Introduction and scope
Chapter 17 maps how European data protection concepts apply to a range of - cloud, cookies, IP addresses, search engines, social media, adtech, apps, IoT and AI. A key framing point: after Brexit, the GDPR became UK GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive was already in UK law, so UK and EU law remain broadly equivalent. References to the EU, GDPR and supervisory authorities can be read as including the UK, UK GDPR and the ICO.
The chapter takes a series of internet technologies in turn and asks how GDPR and the ePrivacy Directive apply to each. A recurring theme is whether data is personal data (so GDPR applies) and, separately, whether storing or reading information on a user's device triggers the ePrivacy Directive consent rule - the two laws are distinct and apply to different acts.
After Brexit, UK law remains broadly equivalent to EU law. Throughout the chapter, references to the EU, GDPR and European supervisory authorities can be read as including the UK GDPR and the ICO unless stated otherwise.