Legislation regarding the Media Bill will be brought forward to support creative industries and protect public interest journalism. The Bill will also repeal Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013, a law that could require publishers to pay the costs of the people who sue them, even if they win, unless they are signed up to a state-backed regulator (although it was never used).

Similarly, the Digital Markets, Competition, and Consumers Bill (DMCCB) aims to tackle competition in the digital space, by giving the Competition and Markets Authority powers to tackle anti-competitive activity. This Bill will also address the commitment to improve consumer rights over subscription contracts.

Despite the recent AI Summit, the King’s Speech only briefly touched on Artificial Intelligence, stating that the UK will maintain leading international discussions to ensure that AI is developed safely.

The Science, Innovation and Technology Committee released an update expressing their concern over the lack of AI-specific legislation in the speech. Committee Chair, Rt Hon Greg Clark MP said: “It is disappointing that there is no mention of an AI Bill in the King’s Speech”. This is particularly pressing given that this new session of Parliament will be the last opportunity to pass significant legislation before the next general election.

While the King’s Speech highlighted positive steps for publishers the brief mention of AI raises concerns, especially given the potential threats that the new technology poses to specialist publishers with regard to copyright infringements.

The PPA believes it is imperative that AI legislation becomes a priority to ensure that businesses are protected and fairly compensated for their trusted content. We will continue to advocate for this with all political parties as the 2024 election approaches.

To read the full summary of the King’s Speech, including details of the various policies, click here.

If you wish to discuss these issues further with our Public Affairs Team, please contact natasha.anku@ppa.co.uk or eilidh.wilson@ppa.co.uk