WTF is this about?

Cathaoirleach

http://www.businessworld.ie/livenews.htm?a=2805568

Tuesday, July 05

A new EU Directive obliging all companies to seek informed up-front consent from visitors to their sites for using cookies has come in to effect with Irish legal experts warning that Website owners need to sit up and take notice. :eek:

A cookie is a small text file which is stored on, and later retrieved from, a user's computer or other device. The main purpose of a cookie is to allow the website operator to identify the relevant device and to recognise repeat visitors to the website.

Such repeat visits allow the website operator to track user trends and to obtain a detailed statistical analysis of visitors to the site. In particular, cookies can be used to build a profile of specific users and provide an invaluable tool for any website operator wishing to engage in behavioural marketing based on user preferences.

"As the Regulations impose more stringent requirements in respect of the use of cookies, ensuring compliance with their terms will present significant practical challenges to website operators," according to lawyers, McCann FitzGerald.

The Regulations have also tightened up the laws on direct marketing with prior consent now being required for marketing calls to mobile phones. Further, the Regulations have placed mandatory notification of security breaches by telecommunications companies and internet service providers on a statutory footing attracting criminal liability for non-compliance, McCann FitzGerald said.

Previously, it was sufficient for website operators to afford users the right to opt-out from the use of cookies. This was generally achieved by informing users, as part of the website's terms and conditions or privacy policy, of their right to reject cookies and by explaining that this could be done by disabling the cookie acceptance function in their internet browser.

From 1 July 2011 onwards, however, such an approach is no longer sufficient and the prior consent of website users is required.

hatrickpatrick

No more tracking ads. Sweet.

robbie_998

Cathaoirleach wrote: »

http://www.businessworld.ie/livenews.htm?a=2805568

is this why i had to sign into boards today ?

ive only ever signed in 3 times a year

i click remember me !

Cathaoirleach

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

No more tracking ads. Sweet.

It's suggesting that site owners have to ask for consent to place a cookie on the user's machine regardless of what it's used for.

hatrickpatrick

Cathaoirleach wrote: »

It's suggesting that site owners have to ask for consent to place a cookie on the user's machine regardless of what it's used for.

Precisely, IE they can't record any data without your knowledge. Sounds good to me.

Cathaoirleach

This is what the EU directive is requiring.. a fúcking stupid bar across the top of every website that asks permission to use cookies.

Is nobody worried about this?

Example: http://www.ico.gov.uk/

Cathaoirleach

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

Precisely, IE they can't record any data without your knowledge. Sounds good to me.

Practically every website you visit requires cookies in order to function. You're happy to have a message popup each time you visit Boards asking you about cookies? I don't think you know anything about cookies TBH.

This is pretty fúcking serious and I don't know why people aren't up in arms about it.

strobe

Cathaoirleach wrote: »

This is what the EU directive is requiring.. a fúcking stupid bar across the top of every website that asks permission to use cookies.

Is nobody worried about this?

Example: http://www.ico.gov.uk/

Little help man? What is there to be worried about? This seems like a good thing?

My name is URL

You can opt-out of targeted behavioural advertising here - http://www.aboutads.info/choices/

It checks your system for tracking cookies from ad networks and sends an opt-out demand to them on your behalf.

boblong

It's complete BS.

Session cookies are an integral part of most modern web applications, whether you realize it or not. If you're seriously freaked out about cookies then use a modern web browser that lets you clear them/clear individual cookies.

Wibbs

Cathaoirleach wrote: »

Practically every website you visit requires cookies in order to function. You're happy to have a message popup each time you visit Boards asking you about cookies? I don't think you know anything about cookies TBH.

This is pretty fúcking serious and I don't know why people aren't up in arms about it.

Thin end of the wedge IMHO C. Wait'll teh French and their weird privacy and defamation laws get shoehorned into our online experience. Its gonna be quite the different net in a few years methinks.

orourkeda

I'm so like whatever you know

Berns

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ye8mB6VsUHw

Phill Ewinn

wbsites don't need cookies to opperate. It may be a basic function but check the calendar folks 1995 is over. I'd prefer visiting sites that don't need info on the user. It's a good thing if it changes this ancient and ridiculous rule.

boblong

Also, many websites use cookies to store CSRF tokens for security reasons. Would this in theory give users the ability to opt out of this fundamental security feature? Madness.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-site_request_forgery

Although if ALL cookies were prevented then there would be no request forgery, the problem occurs when you begin to pick and choose cookies...

hatrickpatrick

Cathaoirleach wrote: »

Practically every website you visit requires cookies in order to function. You're happy to have a message popup each time you visit Boards asking you about cookies? I don't think you know anything about cookies TBH.

This is pretty fúcking serious and I don't know why people aren't up in arms about it.

How exactly does EVERY site require cookies to function?! Unless it's a member site where you register and subsequently log in, I don't see why the vast majority of sites would need cookies at all...?

EDIT: I'm a coder myself BTW so don't accuse me of not knowing what I'm talking about. The only type of websites which need cookies to function are websites which have membership logins. Sites such as Google which allow you to save search settings without logging in to Google Accounts would be an exception to this but they are rare exceptions.

Cite some other examples?

Unless you are storing usernames, passwords, or user preferences, what legitimate business do you have storing cookies?

Standard Toaster

http://www.ghostery.com/

Peanut

Good idea, totally ridiculous and unenforceable implementation. It's not going anywhere fast.

In many cases individual website owners don't even realise they're serving cookies - e.g. anyone displaying Google ads on their site is also serving Google cookies to their visitors.

It would be much more effective to try to address this at the level of the online advertising and marketing companies who are by far the biggest source of tracking cookies.

x_Ellie_x

robbie_998 wrote: »

is this why i had to sign into boards today ?

ive only ever signed in 3 times a year

i click remember me !

I had clicked on remember me too. I've never had to enter my password since I joined this site. When I logged on today I had to sign in and I couldn't remember what my password was and I didn't know what email I used to sign up to this site (I have several fake email addy's I use when I join sites so I don't get spammed). So I had to get a new account.

JONJO THE MISER

All this talk about cookies has me hungry.

Peanut

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

Unless you are storing usernames, passwords, or user preferences, what legitimate business do you have storing cookies?

A lot of reasons really, you already mentioned sites with logins, you can also add to that:

• The vast majority of sites that are ad supported
• Practically all e-commerce/shopping sites
• Most sites that use the concept of a "user session" (although the cookies may or may not be stored beyond the immediate browser session)
• Sites that want to track visitor numbers and referring URLs etc. using something like Google Analytics
• Probably a bunch of other miscellanous reasons

Now you might want to refine the question to, "What business do the ad networks have in storing cookies?", which I think is the real issue here. (And the answer of course is, "So that they can be better at selling things to you").

Amhran Nua

Meh, terms and conditions page -> accept that cookies are needed by using this site -> give instructions how to turn them off in your browser.

And on down the next beaurocratic rabbit hole.

mconigol

http://selectout.org