What is PECR?
PECR, the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations, is the UK law that specifically covers cookies, electronic marketing and similar technologies. It is the rule that says you need consent before setting non-essential cookies.
PECR and GDPR, side by side
GDPR is the broad data-protection law; PECR is the specific one for cookies and marketing communications. Where they overlap on cookies, PECR sets the consent requirement and borrows GDPR's definition of valid consent. In short: PECR says you need consent for analytics and marketing cookies, and GDPR defines what good consent looks like.
What PECR requires for cookies
- Tell people clearly what cookies you use and why.
- Get consent before setting anything that is not strictly necessary.
- Make declining as easy as accepting.
Strictly necessary cookies, such as login and basket, are exempt. Analytics and marketing are not.
What it means in practice
A compliant cookie banner with a genuine reject option, backed by Consent Mode so your tags respect the choice. If your banner loads GA4 or the Meta pixel before anyone clicks, that is the classic PECR problem.
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