EU cookie control
American politicians have demonstrated more than once that they don’t understand technology and now they have been joined by their brethren in the European Union. In an attempt to answer privacy concerns, the EU has passed a law that regulates the use of Internet cookies in a draconian and impractical way. TechRadar reports:
While the law is meant to shield users from unwanted targeted advertising – we are looking at you here Phorm – the requirement will be that all ‘tracking cookies’ will be subject for approval.
This means that the entire way websites work in Europe will have to be reassessed. Currently, when you log on to a website, cookies will be stored on your computer to remember your preferences, account details and things that most of us take for granted.
Like taking a sledgehammer to a walnut, if the law is passed in the UK – and across the rest of the 27 member states – then all of this usually harmless but necessary behind-the-scenes action will be queried every time you visit a new European-based site.
Also at TechRadar, technology lawyer Struan Robertson observes:
A law that demands consent to internet cookies has been approved and will be in force across the EU within 18 months. It is so breathtakingly stupid that the normally law-abiding business may be tempted to bend the rules to breaking point.
It is true that Internet cookies may have some possible privacy concerns but cookies per se are not bad. They serve many very useful purposes and the heavy-handed EU law is going to cause unnecessary problems.
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