Data privacy and cookie compliance: Here is what you need to know

It cannot come as a surprise for anybody that the world is becoming more and more digital orientated. Nowadays even the small local stores are forced to have an additional web shop besides their physical store to meet the online demand. Also, it is impossible to attend to a college or university without a computer as all the information you need are available online. 

This means that online traffic on websites is only getting bigger and bigger, and therefore data privacy and cookie compliance are more relevant to websites than ever before.

Data privacy law enforcements are made to protect the civil public and to avoid that online institutions or other third parts are abusing the data you leave behind when surfing the internet. 

What are cookies and why do we need compliance?

First, it is important to understand what cookies really are and why we need to comply with the collection of our personal data. 

Cookies are small text files that are created by you from the moment that you enter a website. These text files are created by everything you click on a website. Also, cookies are used to keep a record of your information or your previous visit on the website. 

Then you might think that cookies are only used as a surveillance tool that doesn’t benefit you at all right? Not quite. Cookies are also making the life much easier for you as a visitor on any website. 

The fact that the website remembers your login information and you don’t have to remember every single login or username are a result of cookies. Also, the fact web shops remember the items that you put in your shopping chart when you leave the website is a result of cookies. It would be annoying if all the items that you’ve selected were all gone just because that checked your Facebook, right? 

Therefore, cookies also benefit you as well.

Websites will always get your compliance before collecting cookies  

However, it is very important that you as a user are beware of the fact that the website is collecting cookies. Therefore, it is also very important that the website is informing you about that they are collecting cookies and most important of all – to get your consent.

One of the most normal ways to inform about cookie collection and getting the visitors consent it through a cookie banner.

Cookie banners are very intelligent as they are automatic appearing on the website and blocks your access unless you read and accept the terms of cookie collection. 

Therefore, you are always aware that the website is collecting cookies before entering and you can choose whether you accept the terms or not.