Data Protection & Digital Information Bill returns to Parliament

Having first been announced in summer 2022, the Data Protection & Digital Information Bill (DPDI) is returning to Parliament today having been paused last autumn for review by the (then) new Ministers.

The Bill does not contain any substantial changes to the cookie provisions that were in the original version - which contained limited new consent exemptions. During the review of the Bill we have been engaging with the government on the digital advertising industry’s priorities for reform and are continuing to discuss the potential for further changes to the cookie-related provisions. 

Commenting on the Bill, Christie Dennehy-Neil, our Head of Policy & Regulatory Affairs, says: “We urge the Government to seize the opportunity the DPDI Bill creates to improve people’s online experience by extending cookie consent exemptions to advertising measurement and analytics, which are necessary, non-intrusive functions. This would achieve the risk-based and proportionate approach to cookie consent that the Government wants. In its current form, the Bill doesn’t make the most of this opportunity for meaningful change. 

“The Bill also continues to cause concern for the digital ad industry about how future changes to cookie consent mechanisms will be developed and implemented. Appropriate checks and balances need to be in place to ensure that such changes will actually improve the user experience, avoid the risk of negative impacts on competition in the market, and protect the viability of the ad-funded business model our open web relies on.”

We’ll keep members updated on the progress of our conversations with DSIT. If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact [email protected].