Uk cookie law set to come into force?

[Freid001]

Ok I have read on the BBC webs site about a new cookie law in the UK: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18206810

 

My website uses sessions to check if the user is logged and other website stuff. I think sessions uses cookies (But I might be wrong?). My website does not gather data about my users it. So does this law apply to websites that use sessions or is it just a new law to stop websites from gathering information about what pages people are viewing? If the new law does apply to php sessions does this mean that I will need to inform the users on the registration form about the php sessions/cookies?

 

Thanks For any help.

 

PS (Admin): I don't know where to post this so if it is in the wrong place sorry. Could you move it to the correct place thanks

[Adam]

The session cookie is the only cookie you don't need to give notice about. Any additional cookies (Google Analytics or equivalent tracking included), you must display a notice for. I've started to see more and more sites doing this now, and it looks like the most common approach is to display a kind of inline pop-up at the top of the page with a quick explanation and an accept button. Larger sites also sometimes have a link to a more detailed explanation of each cookie used, and/or a more detailed explanation of cookies.

[scootstah]

I think as long as the cookies must be there in order for the site to function, you are okay.

[Andy-H]

I think everyone should ignore it, on the premise that politicians, who've probably never even seen a line of code in their life, never mind written one, and think that a cookie is:

 

 

"A small sweet cake, typically round, flat, and crisp."

 

 

shouldn't be passing law's about such things.

[Philip]

Yeah, this is a case of lawmakers sticking their noses where they don't belong without consulting the proper experts.

 

I still have yet to understand what people complain about with cookies. "Oh noes, sites track me so I get more relevant ads! Nooooo!"

[scootstah]

I still have yet to understand what people complain about with cookies. "Oh noes, sites track me so I get more relevant ads! Nooooo!"

 

I use the Ghostery addon for Firefox to block a ton of tracking cookies.

 

I can't really come up with a good argument as to why I use it. I saw it while browsing for neat addons and thought "hey, why not".

[spiderwell]

i will make my sites comply when the government bother to do the same to all of theirs

[Drongo_III]

I wouldn't worry too much mate.

 

As above, if your cookie is absolutely necessary to the working of your site (like session cookies to login etc) then you don't need to seek approval.

 

Things like Google Analytics etc. present a much more grey area but seeking approval for this type of cookie is totally impractical and ICO have said themselves that these types of cookies would very low down the list of priority infringments.

 

If you run like a government website, or you capture info that is going to be used to advertise cross-site then you definitely need to declare and seek approval. Otherwise it's pretty much a case of watch, wait and see how things go.  Currently very few sites seek approval.