Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:

To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Information Commissioner's Office about the evidential basis for commercially viable models of contextual advertising that do not require user consent.

Throughout the project looking into new exemptions to regulation 6 of the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (described in previous answers HL12548), we have we regularly meet with the ICO to discuss the evidence they are gathering. This includes evidence from technical experts and industry representatives.

The ICO will make recommendations to the government next year about this matter and we will consider those recommendations and the evidence supporting them.