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So what´s at stake?
Basically: Cookies are allowed to last for the duration of one session, not inbetween. Also users must agree explicitely to accepting the cookie.
While this doesn´t sound to hard, it would disturb more refined cookie systems severly.
The internet lobby, especially the British Interactive Advertising Bureau, IAB, is campaigning already.
It should be remembered anyhow: it´s just the European Parliament at this point. The next step would be the European council to agree on the proposal, and they are traditionally rather supportive of business concerns. And even if it would pass the council, the proposal would have to be adopted by each country government.
I am involved in a UK freelancers forum where this topic is being very seriously debated at the moment. They are taking the threat of cookies being banned a lot more seriously than I am.
My current view is that if the EU government bans cookies - I will just get a free US web host and set my cookies from files on the US servers until such time as someone deems this illegal.
Okay this may be dubious - but the internet transcends national boundaries - governments have to realise this!
[webmasterworld.com...]
for my outline of what may happen. This is a flag of convenience situation if national governments are stupid enough to apply individual laws.
So-called cookies, spyware, web bugs, hidden identifiers and other similar devices that enter the users´ terminal equipment without their explicit knowledge or explicit consent in order to gain access to information, to store hidden information or to trace the activities of the user may seriously intrude the privacy of these users.
It is the user agent that stores and sends this information. As far as I can see this whole thing is a result of two big browser vendors failing to implement cookies in satisfactory manner. Other browsers managed to avoid illegal (in HTTP terms) and cross-site cookies long ago.
Ian, I don't see how the location of the Web server makes a difference. We operate equipment in Scotland & the US, but I was not aware that our activities on our US based server were outside UK law.
I would suggest that there are plenty of places at the moment where you could register a company and host servers which could allow you to avoid such laws. I am not a lawyer myself but I do know that in a lot of other industries similar things go on.
Online casinos successfully managed to avoid UK betting duty, and HMG are now changing the rules to let the onshore boys compete.
If we're lucky then the EU will notice the outflux of capital and climb down on some of the more daft ideas.
There's no sign of that yet, though. :(
Looks like we may be going in the same direction.
They might get away with it here but I wouldn't want to know the consequences of the FBI meddling in China or Libya. (goes off to find ISP/Hosting provider in Libya - should be safe from most Euro/US Laws)
---lol’s then puts patriotic moderate Republican game-face back on…honestly---
I don’t like blowing such news reports out proportion. Hopefully “U.S. becomes world cyber-cop” is just media rhetoric.
---goes back to laughing---;)
