump clip for Little Mesters brewing ‘Stan’ IPA in use at the Sheffield Tap which depicted a man holding a knife vertically. The Portman group considered the imagery to encourage violent behaviour rather than just reflecting knife manufacturing heritage of Sheffield. View >
Animal, Meat and meat product imports from Germany banned: Following a Foot and Mouth outbreak notified by German Authorities amongst Water Buffalo in Brandenburg the UK has imposed an immediate ban on all imports of cattle, sheep, pigs, deer and buffalo’s and meat and dairy products therefrom from Germany. A Ministerial statement has been made to parliament and background information on the actions being taken in Germany published by DEFRA.News >Speeches >Publication >
EU updates
EU Decision: Amending harmonised standards for washing machines and washer driers.View >
European Food safety Authority opinions:
- Novel foods:mineral salt containing potassium and magnesium >whole yellow mealworm larvae >
- Feed additives:endo-1,3(4)-beta glucanase and endo1,4-beta xylanase >peppermint oil >
- Pesticide risk assessments:lysate of Willaertia magna C2c >phosphine >
Developments to watch
DEFRA: Publish update on ongoing Avian flu Outbreak. View >
Competition and Markets Authority: Consult on annual plan for 2025-2026. Responses required by 31st January. View > View
Grocery Code Adjudicator: Launches annual survey for 2025 – Responses required by 23rd February. View >
Pub Code Adjudicator: Commissions Ipsos Mori to conduct 2025 tied tenant survey. View >
Payment Systems Regulator: Sets out strategy for the next two year period. View >
HFSS Advertising restrictions: The Association of Convenience Stores has commented on Welsh Government plans to implement regulations in spring 2006. The Food and Drink Federation has criticised the UK Government on lack of detail on plans for England. View > View >
Food Standards Scotland: Consult on a change to the Food Safety Act 1990 to change reference to ‘EU law’ to ‘assimilated law’. Responses required by 31st March. View >
For your information
Non-food product safety alerts: Office for Product Safety and Standards >EU Safety Gate >US Consumer Product Safety Commission >
Government Chemist: Publish information on the DEFRA Food security report 2024.View >
Competition and Markets Authority: Publish paper setting out the wider benefits of competition policy and its enforcement. View >
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Publish consultation outcome on data protection fee regime. View >
Gambling Commission: Chief Executive, Andrew Rhodes delivers policy speech to International Gambling Advisers conference. View >
