Data privacy: better the nanny state, the Wild West or a coalition of the willing?

After countless data breaches and scandals relating to major tech behemoths’ cavalier usage of our personal data, it would seem natural to assume that Brits have decided to police their own privacy with much greater intent. On the contrary, post-Cambridge Analytica and the #DeleteFacebook movement, UK user numbers have grown over the last year, passing 40 million for the first time (around 60 per cent of the UK population). 

Furthermore, the rate at which people accept default options and blindly accept T&Cs and privacy policies only increases as our digital lives become more cluttered. According to a survey by Deloitte, 90% of consumers accept legal terms and conditions without reading them.

If we can’t help ourselves as consumers, who will? 

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Consumer protections

Enter Her Majesty’s Government. It seems that various factions across Government have come to the conclusion, almost in unison, that greater consumer protections are needed. With GDPR still the soundtrack to last summer that’s ringing in our ears, a slew of Government activity is underway to crack down on big tech companies, and some is directed specifically at ensuring greater privacy protections. 

Recently, Jeremy Wright, the Digital secretary, unv