IAB UK’s question about cookie consent debated in House of Lords

The Data (Access and Use) Bill was published in October, with the Government dropping plans to centralise cookie consent following lobbying by IAB UK and the wider industry. The Bill - which creates powers for the Government to create new cookie consent exemptions - is now being debated in the House of Lords. 

At IAB UK, we have been lobbying for ad and audience measurement to be exempt from consent requirements, so that cookies can be used for this purpose without consumers having to opt in first. Government officials have said that they recognise this issue and will engage with the IAB and our members with the potential to create an exemption for this purpose in future. 

Speaking in the House of Lords this week, Lords Lucas and Lord Clement-Jones raised this issue in the House of Lords, asking the Government to create consent exemptions for measurement or verification of the performance of advertising services. 

In response, the Government Minister, Baroness Jones, said: “There is a balance to strike between driving growth in the advertising, news and publishing sectors while ensuring that people retain choice and control over how their data is used. To exempt advertising measurement cookies, we would need to assess how intrusive these cookies are, including what they track and where data is sent.

“We have taken a delegated power so that exemptions to the prohibition can be added in future once evidence supports it, and we can devise appropriate safeguards to minimise privacy risks. In the meantime, we have been actively engaging with the advertising and publishing sectors on this issue and will continue to work with them to consider the potential use of the regulation-making power. I hope that the noble Lord will accept that this is work in progress.”  

We will keep IAB members updated regarding any further developments.