The implementation of the Cookie Law means that all
websites within the EU are now required to seek consent from
visitors in order to make use of cookies or other similar
technologies.
Cookies are used by almost all
websites, for a variety of purposes:
- To measure and improve site quality through analysis of visitor
behaviour (known as 'analytics')
- To personalise pages and remember visitor preferences.
- To manage shopping carts in online stores
- To track people across websites and deliver targeted
advertising
Until now sites have been able to do this, as long as they tell
people about it, which was usually done in their privacy
policy. They were also required to tell people how to remove or
block cookies if they objected to their use.
The law has now changed, and sites are now required to get
permission to use cookies before they are placed,
or 'set' in the browser.
In order to be fully compliant with the new law, a website has
to fulfill three requirements:
- When a visitor arrives at the site, it must prevent cookies
from being set, unless the visitor has already indicated their
consent for cookies.
- It must present the visitor with information about the cookies
the site uses, and their purpose.
- It must ask the visitor for consent to use those cookies.
Consent would normally only need to be given once. So
returning visitors who have already given their consent, do not
need to be asked to do so again.
Although most cookies are covered by the new law, there are some
important exceptions to the requirement for cookie consent to be
aware of.
Any cookies that are 'strictly necessary'
for providing services being requested by the visitor, do not
require consent.
This will include some things like cookies that enable shopping
baskets to function properly, or for people to login to private
areas of a site. Many types of temporary, or
session cookies are also included in
this definition.
However, even with these types of cookies, it is good practice
to tell your visitors about them as part of your cookie law
compliance strategy.
Optanon is a
managed software service designed to help you make your website
cookie law compliant.
First, our cookie audit plug-in lets you find out
what cookies your site is placing on your visitors' PC, tablet or
mobile.
Then the Optanon Manager helps you to classify your cookies into
different types.
Finally, inserting a simple piece of code into your site will
display a compliance message to your visitors, and enable them to
signify their consent.
Optanon is the easiest way to make your website compliant today,
and keep it that way in the future.
The deadline for compliance if fast approaching, so what are
you waiting for?