Almost all web sites automatically send a small unique text file to visitors (the "cookie") so that the site can track that user and personalise the experience of the visitor. From a web visitor point of view, this is key to a richer browsing experience because site's "remember" us when we return and we can set preferences for how we want to use those sites. 

The advantage for the site owner is that they can build up information about how visitors are using the site.

But increasingly sites are sharing information about users so that you can find yourself visiting one site and then being recognised as a previous visitor to a different site. The EU cookie law was originally envisaged to tackle this creeping profiling of our our web habits. It was proposed that no site could issue a cookie until the visitor was aware of exactly how that information was going to be used and what precisely was going to happen.  It would undoubtedly have been a headache for web site owners but from a privacy point of view it was welcomed by many.

However, at the last moment, in May, this was watered down allowing the concept of "implied consent"  -- essentially, as long as you have clearly told your visitors what you are going to do then if they continue to use the site they have given consent.

Here are the guidelines for compliance with the law from the Government Information Commissioners Office (ICO) 

• Implied consent is a valid form of consent and can be used in the context of compliance with the revised rules on cookies.
• If you are relying on implied consent you need to be satisfied that your users understand that their actions will mean that cookies will be set. Without this understanding you do not have their informed consent.
• You should not rely on the fact that users might have read a privacy policy that is perhaps hard to find or difficult to understand.
• In some circumstances, for example where you are collecting sensitive personal data such as health information, you might feel that explicit consent is more appropriate.

For all our Typo3 website owners we are offering a service which will make a web site compliant with the new legislation. The service involves elegantly displaying to all visitors to every page an alert that the site uses cookies. Following a review of all cookies used by your site we will update your privacy policy (and create one if you don't have one) and display a link to that policy to visitors.

Cost of the service is £87.50 + VAT.

Please contact us for more details.