by Search Copywriter
D. Warburton
A new privacy directive has given consumers the power to manage cookies when visiting websites.D. Warburton
The Internet Advising Bureau (IAB) reports that the new ePrivacy Directive contained within the European Telecom Package has addressed and eliminated the legal uncertainty surrounding cookies, by providing a secure legal ground for cookie management tools to be included in browsers and other applications.
This measure will provide a more user-friendly internet experience, and will benefit online publishers and marketers as a user's personal settings - such as authentication details, language, previous purchases and shopping cart contents - will be recognised from previous visits, increasing consumer trust and confidence in websites.
The European Parliament has rejected its previous cookies decision, it would have required 'opt in amendment,' disrupting the user experience by presenting intrusive pop-up warnings each time they visited a webpage using cookies.
IAB head of regulatory affairs, Nick Stringer stated: "We welcome the revised ePrivacy Directive which offers enhanced user privacy without jeopardising the effective functioning of the internet. It will ensure that the UK and Europe maintain their leadership in digital advertising which helps pay for the majority of services, applications and content we all enjoy online."
Association of Online Publishers (AOP) director Lee Baker explains: "The key to legislation in this area is that it provides consumers with adequate protection while at the same time not jeopardising the consumer's browsing experience or threatening existing and future legitimate online business models. For AOP members, trust and the reputation of their brands are key and they would never act in a manner that would threaten their relationship with their users and communities by misusing consumer information."
