The government issued, on 9 September, the National Data Strategy which sets the framework for future action on personal data.

Launching the Strategy, Oliver Dowden, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said that the government calls for a regulatory regime that maintains high standards but doesn’t place unnecessary burdens on the average business.

“Right now, a small business that wants to get online and make the most of data faces all sorts of rules and regulations – on data protection, on online communications, on cookie permissions. It can be baffling for the average business. Of course, it is important to have some rules in place to protect people’s privacy. The trust of consumers is crucial for our digital economy. But those rules should be proportionate, and clear enough for businesses to be able to follow.”