The PPA has submitted a response to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) consultation on its regulatory approach to online advertising. In our submission, we emphasised the importance of Government using its powers to create a more enabling environment for publishers, specifically by extending PECR – Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations, exemptions on consent requirements to include data sharing with third parties for advertising purposes.

We highlighted that the privacy risks in this area are marginal, given the vast availability of personal data online (particularly that controlled by large platforms), and that genuine digital anonymity is now virtually non-existent.

Our response also underlined that publishers cannot sustain viable advertising models on contextual or consent-less inventory alone. Continued access to personalised advertising is critical to maintaining quality, independent content and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the sector.

The consultation comes as the ICO sees a change in leadership, with William Malcolm, a former Google lawyer, replacing Stephen Almond as regulatory lead. We are engaging with the ICO to arrange a meeting between Malcolm and PPA members to discuss these issues in more detail.

You can read our full response here.