The Cookie Law 2011
The EU Cookie Directive (2009/136/EC) is responsible for what you see in the image below. It's cropping up on more and more european websites and it pops up on every page until you click the damn thing and make it go away.
Img 1. Courtesy of the EU Cookie Directive
What's it all about?
Well, it's a European Directive which means that member countries must adopt it and write it into the laws of their own country - using their own words, like. The UK were among the first, bringing it into law in May 2012 and this short and very humorous uk video can explain the in's and out's of the EU Cookie Directive better than I ever could.
Video 1: The "Stupid" EU Cookie Law
What's the situation in Ireland?
The Irish regulations (SI 336/2011) came into force in 2011 and while not entirely clear, appear to mean that
- In regard to cookies, visitor consent can be implied from their current browser settings
- Result - your website will need:
- A data privacy statement (c'mon now, that's been the law for a very long time)
- A section in your Privacy Statement where visitors can understand what cookies you use and what their purpose is
The Law of which Land?
It's an EU Directive, so:
- You have to abide by the Cookie Law of the EU country that your website is hosted in
- You are not obliged to abide by the Cookie Law when your website is displayed to visitors outside the EU, even if you're hosted inside the EU