e-privacy regulations – where the EU goes the UK must follow!

March 2021 – The Digital Single Market Strategy (“DSM Strategy”) 1 has as an objective to increase trust in and the security of digital services. The reform of the data protection framework, and in particular the adoption of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) 2 , was a key action to this end. The DSM Strategy also announced the review of Directive 2002/58/EC (“ePrivacy Directive”) 3 in order to provide a high level of privacy protection for users of electronic communications services and a level playing field for all market players. This proposal reviews the ePrivacy Directive, foreseeing in the DSM Strategy objectives and ensuring consistency with the GDPR.