Cookies!

Stephen_Leak

The new website data "cookie" law comes into force soon. Websites have to ask if you want to accept cookies.

See http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18206810

So I go to the United Biscuits website, ...

http://www.unitedbiscuits.com/

and ... "United Biscuits (UK) Limited uses cookies on this website. ... we will assume that you are happy to receive all cookies on this website.

Ooo, yes please. Especially the choc' chip ones.

oldagetraveller

I wonder why it is almost always assumed that you accept by default and have to opt out all the time?
I think it should be the other way round. The default should be non acceptance and if you agree, then opt in. Similarly for contacting and data sharing options. Just my opinion.
Choc' chip, yes please!

ChiefGrasscutter

Probably because many websites simply are not going to work correctly without them.

Andrew1472

I haven't really looked into this too much, because I block 3rd party cookies and clear the rest when I close the browser, but it is a good idea even though most I suspect will just accept the default.
What I find ironic and amusing is, unless I've missed something, that to clear the information banner about cookies, you have to allow the site to set a cookie.:rotfl:
For me it is just annoying because that cookie never persists.

A._Badger

I, also, clear cookies every time I close the browser. What I don't understand is why people make such a fuss about this somehow impeding their web usage. In practice makes next to no difference at all. Passwords can still be retained (in Firefox, at any rate) and aside from losing a few preferences, I can't see what the problem is supposed to be.

Cookies are hideous things (the creepy, cutesy name should be a giveaway).

Kernel_Sanders

A._Badger wrote: »

Cookies are hideous things (the creepy, cutesy name should be a giveaway).

Maybe they should forthwith be referred to as 'cookie monsters'

-TangleFoot-

A._Badger wrote: »

Cookies are hideous things...

Depends on the cookie.

Figment

CoolHotCold

Dave_C_2

Back on topic. I have Firefox set to:

• Accept cookies
• Reject third party cookies (should be default)
• Keep cookies until I close Firefox
• Some cookies are listed as Allow in exceptions where I need to keep preferences, like MSE and TV listings

This gives me control and helps to stop tracking.


Dave

mattduk

Andrew1472 wrote: »

What I find ironic and amusing is, unless I've missed something, that to clear the information banner about cookies, you have to allow the site to set a cookie.:rotfl:

Yep that is how ill-considered and badly thought out this directive is. I am a professional in this area and work for - well lets just say you probably use my company's internet services many many times a day (wittingly or not) - there is nothing at all wrong with cookies. Any paranoia around them is just that - paranoia.

Someone put it very nicely when they said this directive is analogous to asking staff working in shops to wear blindfolds! The fact that the ICO has completely U-turned on the matter to accept implied consent (something that they said was not good enough for 353 days before changing their minds 48 hours before the deadline) goes to show how badly-conceived this was.

Cookies are harmless & often essential parts of the internet, and this essentialness is why consent is implied. If you want to opt out, dont use the internet. Its that simple. Want to use the useful things that the internet provides like email or internet shopping? Well, they *rely* on cookies to work at a fundamental level (e.g. to store the fact that you are logged in or whats in your shopping cart between page loads), so if you dont want to accept cookies then they wont work. Dont believe me? Try logging in to this forum, clearing your cookies, and then trying to make a post - opps, the server no longer knows who you are!

Just a reminder for everyone who doesn't know what cookies are:

• Cookies store just simple text data. They are a literally a text file. The site that gave you the cookie is the only site that can read the cookie. They might self-destruct(expire) as soon as you close the browser, or they might last for a year or two. We need to use cookies to differentiate individual users on the internet - for example this forum will remember that you are logged in and what posts you've seen before etc by using cookies. A cookie set by the actual site you're visiting are referred to as "First party cookies".
  
• However, because cookies are just text files, there is some concern about *what* sites are storing in cookies. This is why people are getting upset, because they are worried that they are being tracked somehow by the sites they voluntarily visit. Often the biggest complaint comes from advertiser's use of cookies to show you relevant adverts - for example when you load a page with adverts on the browser needs to talk to the web server that handles the adverts to get an ad to show to you (all this happens automatically behind the scenes), and a cookie might be used to decide what would be a good advert to show you based on other sites you've previously visited (i.e. what your interests are - imagine getting adverts for nappies when you're a hell's angel or vice versa) - these cookies are called "Third party cookies" as the cookie came from a third party in the context of the site you were visiting.

There are a multitude of solutions to stopping this "tracking" via 1st and 3rd party cookies - some discussed in this thread, some not such as the opt-outs prominently displayed on every reputable advert on the internet.

Please remember that things like the store loyalty cards could be considered much worse as Tesco et al are doing the same thing, except they know much more about you like your address, what you're feeding your kids, what car you drive, where you went on holiday etc etc etc, yet people willingly opt-in for this level of invasive tracking (personally I've rejected a club card many times whilst happily accepting cookies), just like they opt-in to telling Facebook about everything they do. Cookies that power online advertising and commerce are anonymous, limited in scope and keep websites like this and millions of others free for you to use.

Anyone wants any more clarity/deeper technical stuff on this please shout - can talk for days on this if you want more :-)