Privacy Regulations in Estonia

The GDPR sets the global standard for data protection, requiring explicit opt-in consent before processing personal data of EU/EEA residents. For websites, non-essential cookies must be blocked until visitors actively consent. Pre-ticked boxes and implied consent are invalid.

Article 5(3) of the ePrivacy Directive is the primary EU legal basis requiring cookie consent. It mandates prior informed consent before storing or accessing any information on a user's device, with narrow exceptions only for transmission necessity and explicitly requested services.

Estonia transposes the ePrivacy Directive through the Electronic Communications Act, requiring prior voluntary consent for supplementary cookies. The AKI categorizes cookies into essential and supplementary types, with comprehensive information requirements including cookie duration and third-party access.