EU ePrivacy

On 10 January 2017, the European Commission published a Proposal for a Regulation could have significant implications for Internet-based services and technologies.

The Proposal seeks to revise the current EU ePrivacy Directive.  It creates strict new rules regarding confidentiality of electronic communications, including content and metadata. In addition, the Proposal amends the current rules on the use of cookies and similar technologies, and direct marketing. The rules apply to EU and non-EU companies providing services in the EU, and are backed up by significant enforcement powers—fines of up to four percent of a company's global turnover.

The Proposal is the next major step in the EU's review of its data protection legal framework and follows the adoption of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in April 2016.