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AnonTechie writes:

The UK government has raised objections to current EU proposals that would require businesses seeking to rely on "consent" as the lawful basis for processing personal data to ensure that that consent has been unambiguously given "for one or more specific purposes".

It said those proposals are "unjustified" and called on EU law makers to instead turn to the definition of consent under existing EU data protection rules instead for setting the legal standard businesses would need to achieve for consent under the draft new General Data Protection Regulation.

Under the 1995 Data Protection Directive, set to be replaced by the Regulation, individuals' consent is defined as "any freely given specific and informed indication of ... wishes by which the data subject signifies his agreement to personal data relating to him being processed".

However, organisations wishing to rely on individuals' consent to process their data are obliged to ensure that "the data subject has unambiguously given his consent". The UK government is arguing for this requirement to be removed. Its concerns are detailed in a Council of Ministers (Council) document published by information law business Amberhawk Training (PDF). ( http://amberhawk.typepad.com/files/dapix-text-eu-council-dp-reg-december-2014.pdf )

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/12/29/uk_trashes_consent_plans_in_eu_data_protection_reforms/