What is a cookie policy?
A cookie policy is a declaration to your users on what cookies are active on your website, what user data they track, for what purpose, and where in the world this data is sent.
Also, a cookie policy should contain information on how your users may opt out of the cookies or change their settings in regard to the cookies on your website.
Many website owners choose to incorporate the cookie policy as a section of their privacy policy.
The privacy policy is a document, usually a page on the website, in which all of the methods and purposes of the data processing activities on the site are outlined, including contact forms, mailing lists, etc.
Cookies are a potential privacy risk because they can track, store, and share user behavior.
Whereas most of the remaining privacy policies may be static, the cookies used on a website are dynamic and might change often. Therefore, an adequate cookie policy should be regularly updated to make sure that the information is accurate.
How does the EU Cookie Law 2018 affect my cookie policy?
The EU law on personal data, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), gives website visitors the right to receive specific, up-to-date information on what data is registered about them at all times, for what purpose, and where in the world it is sent (along with the possibility to prevent it from happening).
These rules affect your cookie policy as well as your cookie notification, your cookie consent, and your documentation of consent.
The law means that you need a proper cookie policy on your website, containing specific, accurate, and up-to-date information on the website's use of cookies and the users' options of accepting and rejecting them.
Requirements for my cookie policy
Your cookie policy should state:
- What types of cookies are set,
- How long do they persist on your user’s browser,
- What data do they track,
- For what purpose (functionality, performance, statistics, marketing, etc.),
- Where is the data sent, and with whom it is shared?
- How to reject cookies and how to subsequently change the status regarding the cookies?
What is the difference between the cookie policy and the privacy policy?
The cookie policy deals specifically with the use of cookies on your site, whereas the privacy policy is a general document regarding all of the data processes on a website, including contact forms, mailing lists, etc.
Often, the cookie policy is integrated as a part of the privacy policy of a website or an app. Arguably, it is the most challenging part. At the heart of this is the nature of cookies:
- Firstly, cookies tend to change often. This means that the policy, having to be updated and corrected, also must be revised accordingly.
- Secondly, cookies operate out of sight. Most website owners don’t even know themselves, what cookies are in operation on their own website.
- Thirdly, the majority of the cookies in operation on a website are usually set by third parties, i.e., have another provenance than the website itself.
Therefore, it can be hard to have a complete overview at all times of the cookies in operation on your website, what information they gather, for what purpose, and where in the world the data goes.
The easiest way to ensure full control over your cookies and to be sure that you have an accurate and updated cookie policy for your website is to get a GDPR-compliant cookie solution, where the cookie policy is integrated with the actual monitoring of cookies on your website.
With Pirotan, the monthly report from the cookie scan can, with a few lines of JavaScript, be integrated as an automatically updated part of your privacy policy or cookie policy, guaranteeing that they are always up-to-date and accurate.
Pirotan is one of the only fully GDPR-compliant cookie solutions on the market.
We enable you to take care of all that is cookie-related on your website so that you can have peace of mind, knowing that your website complies with the regulations.
Does the EU cookie law affect sites in the US and the UK?
The short and simple answer to this is: Yes.
This means that the GDPR not only all websites that are operating within the EU but also all websites that are dealing with users from the EU.
So, with its enforcement in May 2018, all sites but strictly local ones outside of the EU will be affected.
In a PwC survey of American multinational organizations, 92 percent said GDPR compliance was a top priority, and 71 percent had already started preparations (in January 2017). These included privacy policies, IT security, and the discovery of all the data they currently had.
In regards to the UK specifically, it is still a part of the EU upon the date of enforcement of the GDPR. Also, the UK government is preparing a new Data Protection Bill that will follow the same requirements as the GDPR so that the same once the UK leaves the European Union in 2019.
In the US, the laws on the protection of data are more fragmented because they are a patchwork of sector-specific laws, regarding, for example, healthcare companies or financial institutions, or restricted to specific states, like California.
However, the GDPR, being the most thorough and far-reaching data protection regulation ever passed, is likely to go global or, at the least, to serve as a model for future regulations for the protection of data.
Therefore, it is in any case relevant to take measures to comply.
The regulations might here and now seem like an annoying obstacle for companies, but in the long run, they are helping to restore the trust and equity between companies and consumers in a data-driven world.
Text example of a cookie policy
You can find many examples and templates for your cookie policy on the internet.
Keep in mind, however, that your policy should be revised and updated regularly, to make sure that it informs about the actual cookies in use on your site.
How do I get a cookie policy on my website?
- The first thing to do is to discover what cookies are in use on your website. This is fundamental for creating a specific and accurate policy, as required because every website is different.
Keep in mind that you have to take into account both your use of cookies and the ones that are set by third parties present on your website. Read your third-party services’ cookie policies to find out what cookies they may be using on your site.
Pirotan analyzes all the cookies on your site and sends you a report with a complete overview of all the cookies in use, including their purpose and provenance.
- Once you have all the necessary information, you may write your cookie policy.
The policy may be part of your privacy policy or be published as an independent page on your website.
Keep your language plain and intelligible: this is an actual requirement of the GDPR.
You may try a policy template or generator. Only remember that the information in your cookie policy must be specific, accurate, and continually up to date.
The easiest way to do so is to choose a cookie solution that includes the service of a continually updated cookie declaration, such as Pirotan. Call us now – 079-403-96030 or for more information, enquire us at info@pirotan.com
