08 March 2011 | Author: J. Morton News Editor
Europeans will soon face a cookie crunch as the EU government has announced a new law requiring "explicit consent" for gathering cookies - small files that aide in quicker internet navigation, but can also provide insights into the behaviours of web users.
According to the BBC, the new laws will come into effect for the UK in late May, leaving businesses and consumers alike wondering how the change will affect the way they browse the web.
However, the government agency that will regulate and monitor the changes - the Department for Culture, Media and Sport - has yet to formulate the exact provisions of how businesses can comply with the new legislation, and a spokesman for the DCMS told BBC News the guidelines would not be prepared by the time the law comes into effect 25 May 2011.
Ed Vaizey, minister for Culture, Communications and the Creative Industries, said this will "cause uncertainty for businesses and consumers," therefore the new laws may not be strictly enforced against UK operations at first.
"We do not expect the Information Commissioner's Office to take enforcement action in the short term against businesses and organisations as they work out how to address their use of cookies," he said.
Peter Gooch, a privacy expert at Deloitte, told the Guardian the ICO will likely take into account factors such as the existence of effective legislation already in place for internet privacy, and the fundamental importance of the web sphere to the British economy.
"New legislation that might have a significant adverse impact on the usability of the internet and economic growth seems unlikely," he told the publication.
For the time being, Information Commissioner Christopher Graham indicated his office would not be able to enforce any of the changes, though he issued a warning to businesses: "This is not your 'get out of jail free' card."
He said businesses should be looking into ways to achieve consent from web browsers in new ways in the meantime.
EU to curb internet's sweet tooth with cookie legislation
Europeans will soon face a cookie crunch as the EU government has announced a new law requiring "explicit consent" for gathering cookies - small files that aide in quicker internet navigation, but can also provide insights into the behaviours of web users.According to the BBC, the new laws will come into effect for the UK in late May, leaving businesses and consumers alike wondering how the change will affect the way they browse the web.
However, the government agency that will regulate and monitor the changes - the Department for Culture, Media and Sport - has yet to formulate the exact provisions of how businesses can comply with the new legislation, and a spokesman for the DCMS told BBC News the guidelines would not be prepared by the time the law comes into effect 25 May 2011.
Ed Vaizey, minister for Culture, Communications and the Creative Industries, said this will "cause uncertainty for businesses and consumers," therefore the new laws may not be strictly enforced against UK operations at first.
"We do not expect the Information Commissioner's Office to take enforcement action in the short term against businesses and organisations as they work out how to address their use of cookies," he said.
Peter Gooch, a privacy expert at Deloitte, told the Guardian the ICO will likely take into account factors such as the existence of effective legislation already in place for internet privacy, and the fundamental importance of the web sphere to the British economy.
"New legislation that might have a significant adverse impact on the usability of the internet and economic growth seems unlikely," he told the publication.
For the time being, Information Commissioner Christopher Graham indicated his office would not be able to enforce any of the changes, though he issued a warning to businesses: "This is not your 'get out of jail free' card."
He said businesses should be looking into ways to achieve consent from web browsers in new ways in the meantime.
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