United Kingdom: Information Commissioner's Office opened consultation on its proposed approach to regulating online advertising

On 7 July 2025, the Information Commissioner's Office opened a consultation on its proposed approach to regulating online advertising under the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR), particularly the enforcement of regulation 6, which requires user consent for storing or accessing information on devices. The consultation closes on 29 August 2025. The ICO explores whether a risk-based enforcement model could enable certain types of online advertising without prior consent, provided the risk to privacy is low. While consent will still be required for practices involving detailed profiling and cross-device tracking, the ICO sees potential for commercially viable advertising models that respect user privacy and enable innovation. The ICO plans to publish a regulatory statement by the end of the year identifying low-risk advertising activities unlikely to trigger enforcement.