Law, human rights, and constitutional affairs

Controlling or coercive behaviour statutory guidance

UK government consultation | Home Office

Section 68 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 (the 2021 Act) amended the definition of ‘’personally connected’’ in section 76 of the Serious Crime Act 2015 (the 2015 Act). This removed the ‘’living together’’ requirement, which means that the offence of controlling or coercive behaviour will apply to partners, ex-partners or family members, regardless of whether the victim and perpetrator live together. The amendment to the controlling or coercive behaviour offence will come into force later this year. The controlling or coercive behaviour statutory guidance has been updated in accordance with the changes made to the offence, to reflect wider measures within the 2021 Act and the accompanying domestic abuse statutory guidance, as well as other relevant guidance and training material for frontline agencies. This consultation seeks views on the updated draft controlling or coercive behaviour statutory guidance.

Deadline: 23:59 BST, 25 June 2022

App security and privacy interventions

UK government consultation | Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport

The UK government conducted a review into the app store ecosystem from December 2020 to March 2022. The review found that malicious and poorly developed apps continue to be accessible to users, therefore it is evident that some developers are not following best practice when creating apps. All app stores share a common threat profile with malware contained within apps the most prevalent risk. Additionally, prominent app store operators are not adequately signposting app requirements to developers and providing detailed feedback if an app or update is rejected. The government’s intention is to ensure consumers are protected from online threats by taking forward a robust set of interventions which are proportionate, pro-innovation and future-facing. The review therefore explored various options to address these challenges. The main intervention the government is proposing at this initial stage is a voluntary Code of Practice for all app store operators and developers. Stakeholders are encouraged to provide their views on the proposed interventions, including the content of the proposed Code and whether additional proposals should be taken forward. The government would welcome any data which illustrates the financial and wider impact of implementing the Code of Practice.

Deadline: 23:45 BST, 29 June 2022