14 DAY TRIAL // The dreaded cookie law, which has nothing to do with food, is going to be enforced in the UK starting next week. Websites will be required to get consent from users before placing cookies on users' computers. As you may have noticed, the vast majority of websites do not currently ask for permission and won't be ready by the deadline.
The law stems from a EU directive, which applies to all member states, that require websites to ask for permission before using cookies.
Specifically, it requires consent before data is stored on computers or devices for the purpose of being retrieved at a later date.
This means that it applies to things like HTML5 local storage or Flash storage along with cookies. But since cookies are the most common, they're the focus.
The EU law is mandatory for all member states and, already, several countries have created local legislation based on the directive.
Each country has its own interpretation though. And several countries haven't even created the legislation yet.
In the UK, the law is effect for more than a year, but it's enforcement was postponed for a year to give companies a chance to implement the technical measures needed.
But the delay is over and it's time for UK websites, as well as everyone wanting to do business in the UK, to start obeying the law.
Well, that’s the theory at least, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is hinting that there will still be some leeway and that companies won't be fined, for now.
If you're a small website, you may be able to get by as is for the moment, but it's probably a good idea to implement something, the ICO may want to make a few examples. Large websites have already taken the necessary steps to get consent from users.