http://econsultancy.com/uk/blog/8515...dance-from-ico
I’ve been on record a number of times saying that I think the EC Directives relating to cookies are fundamentally flawed. We could make a parallel with the current UK/EU Euro ‘situation’ but let’s not go there. In the UK the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has a duty to enforce these directives and, as they say, “This isn’t going away. It’s the law.”
Yesterday the ICO released its updated guidance for UK website owners. You can download the PDF from the link in the news release.
Given the tough task of interpretation, guidance and enforcement that is the ICO’s duty, I have to say that I think this document is a valiant and comprehensive effort given the task and I’d commend them for this. I would urge you to read it for the full details. It is clearly written and quite practical.
Below are some of my initial thoughts on reading this latest guidance.
Responsibility for educating users about cookies is being devolved to site owners.
My overriding feeling having read the report is that it is clear that whilst everyone, including the ICO, recognises that users don’t understand cookies (nor do they probably want to) and that there are, in my view and many others’, better solutions on the horizon (e.g. browser settings), we are about to hit a point where all website owners are going to have to deal with the inevitable pain of trying to educate users about cookies.
I see no indication that any government, EU or national, or any particular body or association is going to take the (financial, mostly) responsibility to educate users at any scale.
Indeed, it would be very hard to do so. However, there are parallels where this sort of task is being done e.g. the switch off of analogue TV in the UK which Ofcom is currently ‘marketing’ at scale. But the internet doesn’t deserve such treatment?
So those of us who run sites are going to have to force it down our users’ necks and, maybe if we did it all at once, then the medicine will be bitter but swift and we can all move on. Maybe.