Online consent tick boxes to be banned
| Online consent scam outlawed in fight over personal data |
| Automatically ticked consent boxes that allow companies to harvest and exploit valuable personal information are to be banned in an overhaul of consumer protection laws for internet users.
DNA profiles and browsing histories are also to be included in a new definition of personal data, with companies facing criminal prosecution if they fail to protect users’ identities, report Francis Elliott and Mark Bridge. Ministers will today spell out the details of a Data Protection Bill to be introduced in the Commons next month. It will include the right of adults to request the deletion of social media content they posted as children. While that measure was expected, ministers will say that they intend also to expand the definition of personal data to include IP addresses and cookies. Matthew Hancock, digital policy minister, said that the bill would contain the most robust, yet dynamic, data laws in the world. “It will give people more control over their data, require more consent for its use and prepare Britain for Brexit,” he added. Experts said that it could have far-reaching effects on companies that trade in anonymised data harvested online. Some offer cheap genetic tests for genealogy and then sell the information to medical researchers. |