Cookie? … yes, please!

To most of us, Cookies are tasty treats that come in bags of 5 from the Bakery Section in Supermarket
s. But to a Web Designer, they are even more important. And now they should be to you too.Nearly every website on the internet today uses Cookies – and we would put money on it that your website does too. However, as of 26th of May the law has changed, meaning that you now have to seek the user’s permission before using them. Not compliant? There are said to be some fairly hefty fines.

What are ‘Cookies’?
Cookies are small pieces of information that are stored by your browser on your computer’s hard drive. The information collected by most Cookies does not personally identify an individual, however, they are often used as a mechanism for websites to remember things that a website browser has done there in the past; For example, clicking on particular buttons, logging in, or having read pages on that site.

Popular programmes such as Google Analytics leave behind these Cookies so that website owners can see how many people have visited their sites and what content on there is most popular. Generally, Cookies are used to enhance the user’s experience and are not malicious at all.

So what’s changed?
From now on, websites that wish to use Cookies have to expressly ask the user’s permission to do so. This can, unfortunately, lead to a clunky user experience but is now required by law. For an example of best practice, have a look at the top of the Armed Forces Day website at: http://www.armedforcesday.org.uk/ .

The legislation comes from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in response to the EU’s e-Privacy Directive which came into force on 26th of May in the UK, so from now on your site needs to be compliant with the ICO regulations. Visit http://www.ico.gov.uk/ for more information.

Not sure what’s best?
This area is a minefield of regulations, breaking news and revelations. At Who Needs Design, we’ll be following it closely, so if you’re not sure if your website is compliant or if it needs to be, then give us a call (01472 730051) and we’ll be happy to offer help and advice.