EU - Laws

[csogilvie]

Not sure whether anyone is aware, but apparently there's new laws/regulations coming in within the EU regarding the use of cookies in browsers.

The basic premise seems to be that to store cookies you need to *ask* the user for permission to do it - you can't just set them as far as I can tell.

I was wondering if anyone had investigated Prestashop to meet these new laws?

[3below]

More information can be found here

http://www.ico.gov.uk/~/media/documents/library/Privacy_and_electronic/Practical_application/advice_on_the_new_cookies_regulations.pdf

The compliance deadline is 26 May 2011

Help.....

[Patric]

Dear everyone,

Thanks for sharing, this is very interesting.

According to our research, these regulations don't seem to apply to e-commerce websites.

Indeed, according to that text (in French) :
http://www.developpez.com/actu/29394/-Consentement-explicite-obligatoire-pour-l-utilisation-des-Cookies-sur-les-sites-Web-a-partir-du-25-mai-Bruxelles-a-legifere/

Les cookies utilisés pour effectuer des achats en ligne (en remplissant un panier) sont cependant exclus de cette nouvelle directive.

Une seule exception sera tolérée : quand le cookie est « strictement nécessaire » au bon fonctionnement d'un service « explicitement demandé » par l'utilisateur (comme par exemple sur les sites commerciaux pour passer du panier à la page de facturation).

Google Translation :

The cookies used to make purchases online (by filling a basket) are excluded from this new directive.

One exception will be tolerated: if the cookie is "strictly necessary" for the proper functioning of a "specifically requested" service by the user (eg on commercial sites to pass from the cart to the billing page).

Feel free to post here if you have more information about this topic

[otakarw]

Here are texts of directive ammendment - relevant articles start in 2nd 1/2 of document after preamble:

EN
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:337:0011:0036:En:PDF

FR
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:337:0011:0036:Fr:PDF

DE
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:337:0011:0036:De:PDF

[Matt O'Gara]

There is a new European law that suggests that using cookies on your site could result in your site becoming illegal. The law specifically points at cookies that are gathered and placed on machines and not the cookies that are used to remember what a customer has in their shopping cart. But it does affect Google Analytics so if you have G.A. implemented (who doesn't??!!?) you need to make your visitor aware...

 

Does anyone know more about this and what actions are you taking to protect your shop and not break the law?

 

REF:

http://www.silktide.com/cookielaw

 

Possible solution (untested by me):

http://cookies.dev.wolf-software.com/#download

[Mike Kranzler]

There is a new European law that suggests that using cookies on your site could result in your site becoming illegal. The law specifically points at cookies that are gathered and placed on machines and not the cookies that are used to remember what a customer has in their shopping cart. But it does affect Google Analytics so if you have G.A. implemented (who doesn't??!!?) you need to make your visitor aware...

 

Does anyone know more about this and what actions are you taking to protect your shop and not break the law?

 

REF:

http://www.silktide.com/cookielaw

 

Possible solution (untested by me):

http://cookies.dev.wolf-software.com/#download

 

Hi Matt,

For now, the short answer is that no one knows yet. Google themselves has yet to make an official statement on the matter, and the ICO even has Google Analytics installed on their website as of the last time I checked.

 

For the time being, all we can recommend is that you educate yourself (there's a good overview of the laws here) and maybe even call them directly to ask about Google Analytics. If they can't even answer that, then you know it's even murkier than it looks now.