Alongside the 1995 Data Protection Directive (DPD) sat the 2002 ePrivacy Directive (ePD), explaining how the DPD should be applied in the specific context of electronic communications.

In what sometimes seems like a polarised debate on the draft Data Protection Regulation, it’s good to see the Article 29 Working Party trying to find the middle ground. The subject of their latest advice note is the contentious topic of profiling, which has been presented both as vital to the operation and development of Internet services and as an extreme violation of privacy.

The e-Privacy Directive's provisions on cookies exempt two classes of cookies from the requirement to gain consent (though if they relate to individual users, websites still need to inform users about them, under data protection law):

Earlier this year the European Community revised its regulatory framework for telecommunications networks, so the UK Government is now consulting on how to implement those changes in UK law. Although most of the changes are not relevant to JANET as a private network, I have responded in three areas:

I've just come across an excellent pair of posts from the Cabinet Office's Government Digital Service on how Gov.UK websites are approaching compliance with the new law on cookies in line with the Information Commissioner's advice.