"Avoid Harmful Web Design Practices: Protect Your Customers' Privacy and Payment Options"

Today, the ICO and CMA released a joint position paper calling for organisations, web designers, and developers to stop using harmful design practices that can undermine user's control of their personal information and lead to worse consumer experience and competition outcomes. Examples of such practices include cookie consent banners which do not allow users to easily reject non-essential cookies or are designed in a way to steer users to pick particular options. A person's online life can be affected by choices made long ago so it is important for websites to make decisions easy and fair and make sure users are informed about their rights over their personal data. The ICO and CMA have warned that if improvements are not seen, enforcement action will be taken to protect people's data protection rights, particularly when negative impact has been seen on more vulnerable individuals. The CMA has also stated they will tackle issues caused by harmful website design through their powers of consumer and competition enforcement.