Now that I have your attention, I’m afraid this article is about the digital and not the baked kind, sorry. You may have noticed a lot of talk about EU laws covering cookie consent. In this article we’ll explain what you need to know about it.

But first, unless, like us, you’re of the geeky persuasion, you might not be sure exactly what the non-baked kind of cookies actually are, or what they do. Well unless you click away now, you’re about to find out.

So what ARE cookies?

Cookies are tiny text files that get stored in your computer when you visit certain websites. They hold a little snippet of information that can be read by browsers. Essentially, they enable a website to retain information between pages or visits by acting as sort of short-term memory storage. The main aim is to deliver a more convenient and personalised browsing experience.

But the other thing cookies can do is collect anonymous data to build profiles of people. This allows businesses to deliver highly-targeted adverts. And it’s this aspect of cookies that caught the attention of the ever-diligent European Union.

The EU Cookie Law

The so-called “Cookie Law” was drafted to inform web users about cookies and to ensure their explicit consent is sought before any data on their browsing habits is harvested. It aims to protect online privacy and give users the option to opt-out if they so choose.

The EU Directive was adopted by all member states in May 2011. It requires owners of websites that use cookies to inform all visitors to their site of their presence; what data they are collecting, and why. They must also obtain their consent, giving them the ability to opt out.

You’ve almost certainly seen an example of a cookie disclaimer: a little pop-up message that appears when you visit a website and asks you to click “ok”. Here’s ours:

So what do I need to do?

If your website doesn’t have a cookie disclaimer and you think it might need one, get in touch! We’ll conduct a cookie audit of your website to determine a) if your site uses cookies and if so, b) for what purpose. We can then add a cookie disclaimer message to your website to ensure you are compliant. Easy peasy!