Cookie Law Update II
27/05/2011
Cookie Law extended
The Ill thought out Cookie Law has been deferred for another year. This ‘cookie law’ was part of the EU’s Privacy and Communications Directive and comes into force on 26th May.
The aim of the law is useful, namely to prevent excessive gathering of personal data from search behaviour. However the actual way it has been worded make it totally unworkable.
But what makes this worse is that the proposed solutions will create a poor user experience and encourage more advertising. The proposed solution involves popup windows on every website! This is a sure way to get rid of visitors, but would be great for advertisers.
Why?
If popups become accepted then firstly these become a great place to show ads. But secondly popup blockers will need to be disabled and the popup and pop under windows full of advertising will start to appear again.
So what is the problem with the Cookie Law?
The issue is that cookies actually perform a very useful function in the way many useful websites function. It is the cookies which enable the customised visits and make repeat visits more interesting and useful.
So what is happening now with the Cookie Law?
There is one more year of time for browser companies to develop ‘do not track’ buttons on them, and one more year for tracking companies to develop alternative techniques of tracking visitors which do not use cookies.
