THE European Union’s controversial new cookie law came into force yesterday (Sunday) following a series of last-minute amendments intended to make the rules more business-friendly.
The new law, which is being enforced by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), means that companies must seek ‘informed consent’ from users before providing computers with cookies.
However, it was apparent at the weekend that many companies were not up to speed with the new regulations and even government departments may have been unprepared.
The introduction of the new law was further complicated by a last minute amendment, which stated website-owners need only to gain ‘implied consent’ from users.
The ICO has stated it will not be looking to take action against non-compliant websites in the immediate future, but it will be offering advice and asking questions.
Once the new law is fully in force those companies which fall foul of it could face fines of up to £500,000.
Dave Evans, group manager of the ICO, stated on the organisation’s website last week that companies needed to show they were moving towards compliance, and that organisations have had over a year to prepare for the change.
“We’ve been saying that we expect organisations to be on the path to compliance – which means that UK websites must provide visitors with sufficient information to make a decision on whether they are happy for a cookie to be placed on their device and obtain consent before placing a cookie.”
Click the link to find out how the new cookie law affects your company
