Highcliff SEM Digital Marketing Blog

Digital Marketing Headache — The New European PERC on Browser Cookies

June 23, 2011

Posted in: Internet Advertising, Web Analytics

Well, here’s a really bad idea. Ask every visitor to a website to check a box indicating they will accept browser cookies, even if their browser settings already indicate their preference to do so. As of May 26, 2011 that’s exactly what the new European directive for Privacy and Electronic Communications forces UK website owners to do.

Why is this bad? Because most Internet “consumers” don’t understand that cookies are generally harmless and they make the Web a more interesting, relevant place. Very few are designed to look up your proverbial skirt, but rather than coming down hard on the ones that do, the ICO threatens a £500k fine to any business in violation of their new directive.

I’d much rather be able to find great content and have great content find me on the Web than to roam with total anonymity on a Web that’s agnostic to my preferences and interests. This is exactly what might happen without analytics and tracking cookies to help website owners improve their content and spend scarce advertising dollars where they could make the most difference.

While the regulation excludes cookies that are “strictly necessary” for the service requested, regulations such as this should exclude cookies that contain non-personally identifiable information. Thankfully, companies have a year exemption to figure out how to implement this one.

Let’s hope smarter Browsers and wiser regulators prevail in the US.