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EU cookie regulation compliance: Cookie Audit services
With effect from 26 May 2011 the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations (PECR) mandates that UK website operators gain consent from visitors for the use of cookies. In response to this we now offer a Cookie Audit service to help you identify what you need to do to comply with the revised legal requirements.
In particular, a key change in the regulations relates to the use of cookies and similar technologies (e.g. Local Shared Objects, aka Flash Cookies) for storing information on a website visitor's equipment. With effect from 26 May 2011, the regulations state that cookies can only be stored on a user's computer where the user has given their explicit consent.
Our cookie audit service at a glance:
- A free initial assessment of whether you are impacted by the new Regulations
- A review of the revised legislation in plain english
- A comprehensive Cookie Audit covering all the cookies that your website creates or updates, including social media widgets, third party cookies, session cookies and more
- An assessment of the intrusiveness of your use of cookies.
- A report covering our findings that you can use to update your privacy policy
- Recommendations for appropriate methods to get consent for your cookies
Almost every website uses cookies in some shape or form, and the revised regulations are expected to have a very broad impact. For example, your website will probably be affected if you use any of the following:
- Google Analytics or similar analytics, tracking or website optimisation tools;
- any form of "remember my settings" style functionality;
- a content management system;
- third-party plugins, such as Facebook Like buttons.
The Information Commissioner has announced that the updated Regulations will be enforced from May 2012 and has made it clear that the ICO expects website operators to be compliant with the new Regulations before that date.
Our Cookie Audit process helps you ensure compliance with the new Regulations by reviewing the cookies used on your website and the uses to which they are put, as well as identifying opportunities to "clean up" unnecessary cookies, and providing an objective assessment of the intrusiveness of these cookies. We give you a comprehensive report of what we find and we give you recommendations about how to get consent for cookies on your website.
A Cookie Audit is the first step towards legal compliance - and a great demonstration of best practice.
