Officials are regularly engaging with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), which is gathering evidence from technical experts and industry leaders on how online advertising operates in practice.

The ICO is currently considering whether additional exceptions to cookie consent requirements could be justified, particularly for “lower-risk” uses, and is expected to make formal recommendations to the Government this year.

The Government has not yet reached a position on the balance between contextual and personalised advertising, nor has it confirmed a formal comparative assessment of their economic and privacy impacts.

However, ministers have acknowledged that some uses of cookies are lower risk and that privacy-enhancing techniques such as pseudonymisation can further reduce privacy concerns.

Government officials have met with the PPA and other trade bodies – committing to further engagement with stakeholders before deciding whether to proceed with any new exemptions.

Ministers noted that while the importance of the publishing sector and advertising-funded content is recognised, the economic impact of any new regulatory approach will be assessed once the ICO’s recommendations are received.

The PPA has contacted the ICO to request a meeting with its new Director of Regulation to discuss this work and will engage relevant members on next steps as appropriate.

Members wishing to discuss these issues with the PPA Public Affairs team can contact eilidh.wilson@ppa.co.uk