Government agrees to change electronic data rules
Jan 27 2012
Categories: Data Legislation
The European Commission has ceased its legal case about data protection laws in the UK after the government agreed to make changes over the privacy of name and address data and other personal details.
Policymakers in Brussels were concerned at complaints from internet users in the UK regarding some service providers storing data about their web history to make an advertising profile for them.
The coalition has now agreed to ban companies from intercepting users' electronic communications without their explicit consent.
Monique Goyens, head of European consumers' group BEUC, said: "In recent years personal data has been traded as a currency behind consumers' backs.
"Particularly online, users have found themselves having dramatically less control of their most personal data."
With this in mind, companies may prefer to use a traditional marketing strategy such as direct mail.
According to a new study from The Relevancy Group, direct mail messages are far more personalised than email communications.
