NEW COOKIES LAW AND HOW IT AFFECTS YOUR BUSINESS
There has been an update in legislation and EU laws regarding Cookies on websites which, in short, confirms that you now have to ask permission to collect cookies on your website. So if you are a website owner or manage a website for your business or the company you work for, go grab a cup of tea and take a closer look at what you need to do!
According to cookielaw.org there are quite a few new developments, but what exactly is Cookie Law?
” The Cookie Law is a piece of privacy legislation that requires websites to receive consent from visitors to store or retrieve any information on a computer, smartphone or tablet.
This was designed to protect online privacy, by making consumers aware of how information about them is collected and used online.
Almost all websites use cookies – little data files – to store information in peoples’ web browsers. Some websites can contain hundreds of them.
There are other technologies, like Flash and HTML5 Local Storage, which work in a similar way and are also covered by the legislation, but as cookies are the most common technology in use, it has become known as the Cookie Law.
All websites owned in the EU or targeted towards EU citizens, are now expected to comply with the law. ”
Another take out from cookiebot.com shows the following:
GDPR compliance – what is the GDPR?
The General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR, is the now well-known EU law that came into effect in May 2018 with the purpose to create a uniform standard of data protection law in the European Union – and beyond.
It lays down the rules for the protection of natural persons and their right to privacy with regard to the processing and free movement of personal data.
In other words, it rules how companies and organizations are allowed to process the personal data of European citizens.
In a sense, the GDPR is the first uniform, legal step towards shaping an understanding of what data really is – and how we should think about it. Data is not just exhaust that giant ad tech companies can suck up for free, as has been the dominant practice for a decade on the Internet.
GDPR compliance regulates the flow of EU data on the Internet.
On the contrary, the GDPR lays the foundation for a new way of thinking about the data we generate with our online behavior: it ultimately belongs to the user and it is therefore the user who must consent to any collection and processing of it.
GDPR compliance entails respecting user privacy and anonymity. Below we present you with a GDPR compliance checklist, so you can get started.
Even though it is a European law, its purpose is data protection and the protection of the right to privacy for all EU citizens, and so any website in the world who services Europeans and process their personal data is required to achieve GDPR compliance.
In total, the GDPR empowers EU citizens with eight individual rights, including the right not to have one’s personal data collected and processed without prior consent.
What does this mean for websites?
” If you own a website, you will need to make sure it complies with the law which means making some changes.
If you don’t comply you risk enforcement action from regulators, which in the UK means The Information Commissioners’ Office (ICO).
However, non-compliance could also have other, perhaps more serious consequences than enforcement. There is plenty of evidence that consumers avoid engaging with websites where they believe their privacy is at risk, and there is a general low level of trust about web tracking by the use of cookies. ”
What should you do as a website owner?
For clients of Yellow Cherry Digital who do not have a support package, we strongly advise getting in touch to ensure your website is compliant.
Compliance with the cookie law comes down to three steps and we can assist you with this by:
- Carrying out a Cookie Audit to see what cookies are used
- Informing your visitors how you use cookies
- Obtaining visitors consent and giving them some control
Here are a few examples of GDPR Cookies Compliance on websites:
Please do not hesitate to get in contact if you require any help regarding Cookie Compliance or if you have any queries about your website
Please complete the form with your enquiry and we’ll get back to you shortly.
Alternatively you can email support@yellowcherry.uk or please call 01463 417 458.
YCD