UK/EU Cookie Law

Vulcan

Vulcan

Vulcan

Soldato
Joined
15 Jan 2004
Posts
10,215
Today the new EU regulation Privacy and Electronic Communications Directive regarding cookies came into effect.

Ultimately, you're supposed to advise users that cookies are used and what for, along with option to opt-out of accepting the cookies. Unless the cookie is "strictly necessary".

6. - (1) Subject to paragraph (4), a person shall not use an electronic communications network to store information, or to gain access to information stored, in the terminal equipment of a subscriber or user unless the requirements of paragraph (2) are met.

(2) The requirements are that the subscriber or user of that terminal equipment -

(a) is provided with clear and comprehensive information about the purposes of the storage of, or access to, that information; and

(b) is given the opportunity to refuse the storage of or access to that information.

(3) Where an electronic communications network is used by the same person to store or access information in the terminal equipment of a subscriber or user on more than one occasion, it is sufficient for the purposes of this regulation that the requirements of paragraph (2) are met in respect of the initial use.

(4) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to the technical storage of, or access to, information -

(a) for the sole purpose of carrying out or facilitating the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network; or

(b) where such storage or access is strictly necessary for the provision of an information society service requested by the subscriber or user.
Click to expand...

Take a look at the top of the ICO website: http://www.ico.gov.uk/ - Overkill

A rather stupid law. You could argue most things are "strictly necessary": Those ad cookies are strictly necessary so I can pay the server bill.

Also 4a seems to make everything and exemption? Isn't everything to do with the web a form of communication?

More reading: http://blog.silktide.com/2011/05/cookie-law-makes-most-uk-websites-illegal-what-you-need-to-know/

I don't think this law will change very much personally.

Thoughts and opinions please.....
 
Its fairly pointless for something that has existed so long and caused little furore in the public domain.
 
It is the most DUMB RETARDED ILL THOUGHT OUT PIECE OF CRAP LAW I HAVE EVER HAD THE MISFORTUNE TO BE AFFECTED BY.

*ahem*

Seriously though it won't make that much difference. The wording of the directive states that cookies which affect the primary function of the website are fine. You only need to warn when 3rd party cookies are involved which you don't have direct control over (ie Google analytics, getclicky, that kind of thing).

Even then it's completely pointless as the upshot would be every site you visit asking if they can store cookies before you get in. We'd be heading back to the mid 90;s where everything has a splash page.

And what if someone says no? You either have to show a cookie-less version of your site, which may be impossible to achieve, or not let them in.

Either way the UK government have given people 1 year to abide by the law. Hopefully by then there will be something incoroporated* into the browser to solve this problem.



*This is the dumbest part - there already is a disable cookies feature of most browsers, just obviously the EU is determined to make this feature more obvious to the hard of thinking.
 
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