In its latest update, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has reported that over 95% of the UK’s top 1,000 websites now comply with the rules governing the use of cookies.

What are Cookies?

Cookies are small files stored on a user’s device when visiting a website. Some are essential for the proper functioning of the site, while others — particularly advertising cookies — track browsing activity to deliver personalised adverts, a marketing approach that many people find intrusive.

These tracking cookies can only be used if the user has given explicit consent. One of the ICO’s key responsibilities is to ensure that users genuinely have this choice and that websites comply with the law by seeking consent before placing any non-essential cookies.

Findings from the ICO

The regulator examined the 1,000 most-visited websites in the UK, focusing on three straightforward questions:

  1. Were advertising cookies placed before users had a chance to provide consent?

  2. Was rejecting tracking cookies as simple as accepting them?

  3. Were tracking cookies still in use when consent had been refused?

The results indicate significant progress:

  • 979 out of 1,000 websites now pass the basic compliance checks.

  • 415 sites were already compliant at the time of testing, while 564 sites improved their practices following contact from the ICO.

  • Only 21 websites remain non-compliant, and the ICO continues to take action against these sites.

The ICO has stated that it will carry out periodic reviews to ensure websites do not revert to non-compliant practices.

Additionally, the ICO has highlighted ongoing work with stakeholders to explore how privacy-friendly online advertising can operate where users have not provided consent but the privacy risk is low.

See: https://ico.org.uk/about-the-ico/media-centre/news-and-blogs/2025/12/ico-action-secures-increased-cookie-compliance/