The Government is currently considering how cookie consent exemptions in the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) can be amended to support growth in digital advertising whilst still protecting privacy standards. This is a new power that the Government have since the passage of the Data (Use and Access Act) 2025.
The ICO decided to make a set of recommendations to the Government about how this power should be used. However, it is ultimately at the discretion of the Government to decide this, and the Government has stated that it is taking feedback from other stakeholders, including publishers.
The PPA gave evidence to the ICO before these recommendations were made. We asserted that it is not a commercially viable source of income for publishers.
We have also been liaising with the central Government to make the case for an alternative consent exemption extension that would allow personal advertising.
In response to the announcement, Eilidh Wilson, Head of Policy and Public Affairs, PPA said:
“The ICO’s recommendation to restrict any extension of consent exemptions to contextual advertising alone is a profound disappointment for publishers, consumers, and the UK economy. At a moment when the Government says growth is its core mission, this approach risks undermining innovation, investment, and the future sustainability of the publishing sector.
Last week’s King’s Speech introduced a ‘Regulating for Growth’ Bill. The Government’s review of consent exemptions is a real opportunity to unlock growth and modernise the UK’s data protection approach. But that opportunity will be squandered if reform is limited to contextual advertising alone.
Responsible personalised advertising must be part of the solution. The PPA has set out clear proposals for how this can be delivered in a privacy-enhancing way through the responsible use of pseudonymised data and strict purpose limitation. These approaches are materially less intrusive than the cross-site tracking models widely used today, while still delivering the relevance and quality of experience consumers expect.
The Government now faces a clear choice. It can follow a narrow approach that limits innovation and weakens the future of trusted editorial brands, or it can create a modern framework that supports responsible innovation, protects consumers, and secures the long-term sustainability of the UK’s world-leading publishing sector.”
If you have any questions, or would like to find out more, please contact Eilidh.wilson@ppa.co.uk