Cookie crumb of relief?
By Brian
28 March 2012
With just over a month to go until the EU 'cookie law' is due to be implemented, it's looking like we're no clearer what the actual implications of these regulations are going to be.
Of the three approaches to compliance most commonly being talked about - modal dialogue, status bar and warning bar - none of them look particularly attractive or satisfactory from a UX point of view.
Meanwhile one specific cookie usage looks to be heading for a showdown between the UK government and the EU - with the UK government effectively arguing that web analytics are 'essential'. Despite it adding to the lack of certainty over what's going to happen, this is good news.
The Government Digital Service (GDS) takes the view that web analytics are "essential to the effective operation of government websites" and that "at present the setting of cookies is the most effective way of doing this". Further, they feel that web analytics cookies are "minimally intrusive" and that "their usage tends to be controlled by the first-party". They point to a statement in the Information Commissioner's Guidance on the rules on the use of cookies and similar technologies which would appear to seal the deal:
"Provided clear information is given about their activities we are unlikely to prioritise first-party cookies used only for analytical purposes in any consideration of regulatory action."
The UK government is gambling on the fact that the EU will realise that it would be silly to prosecute everybody who uses Google Analytics.
So, for cookie usage on analytics at least, there seems to be less to panic about and, if the UK government position wins the day, there won't be any need in notifying users that you are using analytics tracking cookies.
That's a sigh of relief being breathed here at least.
It's not the only (cookie) usage on our client sites but it's one that's used on virtually all of them (as it is on over 50% of the world's most popular sites).
References:
Cookie crumb of relief?
With just over a month to go until the EU 'cookie law' is due to be implemented, it's looking like we're no clearer what the actual implications of these regulations are going to be.
Of the three approaches to compliance most commonly being talked about - modal dialogue, status bar and warning bar - none of them look particularly attractive or satisfactory from a UX point of view.
Meanwhile one specific cookie usage looks to be heading for a showdown between the UK government and the EU - with the UK government effectively arguing that web analytics are 'essential'. Despite it adding to the lack of certainty over what's going to happen, this is good news.
The Government Digital Service (GDS) takes the view that web analytics are "essential to the effective operation of government websites" and that "at present the setting of cookies is the most effective way of doing this". Further, they feel that web analytics cookies are "minimally intrusive" and that "their usage tends to be controlled by the first-party". They point to a statement in the Information Commissioner's Guidance on the rules on the use of cookies and similar technologies which would appear to seal the deal:
"Provided clear information is given about their activities we are unlikely to prioritise first-party cookies used only for analytical purposes in any consideration of regulatory action."
The UK government is gambling on the fact that the EU will realise that it would be silly to prosecute everybody who uses Google Analytics.
So, for cookie usage on analytics at least, there seems to be less to panic about and, if the UK government position wins the day, there won't be any need in notifying users that you are using analytics tracking cookies.
That's a sigh of relief being breathed here at least.
It's not the only (cookie) usage on our client sites but it's one that's used on virtually all of them (as it is on over 50% of the world's most popular sites).
References:
