Google AdSense and Cookies (Cookie Law) email

EU Cookies

[Badger37]

Hi all,
I've just received an email from Google regarding AdSense and Cookies.
Cookie Law came in a couple of years ago and seems mostly to be a waste or time and just another irritation to website visitors. I was hoping that it would quietly go away!

The email from Google reads as if you now have to implement a 'consent mechanism' if you have already - are other people receiving these emails and what are peoples views (especially if they are in the UK like me).

I've put the Google email text below.
Thanks.



Google Ads Policy Team
Dear Publisher,

We want to let you know about a new policy about obtaining EU end-users’ consent that reflects regulatory and best practice guidance. It clarifies your duty to obtain end-user consent when you use products like Google AdSense, DoubleClick for Publishers and DoubleClick Ad Exchange.

Please review our new EU user consent policy as soon as possible. This requires that you obtain EU end users’ consent to the storing and accessing of cookies and other information, and to the data collection, sharing and usage that takes place when you use Google products. It does not affect any provisions on data ownership in your contract.

Please ensure that you comply with this policy as soon as possible, and not later than 30 September 2015.

If your site or app does not have a compliant consent mechanism, you should implement one now. To make this process easier for you, we have compiled some helpful resources at cookiechoices.org.

This policy change is being made in response to best practice and regulatory requirements issued by the European data protection authorities. These requirements are reflected in changes that have been recently made on Google’s own websites.
Thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.
Regards,
The Google Policy Team

[dolcevita]

We will known very soon of there is implied of explicit consent needed. They will warn you if your website does not apply. At least it happen to myself with PII policy and 30 days time to fix it.

From other side if policy does not specify of there is implied of explicit consent needed then I believe that it is open to the publisher to chose what to do.

[screamingmidget]

I've checked one example and all it says is:

"This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website", with a 'Got it!' button... if all I use is Adsense on my site do you think this would suffice?

Clearly most of us will only show this to EU visitors. It's pure common sense to do this if you have a lot of traffic from USA, Canada, Australia etc, like I do.

Now here's a question: There's been a lot of whinging about the policy and a lot of questions, but has anybody yet tested the cookie policy out and tracked what impact it's had on their earnings? This is what we need to know - whether it's best to show the notice at the top, or at the bottom; to make it less than the full width of the site, or narrower etc.

[elguiri]

So much work to improve load speed, changing all javascript to asynch and now comes this EU #*$!.

I hear you.

But pay attention to what Leosghost said:

But the one way, "white listing" is less taxing on the server than the other "blocking"..your "dev" will / should know this..:)

And when you do have to load the cookie stuff, then js and async.

[RedBar]

Welecome to WebmasterWorld screamingmidget

but has anybody yet tested the cookie policy out and tracked what impact it's had on their earnings?

My earnings are not down due to this, of that I am 100% sure. Insofar as tracking is concerned I have always had a dedicated cookies page for at least 16-17 years and since this was introduced a couple of years ago I incorporated this cookies link into my top navigation therefore it is readily available from every page on all of my sites.

The percentage of visitors who actually click through is very, very low, just checking my two biggest sites since all this bruhaha was dragged up one is 0.0157% this month and the other other 0.0167%, July was 0.0029% and 0.0018% respectively.

Yeah, the average visitor is totally paranoid about cookies!

[screamingmidget]

Thanks RedBar. What I've done is used the Shareaholic option and it just shows a banner at the top which now says, "This website uses cookies", with a "Okay' and 'More Info' (links to my Private Policy) button right aligned. Reckon this is good enough?

Redbar, how did you produce your Policy banner and are you only targeting EU Visitors?

[Badger37]

Ok Badger. I see it. And did you start to use it or you are still looking for something else?

I'm currently experimenting with a tweaked version of SilkTide's script and on another domain using a script that hides a 'cookie div' - see my previous posts for details.

[sp3ctre]

Perhaps a silly question, but I assume Google will use an EU IP when trawling our sites looking to ban those without cookie "solutions"?

[sp3ctre]

Also, I imagine a simple banner must be an acceptable solution, as the majority of people won't have the technical ability to block cookies until an act of active acceptance has been taken, and surely Google won't want to lose a significant chunk of revenue because of this silly law.

[RedBar]

Redbar, how did you produce your Policy banner and are you only targeting EU Visitors?

I have refined this policy over many, many years initially following Yahoo's implementation way before Google was even dreamt about.

I'm based in the UK and my sites are global however I do not set cookies on any site, the only cookies I have are thrid party cookies from Google, therefore my policy quite clearly states that cookies are not required to use the websites, just like the UK Government does.

I link to the EU legal requirements about cookies.

I also link to aboutcookies.org for advice on how to control cookies.

I explain that third party cookies may be used for services and link to Google on how to opt-out.

I also link to the NAI opt-out tool and finally I advise that opting out of a network does not mean you will no longer see online advertising, simply that you will no longer see IBAs.

[denisl]

therefore my policy quite clearly states that cookies are not required to use the websites,

Is it helpful to tell the public this - I would prefer my visitors to believe that cookies (while relatively harmless) are necessary for the correct functioning of my site, therefore they shouldnt be blocked.

[screamingmidget]

Cookies aren't required, yet I'm sure if they are deactivated, then Adsense isn't shown - unless you change from asynchronous - but then I think the ads aren't targeted well to the visitor and instead shows very random off-target ads.

[RedBar]

Is it helpful to tell the public this

I feel so for my sites and that is why I have always been explicit that cookies are not used by me, only by third parties and even then cookies are not required which is why I also state that advertising will still be displayed however with disabling cookies non-relevant ads will probably be seen.

If you do use cookies and they are necessary for the full functioning of your site then by all means state why they are used and also what the visitor may be missing out on if they do not have cookies enabled.

Honestly, the amount of people who would disable cookies just by visiting your site is so small that it makes a mockery of the whole damned thing. I'm getting about 1 visitor in 1,000 reading my cookie page, I very much doubt I've ever had one visitor ever change their mind by reading my statement ... I'm sure most are doing only through curiosity and my visitor numbers are up this month to this page simply because many have asked to view my cookie page.

[denisl]

Cookies aren't required, yet I'm sure if they are deactivated, then Adsense isn't shown - unless you change from asynchronous - but then I think the ads aren't targeted well to the visitor and instead shows very random off-target ads.

I may have missed something but I was assuming that cookies were necessary for ads to show - that's why I would like my visitors to believe cookies are necessary.

[screamingmidget]

"Honestly, the amount of people who would disable cookies just by visiting your site is so small that it makes a mockery of the whole damned thing"

I'd go along with this. And why are decisions/laws like this made by people who are quite clearly incompetent people with not much common sense or intelligence. It's certainly a crazy world we live in.

This is how the cookie banner looks on one of my site. It's displayed at the top, however it doesn't disappear if they click to the next page, it stays there until they click 'OKAY' - [oi57.tinypic.com...]

Good enough?

[RedBar]

I may have missed something but I was assuming that cookies were necessary for ads to show

Nope, never have been for AdSense. I tested this out a decade ago and then when this law was introduced re-tested it again, my sites display relevant ads but obviously not IBAs if you have cookies disabled.

One of the "big" things Google AdSense used to say in the early days was the fact that Google learnt the site and displayed ads relevant to one's site, it was afterwards that they introduced IBAs and tried to coerce everyone into buying something they may have already bought elsewhere!

Deleting cookies in one's browser on closure avoids this stalking nonsense.

[Leosghost]

And why are decisions/laws like this made by people who are quite clearly incompetent people with not much common sense or intelligence

Because Google and facebook told them, via their lobbyists and meetings with the EU politicians and civil servants, that this was the best way to do it..really..they passed the "tracking cookie buck" straight onto webmasters and away from themselves, and the EU fell for it, because Google and facebook said .."we are not really the problem, but we are the experts on the matter"..

Good enough?

The EU might say yes..

Google might say yes..except they are not saying what is acceptable to them..so they won't say ..

Then Google might change their mind and say no..and "boot you from adsense"..

Who is asking you to do this ..the EU ? ..

Not if you are not in business in the EU..( some of us are )..the EU does n't say anything about if you are in business outside of the EU but get EU traffic..

Or is it Google ( who do have businesses based in the EU ) telling you to do this , so as to try to squirm out of being responsible for their own cookies , that they set, when people visit sites that run adsense, doubleclick or Ganalytics....

Yep ..Google <= that is who is telling you to do this..

[screamingmidget]

For some reason I don't have any option to quote like you did so...

"Or is it Google ( who do have businesses based in the EU ) telling you to do this"

They have Google Ireland?

"Then Google might change their mind and say no..and "boot you from adsense" "

I doubt they'd do that. They'd pull me up on what needs changing.

[Leosghost]

<aside>
to quote..
do this [quot e] text that you want to quote[/quo te]
but without the spaces..
or use the buttons in the preview interface..you need to type a couple of chars into the "quick reply" box to get the preview interface to open when you click the button..
</aside>
They do indeed have Google Ireland, and Google France, and Google UK etc etc ..
Hence they are required by the EU to obey EU business directives and laws..
But the EU does not require non EU based businesses to do re about cookies..

That is just Google telling you that you must..if you want to stay in adsense..

[RedBar]

To be honest I couldn't give a fig what Google says! My sites comply with my UK Government's advice and, insofar as I can tell, EU implementation and recommendation:

[ec.europa.eu...]

If Google isn't happy with that then they can close my account, it's only worth a few beers a month these days therefore, as I said, I don't give a fig what Google says:-)

I am not here to solve Google's third party cookie issues.

[Badger37]

Just spent most of today updating another one of my websites!
I'm not sure it's been time well spent :(
If Google complain I won't be happy. If it's like their "Mobile Friendly" RWD campaign then it looks like a waste of time.

I had 3 sites running AdSense. I've removed AdSense from one low traffic site rather than add a cookie banner.
On the other sites, as mentioned earlier in this thread, I've used a tweaked SilkTide script on one and a 'hide div' script on another. Looking at the SilkTide GitHub issues it looks like they've not been too bothered about the whole thing and lost interest?

[screamingmidget]

clarified it to implied consent. ie, proceeding implies consent. Meaning, people no longer needed to actually click on the button.

What method are you using to display a cookie banner?

At the moment, I'm using this plugin: [wordpress.org...]

There's an option once registered that allows you to show to EU Visitors only, but ideally, I want to find something that can have the Geo IP code on my server so it's faster, and like you mentioned above, have it so it disappears if a visitor goes to a different page.

But everywhere I look it's people complaining and not actually sharing ideas as to the best method to use, which seems pretty stupid to me.

[IanTurner]

I used the IP2Location lite free GeoIP database - if you have enough memory free to hold the entire db in memory the performance hit is minimal

[screamingmidget]

I used the IP2Location lite free GeoIP database - if you have enough memory free to hold the entire db in memory the performance hit is minimal

How have you gone about connecting the cookie banner to this database to first check? Have you used any plugin?

[EmptyRoom]

I have several sites in French and German languages, but I am not living in the EU. I haven't received this email... I just heard about this while reading news.

Do I have to comply with this? Or is this only for people living in the EU? If it's for everyone, why haven't I received the email?

[Leosghost]

You do have to comply..because your visitors are EU..
It is not just for webmasters who live in the EU..
What counts is where your visitors are from..read what Netmeg said Google told her above..
..even one EU visitor to your site means that you must do this..
If you don't ..G may close your adsense account..they do not have to warn you individually first..
G haven't sent the email to a lot of people who have EU based visitors....they still have to comply..
When did G ever do "logic" and or "fair"..?

[netmeg]

BTW apparently the Shareaholic share button plugin for WordPress also has some kind of EU cookie banner that you can configure.

[screamingmidget]

Leosghost...

G may close your adsense account..they do not have to warn you individually first..

I feel that's jumping the gun a bit there. Google display a message in your account if something is wrong. Where have you got the theory that they could just close your account without any warning? I had adsense on an article which they deemed to be adult content a few months ago (I don't think it was really, it was simply about celebrities with the sexiest legs - no nudity in the slightest). Anyway, they gave me 5 days to sort it and I then just clicked to say 'sorted'. That was the end of the matter. If Google don't approve of your cookie banner, they'll alert you inside your account and you'll be emailed.

netmeg...

BTW apparently the Shareaholic share button plugin for WordPress also has some kind of EU cookie banner that you can configure

Yep, see my message a few posts up, that's what I'm using.

[vegasrick]

Leosghost, I'm not sure if that's entirely accurate.

I've been with Adsense for 12 years and make over six figures a year with them. My traffic is around 80-85% U.S. based and the rest from all corners or the world.

I have NEVER been contracted by them over this issue and I don't know any U.S. publishers who have. Google can't simply attack their a publishers because they didn't do something that they have absolutely no knowledge of.

A few of my competitors were notified, and have complied, but they are ALL based in EU countries or receive enormous amounts of EU traffic.

This is not to say Adsense won't contact me about this next week or even tomorrow, but I have a feeling I won't hear from them.

[Leosghost]

Screaming midget..plenty of cases in past threads here and elsewhere down the years of where Google has cut adsense accounts for various reasons, with no warning..( G have always said that publishers have to read adsense TOS, and that TOS may change, that it is up to publishers to be aware of any changes, not for G to contact individual publishers when changes to TOS are made ) ..search them out..

vegasrick..already in this thread there are non EU based publishers who have had this email..and you apparently didn't read the posts from netmeg* ( she is US based, so that is at least one U.S. publisher that you know about ) in this thread..

Makes no difference to me what non EU based people think that G may or may not do, but G have already clarified the issue to some*, and indicated that they may not contact all U.S. publishers, but that it will still apply to those that they do not contact..

I'm EU based, so was already in compliance with EU law..

[trebuchet]

Leosghost is correct that Google is not obliged to inform every publisher about the EU requirements.

However he/she is wrong to suggest they'll close your account for it. They'll treat it like other forms of non-compliance, issue you a warning and give you a short time to correct it. Instant account closures seem to be reserved for serious infractions like click fraud and tampering with ad code.