SECOND LENSPrivacy RegisterPrivacy policy check
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Answer ยท PECR Schedule A1, in force 5 February 2026

Do you need cookie consent for Google Analytics in the UK?

Since 5 February 2026, UK law allows some analytics without consent. Whether your Google Analytics setup qualifies depends on four conditions, and on how the tool is configured. Here is how to tell.

Last checked against legislation.gov.uk on 14 October 2026. General information, not legal advice.

Short answer. You can run analytics without consent only if every condition below is met. If any is not, or you are not sure, ask for consent first. Anything used for advertising always needs consent.

The four conditions

PECR Schedule A1, paragraph 5, says the consent rule does not apply to storing or reading information on someone's device if you provide an online service and:

  1. The sole purpose is statistics to improve your own service or website. Collecting information about how it is used, so you can make it better.
  2. The information is not shared with anyone else, except to help you make those improvements.
  3. People get clear and comprehensive information about the purpose.
  4. People have a simple way to object, free of charge, and have not objected.

Source: PECR Schedule A1, paragraph 5, inserted by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 from 5 February 2026.

Does Google Analytics meet them?

The law does not name any product, so there is no yes or no for Google Analytics as a whole. It depends on your setup. Condition 2 is usually the hard one: if the analytics provider can use the data for its own purposes, or it is linked to advertising, the information is being shared beyond helping you improve your site.

Check these in your own account and in the provider's current terms:

  • Is the analytics account linked to any advertising product, or are advertising features switched on?
  • Do the provider's terms let it use your visitors' data for its own purposes, beyond providing the service to you?
  • Do you tell visitors clearly what the analytics is for?
  • Can visitors object easily, for example with a switch on your cookie or privacy page, and does objecting actually stop it?

If you cannot answer all four with confidence, the safe course is to ask for consent before analytics runs.

What to put in your privacy policy

Whether or not you ask for consent, name your analytics tool, say what it is for, and explain how to object or change your choice. The Privacy Register checks whether your policy names the tools your homepage actually loads.

Does your policy name your analytics tool?

Check your website free. It finds Google Analytics, Tag Manager, advertising pixels and other common tools, and lists any your policy misses.

Check my website

Questions

Can I use Google Analytics without cookie consent in the UK?

Only if your setup meets all four conditions in PECR Schedule A1 paragraph 5: statistics to improve your own site as the sole purpose, no sharing beyond that, clear information, and a simple free way to object. If you are not sure it does, ask for consent.

When did the rules on analytics cookies change?

5 February 2026, when the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 added Schedule A1 to PECR.

Do advertising cookies still need consent?

Yes. The statistics exemption only covers analytics used to improve your own service or website.