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EU Cookie Law

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raineshoe

raineshoe

Free Member
Mar 16, 2006
264
40
Lancashire, UK
How is everyone with e-commerce sites that use Google analytics and other cookies going to deal with it? I have found some software which asks people to opt in or out, but what are others doing?
 
At the end of May that will not be enough. You have to give the site visitor the option to opt in to having cookies or opt out. Failure to do so the maximum fine is £500,000.
 
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Love it, getting all scarified by maximum fine of £squillion-gazillion.
Who is going to enforce this law, anyone know?
Trading Standards? Just like they enforce the Electronic Communications Regulations 2002? Now I'm proper scared.
They will obviously be checking everyone won't they, what maybe 20 million websites? Feh.
And if Trading Standards do decide to pick on you, because you did something appalling to the local TS boss's mother's cat, what would they do? Tell you to obey the law is all.
Another stupid law by people we really should not be letting anywhere near the levers of power.
However I naturally would not advocate breaking the law just as I would never use the words tar and feather in the same sentence when talking of politicians.
 
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Supposedly the Information Commissioners Office I believe is going to enforce, but they are a bit weak in my opinion and how are they gonna check all these web sites. However, I've found a solution for my site which works quite well and not too intrusive as it would be my sodding luck they'd pick on me and fine me. Can't afford a heafty fine so complied before the absolute cut off. No doubt an example of one or two may be made to prove the point perhaps.

For what its worth I think its a stupid useless law, as cookies are generally harmless anyway. I can think of far worse things they should be dealing with on the internet instead of chasing hard working businesses and making extra work for us over blessed cookies.
 
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cromiem said:
Affiliate marketing will be no go in the EU then?
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I would class that as essential to the running of my store i.e I need to know if an affiliate has passed a sale and that I need to pay them a commission.

I know others wouldn't but I would class every cookie that our store places is essential to my store.
 
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This £500k fine talk is scaremongering, nothing more. This time next year, no one will have been fined £500k. A handful of serious offenders will have been fined a couple of grand, and that will be it.
 
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J-Wholesale said:
This £500k fine talk is scaremongering, nothing more. This time next year, no one will have been fined £500k. A handful of serious offenders will have been fined a couple of grand, and that will be it.
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I'm not disagreeing with you and I suspect that you may be correct but you are basing this statement on what, as you make it sound like fact?
 
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Opinion, of course. But let me ask you this: can you remember a small UK business ever being fined half a million pounds over a minor infraction that 100s of 1000s of other small UK businesses are guilty of? It just does not happen.
 
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J-Wholesale said:
This £500k fine talk is scaremongering, nothing more. This time next year, no one will have been fined £500k. A handful of serious offenders will have been fined a couple of grand, and that will be it.
Click to expand...

May well be that no one is fined, but I'm not going to risk it. If I got a hefty fine it would cripple us.
 
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There is so much confusion, uncertainty and general lack of understanding about this, and nothing is going to happen immediately in terms of 'fines' and the ICO clamping down. Reading a Q&A at econsultancy I can't link to, but google "econsultancy q&a dave evans" my view is:
  • Carry out a simple cookie audit
  • Make the results of this much clearer on your site

It doesn't have to be a pop up as soon as someone comes onto your site, just clear enough, in the header, sidebar etc. Yes, this isn't 100% 'compliant', but then there aren't many sites that are, and what the ICO are looking for right now is evidence that companies are moving forward with this.

The bigger emphasis on this is about customer knowledge, as currently the wider public have little idea about cookies, and site owners need to help them understand.

The two biggest quotes in that q&a for me are:
(Regarding the customer, should they complain about a site) - "The first question we will ask is: have you tried to sort this out yourself? If they don’t want a particular cookie, then they could use browser settings or security software to get rid of it."
And
"In these situations we would be more likely to provide advice to the organisation. It is unlikely (though not impossible) that we would take action just for analytics cookies."

Don't panic about this, but also don't just ignore it and shout about it being unworkable. There are difficulties if you take the legislation literally, but move towards compliance and inform your customers quietly and you won't have any problems IMO
 
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Google EU Cookie law and you will find more info. Also Information Commissioners site has info on it. Its been law since May 2011, but they will be tightening up after 26 May 2012 as they have given everyone a years grace shall we say.
 
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redbelt said:
There is so much confusion, uncertainty and general lack of understanding about this, and nothing is going to happen immediately in terms of 'fines' and the ICO clamping down. Reading a Q&A at econsultancy I can't link to, but google "econsultancy q&a dave evans" my view is:
  • Carry out a simple cookie audit
  • Make the results of this much clearer on your site

It doesn't have to be a pop up as soon as someone comes onto your site, just clear enough, in the header, sidebar etc. Yes, this isn't 100% 'compliant', but then there aren't many sites that are, and what the ICO are looking for right now is evidence that companies are moving forward with this.

The bigger emphasis on this is about customer knowledge, as currently the wider public have little idea about cookies, and site owners need to help them understand.

The two biggest quotes in that q&a for me are:
(Regarding the customer, should they complain about a site) - "The first question we will ask is: have you tried to sort this out yourself? If they don’t want a particular cookie, then they could use browser settings or security software to get rid of it."
And
"In these situations we would be more likely to provide advice to the organisation. It is unlikely (though not impossible) that we would take action just for analytics cookies."

Don't panic about this, but also don't just ignore it and shout about it being unworkable. There are difficulties if you take the legislation literally, but move towards compliance and inform your customers quietly and you won't have any problems IMO
Click to expand...

Agree totally people shouldn't panic, but I think as you say you should be seen to be starting to do something about it.

We now have a small pop up bottom right of the screen which seems to work quite well. Like you say though most people haven't a clue what a cookie is. I personally think the whole thing is ridiculous. More like EU people trying to justify their worth and existence.
 
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J-Wholesale said:
Opinion, of course. But let me ask you this: can you remember a small UK business ever being fined half a million pounds over a minor infraction that 100s of 1000s of other small UK businesses are guilty of? It just does not happen.
Click to expand...
It's not just about small business being fined, some small businesses advise the big dogs on their approach. ICO guidelines are very important to these businesses, who must fully understand and advise on strategy.
 
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raineshoe said:
as they have given everyone a years grace shall we say.
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A years grace in which the ICO was surely meant to tell us where the lines are drawn.

Well... tick, tock... 11 months+ down the road and they're still sitting on the fence.

Steve

PS Did I mention I despise politicians? I did? Good...
 
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