Our work on online tracking

Being tracked online is part of daily life for most people, enabling and funding many of their digital experiences. When users are in control, online tracking enables them to receive more personalised and tailored services. Sometimes, however, organisations use information they have gathered about users’ activities online in ways they may not understand or expect.

When users lack control, harm can occur.

Giving users meaningful control is especially important in online advertising as these products and services typically rely on the tracking of people’s personal information. The ICO is committed to upholding data protection laws and data subject rights in all areas of online tracking to ensure people retain control of their personal information.

For the latest news and announcements on our online tracking work, see our media centre.

While not an exhaustive list, our current areas of focus include:

Cookie banners;
Consent Management and Data Management Platforms;
Internet of Things (IoT) devices, including connected TVs;
Consent or pay models;
Storage and access technologies; and
The role of PECR in preventing a shift towards more privacy friendly online advertising.

This page details our work on online tracking to date. If you would like to contact us, please email us at [email protected].

Strategic documents

Taking control: our online tracking strategy
Our online tracking strategy for 2025.

Guidance

Guidance on the use of storage and access technologies
Our draft guidance on the use of storage and access technologies. This is a significant update to our previous cookies guidance. It aims to clarify and reference the range of storage and access technologies that are widespread today alongside cookies.

Consent or pay
Our guidance on the “consent or pay” advertising model. This provides clarity and advice for any organisation currently operating, or considering, a “consent or pay” model in the UK.

Cookies banner project

A key part of our 2025 online tracking strategy is analysing the cookie banner compliance of the top 1,000 most frequented UK websites and bringing them into compliance with the law.

Here are our announcements to date:

Reports

Update report into adtech and real time bidding
Our 2019 report into online tracking technologies and real time bidding (RTB).

Harmful design in digital markets
A joint position paper between the ICO and CMA on how online choice architecture practices can undermine consumer choice and control over personal information.

Research

ICO Ofcom adtech research
A 2019 market research report into online tracking.

ICO Internet of Things Citizen Jury report
A 2024 research report looking at public opinions of consumer internet of things (IoT) devices and their data protection implications.

Opinions

Data protection and privacy expectations for online advertising proposals
The Information Commissioner’s 2021 opinion on data protection and privacy expectations for online advertising proposals.

Consultations

Call for views on “consent or pay” business models
Our 2024 consultation on “consent or pay” advertising models.