There is just one day to go, and at New Brand Vision we are working at a pace to help clients complete website cookie audits, update cookie policy pages, insert cookie information tables, and implement consent messages for functionality that utilises cookies.

Like many others, we are using the International Chamber of Commerce UK's Cookie Guide to help classify cookies and decide on a suitable course of action. Thankfully, Decibel, our Content Management System of choice, now offers a robust cookie compliance framework. This lets us set the cookie categories that require notifications...

...insert automatically generated cookie information tables...

...and pick between inline or banner style notifications...

... in many cases without writing any code at all!

 

We have made a conscious decision to take a very proactive approach, and support the spirit of the directive – returning website user's rights to control their private information and how it is used by business. That is not to say we don't believe the ICO could have helped developers and businesses with more specific advice – surely it is up to the enforcer of any law to explain how we might comply?

We also note that the focus of the ICO may soon be changing to apps – and rightly so – cookies are already subject to many inbuilt security mechanisms that restrict the data they can collect, while a rogue app can copy any volume of highly personal information directly from a user's mobile!

In the meantime, we are seeing big players like Financial Times, BT and the BBC implement opt-out mechanisms that flagrantly ignore the advice of both the ICO and ICC UK.

But for now, it's back to work for me; and over to the ICO to set the enforcement agenda.