Cookies - sadly not chocolate chip...

Katedesign

Katedesign

Well-Known Member
No! This is a question about the Cookie Law, which I believe is already law in the UK and about to be law in the EU. Well maybe two questions...
If I've built a web site in HTML and only have Google analytics does that web site use cookies?
And if so, I presume, therefore, we have to have some thing/piece of code that allows people to reject the cookies?

And being a lazy sort of a girl does anyone know where that 'thing/code' can be found?! :icon_smile:
Cheers
 
I think it comes into effect tommorow (23rd), in short yes it will use cookies which is the absolute nightmare everyone is having at the moment. Personally I am going to wait and see what the likes of Tesco and the big stores do before I make any changes to anything, as to be honest these will be the types of company that would initially be persued with regards to not abiding by this new law.

To have to ask every single browser of a website to click a confirmation box before they can continue is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard, and it will definitely reduce sales in my opinion, until the likes of Tesco are doing this I aint touching a thing.
 
Yea I think it is really bad - basically you will have to opt in to download cookies otherwise they won’t be collected. Most people who dont know what cookies are will probably just choose not to download them – and I can’t say I blame them really. Its not for all cookies, the exception is cookies that are used for general website functionality such as session based cookies like this forum where you sign in and when it remembers you when you come back. 3rd party cookies used by the likes of Google Analytics are going to be totally annihilated if this law is enforced since the whole point is getting the widest possible and most robust user statistics. It will be pretty pointless if only 5% of users choose to download the Google Analytics cookie. Maybe web browsers will implement their own type of tracking natively although not sure how that would work.

More info about the law here: EU Cookie Law - Audit, Analytics and Cookie Compliance it also shows the opt in functionality at the top of the page.

An example of the new opt in functionality by BT: BT: broadband, TV, phone, home & business

There are more examples but they all generally do the same thing. I am not going to do anything yet until I understand more about the law and how/if it is being enforced. By the sounds of it all you need to do is show you are making an effort follow the new procedures. Only when you are proved to be avoiding the new rules deliberately you could be liable for a fine. Even our own government have failed to make the deadline..! BBC News - Cookies: Majority of government sites to miss deadline
 
No - a shopping cart would use standard session based cookies rather than 3rd party cookies that track people for advertising purposes or collect anonymous site statistical data - there is a difference and that is what the law is about.
 
I've taken a look at websites like Tescos, Sainsburys and Asda - they all have a "Privacy Policy" (or in Tescos case "Privacy & Cookies") - When clicking on this it lists some information about what cookies are, why they're being used and what they will/won't do with the data.

Hopefully we can all follow in a similar fashion? this will keep our websites covered and we will have nothing further to worry about (I hope?)
 
DaveGears86 said:
I've taken a look at websites like Tescos, Sainsburys and Asda - they all have a "Privacy Policy" (or in Tescos case "Privacy & Cookies") - When clicking on this it lists some information about what cookies are, why they're being used and what they will/won't do with the data.
Click to expand...

This is what we have done...(for now)
 
DaveGears86 said:
I've taken a look at websites like Tescos, Sainsburys and Asda - they all have a "Privacy Policy" (or in Tescos case "Privacy & Cookies") - When clicking on this it lists some information about what cookies are, why they're being used and what they will/won't do with the data.

Hopefully we can all follow in a similar fashion? this will keep our websites covered and we will have nothing further to worry about (I hope?)
Click to expand...

Yep - this is what the company I work for does and to be hoenst hopefully this approach will be allowed. I will be keeping a close eye on the issue.
 
Check out the BBC website for how I think the Cookie Law should be handled. From everything I have read, just changing your Privacy Policy will not cut it. You need to gain express permission before delivering tracking cookies (functionality cookies are fine).
 
Corrosive said:
Check out the BBC website for how I think the Cookie Law should be handled. From everything I have read, just changing your Privacy Policy will not cut it. You need to gain express permission before delivering tracking cookies (functionality cookies are fine).
Click to expand...

Yeah I like that, how do they do it?
 
I'm just seeing a link at the bottom - is that correct?

My brother-in-law has a Wordpress site and that has a solution - a clickable box with YES & NO.
 
Katedesign said:
I'm just seeing a link at the bottom - is that correct?

My brother-in-law has a Wordpress site and that has a solution - a clickable box with YES & NO.
Click to expand...

The one on the BBC has a message at the top in a dark coloured box that explains and then allows you to set cookies how you want them. You only get one shot at it in each browser so perhaps try a different browser and you may see it.

I've found a few solutions online (and have seen the Wordpress one as well)

Silktide - Test your compliance
Wolf Software Universal Cookie Law Solution
Cookie Law Compliance Solution | Cookie Control by Civic

The main issue is that education about cookies is not good enough for joe public and I've read some reports that say 90% of people on one site (can't remember which) opted out. This makes Analytics data completely worthless so what is the point?
 
Yes - I put the question because one of my clients asked about it - we only have Google cookies on his site. I would be annoyed if people opted out through ignorance and made the analytics data worthless! I was able to prove to him that adding a page to his site was worth it through google analytics!
 
Well spotted Dave. Looks like the implied consent part was introduced on Thursday and you are right, it does appear to relax the whole thing as far as analytics goes. Will do some more research today I think :icon_biggrin:
 
OK, have read through the ICO guidance (vers 3). It does seem to reduce the technology required to become compliant and feels more like if you get the message about cookies a bit more in people's view (rather than hidden away in a Privacy Policy) then the fact that they have then continued to use the website is 'implied consent'. So, my interpretation of that is that you could show a div tag with a message about cookies, what they are and what they do, and then give the user the option to hide that bar (and set the answer using a cookie... ironically enough) then that should be compliant. This does remove the need to have something like what the BBC has done where cookie options are individually selected by the user.

Anyone else got any alternative interpretations on this?
 
I've also been reading round the forums and have come to that same conclusion. And I shall try to implement it just as soon as I can work out what to actually do!

All the sites I have built so far only use Google Analytics so I shall mention that.
 
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