Ban on website ‘tick boxes’
CONSUMERS who are hounded by cold callers after unwittingly agreeing to hand over their personal information online will be protected under plans to ban “opt out” tick boxes from web pages.
The Government has announced laws that will mean people will have to give their explicit consent for websites to retain information and use it to contact them in the future. Currently, when buying products online, consumers often have to remove a tick from a small box buried at the bottom of a web page in order to avoid having their information shared. There are concerns that the system can be confusing, with unscrupulous companies using vague or misleading systems.
Meanwhile, a “right to be forgotten” will be introduced to allow people to demand that social media posts that they published before they turned 18 are erased.
The move will be outlined in a new Data Protection Bill, amid concerns that people should not be penalised in adulthood for an ill-advised social
media post when they were a teenager. Legislating for the “right to be forgotten” is part of a wider package of measures aimed at giving people more control over their data online.
The new laws will require companies to obtain people’s consent directly, empowering consumers and stopping them from being exploited by companies that sell personal information to marketing firms that bombard people with calls and emails.
Matt Hancock, the digital minister, said: “Our measures are designed to support businesses in their use of data, and give consumers the confidence that their data is protected and those who misuse it will be held to account.
“The new Data Protection Bill will give us one of the most robust, yet dynamic, set of 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. We have some of the best data science in the world and this new law will help it to thrive.” Ministers have also set out measures to keep children safer online by restricting access to social media networks. Twitter, Facebook and Instagram do not allow children under 13 to create an account.
The Data Protection Bill will effectively enshrine the industry standard in law so that any child under the age of 13 will require the express permission of a parent or guardian before they are allowed to join a site.
The move is seen as ensuring that regulations guard against any new site being created which may allow children under 13 to register. Elizabeth Denham, the Information Commissioner, welcomed the measures. She said: “We are pleased the Government recognises the importance of data protection, its central role in increasing trust and confidence in the digital economy and the benefits enhanced protections will bring to the public.”
The Tories pledged in their election manifesto to introduce more online protections to keep people safe.