The government says the move will bring far fewer “frustrating” boxes to be displayed online.
Andia | Universal Image Group | Getty Images
The UK wants to put an end to the barrage of cookie consent pop-ups.
The government says the new data reforms will significantly reduce the number of banners displayed on websites asking people to agree to cookies. This plan is part of the UK’s broader reform package aimed at deviating from EU data protection regulations.
Cookies are small files that are created each time you visit a new website. They store information about your browsing habits and preferences. Some are virtually harmless and help the site function properly.
Other things like the ones advertisers use to track your browsing habits have led to privacy concerns. Google In fact, we plan to eliminate the third-party cookies used in advertising and replace them with alternative cookies that protect privacy.
The UK is proposing to switch to a framework that allows users to opt out rather than choosing whether to opt in for cookie collection. This will significantly reduce the number of “frustrating” boxes displayed online, the government says.
Data “validity”
Digital Minister Nadin Dolly is trying to drive reforms in UK data law after Britain leaves the European Union.
However, this shift has moved the UK data standard too far from the EU data standard, the so-called “Validity“Arrangement that allows free flow of data between the two.
“The EU’s validity determination does not require countries to have the same rules,” a government spokesman told CNBC.
“In our view, these reforms are fully compatible with maintaining the free flow of personal data from Europe.”
Herbert Swaniker, a technical lawyer at law firm Clifford Chance, said the EU is closely watching the UK’s plans.
“These reforms will need to be carefully balanced to maintain this hard-earned decision,” Swaniker said. “Some people are concerned that reforms could threaten the EU. Decision to allow free flow of personal data To the UK “
The UK government also said it would like to raise the fines for nuisance callers from the current maximum of £ 500,000 to up to 4% of the company’s global sales or £ 17.5 million, whichever is higher.
Such changes will affect the 2003 Privacy Act, not the UK version of the 2018 General Data Protection Regulation. The bill gives organizations more control over how their data is used and threatens to impose heavy fines for violations.
Another option is that if a company can “manage risk effectively,” SMEs do not need to appoint a data protection officer to oversee internal compliance.
Remove the red tape?
The government says the reforms will reduce unnecessary bureaucracy and save £ 1 billion for businesses in 10 years.
However, some experts are concerned that forcing the UK and EU to implement separate data standards can actually lead to more tedious work for the enterprise.
“The UK’s global innovation capabilities could be destabilized,” said Cillian Kieran, CEO of data security firm Ethyca, if the cookie consent banner is completely abolished.
“Completely removing common legal infrastructure such as web analytics, site performance, and marketing poses significant business limitations,” he told CNBC last month.
“For example, the international market may only be open to UK companies if we take additional steps to protect data, such as restricting data collection or processing data in that country. . “
The Data & Marketing Association, a marketer’s trade association, said it welcomed the government’s proposal, but added that “not all recommendations from affiliates have been adopted.”
Chris Convemale, Chief Executive Officer of the association, said: