Ed Vaizey criticises EU comms directive

Communications minister says the law is well meaning but will 'seriously hamper the smooth running of the internet'

Communications Minister Ed Vaizey has criticised the EU's Privacy and Electronic Communications Directive, due be implemented by 25 May this year.

The directive was recently revised to change the way web sites use cookies – the small text files placed by sites on computers to remember preferences.

Speaking at a CBI forum on e-privacy and the digital economy, Vaizey said: "This is a good example of well-meaning regulation that will be difficult to make work in practice. If we get the implementation wrong, it will seriously hamper the smooth running of the internet."

He added: "We don't want to be prescriptive. We want business, regulators and consumers to continue to work together to provide solutions as problems arise. And we want to see sensible solutions that balance privacy and innovation."

He explained that the government was currently promoting this approach and working with browser manufacturers to see if browsers could provide easy-to-use settings for cookies. The government is also supporting cross-industry work on the use of cookies in behavioural advertising.

The government will shortly publish full details of how it will implement the revised directive.

In addition, Vaizey called for the international community to work together to create standard rules around e-privacy.

He said the European Commission and the US were currently looking at the rules covering data protection online and that they should work together to create a unified approach.

The US is currently setting out the principles underpinning a "consumer privacy bill of rights" while the European Commission is looking to revise its Data Protection Directive.