EU Cookie Law - May

[Track'd]

(Did a search, but couldn't find anything)

I must admit I knew nothing about this coming into play. On 26th May 2012 all UK websites must offer users opt-in consent tools to allow cookies that pass information about your browsing activities to 3rd parties. This also means a simple website with Google Analytics. Do you think this is something small websites will just ignore?

Lots of changes will be happening with big sites, which will hopefully filter into the smaller sites. None of the big companies are showing any sign of complying, but will be no doubt done the night before.

More info here: http://www.cookielaw.org/

 

[Revels]

Hmmm. Seems impossible to enforce.

I can understand if you're selling info on but for things like analytics, the whole point is that you can track stats. If you don't know how many people clicked 'No, don't track me' which most people will, it becomes completely pointless.

 

[Chip-mk1]

The vast majority of analytics these days doesnt rely on cookies anyway.

 

[Track'd]

Exactly Revels, they're saying you need a cookie to collect that anyway! It'll just be a cycle where people will click yes anyway just to get rid of the pop-up boxes/alerts. It'll be interesting to see what happens anyway. How do Analytics work Chip? There are server based stats which people may rely on, but won't help with conversion stats and other important features when linked to ads etc.

The only reason I found out was because a client asked if his site was complient. It's only a small 4 page brochure website with stats. People have no clue what a cookie even is.

 

[Chip-mk1]

Exactly Revels, they're saying you need a cookie to collect that anyway! It'll just be a cycle where people will click yes anyway just to get rid of the pop-up boxes/alerts. It'll be interesting to see what happens anyway. How do Analytics work Chip? There are server based stats which people may rely on, but won't help with conversion stats and other important features when linked to ads etc.

The only reason I found out was because a client asked if his site was complient. It's only a small 4 page brochure website with stats. People have no clue what a cookie even is.

Yes thats a fair point when you are talking about clickthrough ads etc, although even most of those that I have seen work by passing a parameter as they refer that then gets attached to the users session server side so you know where it came from etc, all of which can be done without cookies.

It will certainly hinder some of the more sophisticated cross domain custom ads though thats for sure, where you do things like go on zoopla and then when you are on another site the ads just happen to be houses similar to the ones you looked at earlier etc.