The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is examining how websites use cookies and comply with existing data protection laws across 1,000 of the UK’s most visited websites.

The regulator said that it wants to prioritise giving users more choice and control as to how their data is collected and used.

Around 200 websites have already been investigated, with the ICO raising concerns about 134 of them.

The move is part of the ICO’s online tracking strategy for 2025 which seeks to address the “significant harm” that can occur when online tracking practices are misused.

As well as websites, the ICO said it would expand its focus to apps and connected TVs.

Stephen Almond, ICO executive director of regulatory risk said that uncontrolled tracking intrudes on the most private parts of people’s lives and can lead to harm. He said that gambling addicts being targeted with more betting ads due to their browsing history and LGBTQ+ people are altering their online behaviour for fear of unintended disclosure of their sexuality.

“We’ll continue to hold organisations to account but we’re also here to make it easier for publishers to adopt compliant, privacy-friendly business models,” he added. “By combining advice, guidance, and targeted enforcement, we aim to create an environment where businesses can succeed, and people can have trust and control over their online experiences.”

Additionally, the ICO said that it has published guidance for organisations implementing a “consent to pay” model, where an organisation gives users the choice between agreeing to personalised adverts to access a service or paying to avoid them.

The guidance outlines how users will still have “meaningful control” and addresses issues of economic viability.

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