Advertising Association Responds to Second Reading of the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill

Commenting on today’s second reading of the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill, Konrad Shek, director of policy research, Advertising Association, said:

"Today’s Second Reading debate in the Commons marks an important milestone for the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill. We are pleased with the progress made with the Bill particularly on the additional clarity provided on the use of legitimate interest, especially with regard to direct marketing; the inclusion of commercial research under research provisions; and reduction of overall paper requirements for SMEs. 

"However, we believe there is still more to be done and, as the Bill progresses through Parliament, we will seek all available opportunity to make progress on our priority issues within that framework. This includes, for example, resolving legacy legal issues from the current data protection regime concerning low-risk cookies that are utilised in audience measurement and ad performance – an important component of the advertising supply chain that supports the funding of publishers and other content producers online. This, we believe, would go some way towards helping the Government achieve its stated goal of enabling organisations to grow and innovate whilst maintaining high standards of data protection rights. 

"Advertising and marketing are critical to the economy. They fuel economic growth, drive product innovation, and play a crucial role in brand competition. But importantly, data privacy is at the heart of our members’ activities, as they see privacy and consumer trust as intrinsically linked. This is why the advertising and marketing industry has invested heavily in complying with data protection regulations."