United Kingdom: Opened consultation on ICO draft updated guidance on storage and access technologies

On 20 December 2024, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) opened a consultation on the updated draft guidance for the use of storage and access technologies until 14 March 2025. The draft guidance aims to provide regulatory certainty on compliant practices and consent mechanisms for using storage and/or access to information on devices. It covers various technologies, including cookies and device fingerprinting, clarifies policy positions, and uses a "must/should/could" framework for enhanced clarity. The draft guidance aims to help organisations understand legislative requirements, reduce data protection harms, and provide regulatory certainty. This guidance, if adopted, would replace the ICO Cookie Guidelines adopted in July 2019. According to the ICO, the draft guidance update reflects advancements in storage and access technologies since the last guidance in 2019, addressing the need for clarity in current market practices and legislative requirements.