OKcookie releases new app to help websites comply with new Cookie legislation
OKcookie (www.OKcookie.org) have launched an app to ensure websites comply with the new Cookie Laws, and enable website visitors to easily give their consent to the use of Cookies.
- (1888PressRelease) March 01, 2012 - The recent legislation means that businesses and other organizations now need to get consent from visitors to their websites in order to store and retrieve information using Cookies.
Any website found guilty of using Cookies without a visitor's consent could face a fine of up to £500,000 ($750,000). This the maximum penalty set by the UK. Other countries will set their own maximum penalties.
Since most websites are designed to use Cookies, the majority of people will be happy to give their consent as they are used to the benefits that Cookies provide. Not providing consent would result in severely restricted functionality say, when using a regular online shopping or financial site.
OKcookie simply reassures visitors that the decision to receive cookies or not is theirs alone and that the website is ensuring their online safety and privacy.
The OKcookie Toolbar offers 3 simple options to the website visitor, providing instant compliance with the new Cookie Laws:
opt-in to all Cookies (recommended)
allow non-identifying First Party Cookies only
opt-out of all Cookies (not recommended)
Any third party Cookies are totally blocked from the visitor's browser until consent has been given.
OKcookie will advise consumers that should they choose to disable Cookies completely, then websites won't be able to retrieve prior preferences or save settings to customize future visits.
Additionally, OKcookie provides websites with an Online Certificate that can be viewed by the visitor at any time. It guarantees that the site is continuously checked for Cookie compliance, and reassures the visitor that he or she has made an informed choice about the site's use of Cookies in their browser.
OKcookie lets consumers and the public know that a website is giving priority to its customers' and visitors' privacy and safety. The developers claim that because the process is ongoing, people will stay on and return to a website with increased confidence (thereby encouraging loyalty and avoiding churn).
Quick and easy to set up
The OKcookie Toolbar is built on jQuery and CSS3. It is cross-browser compliant.
All a webmaster needs to do is insert the supplied code. There's no need to change the server side code.
OKcookie can be installed and working in minutes. It resides on the server and is economic with bandwidth.
OKcookie is an inexpensive way for a brand or organization to show customers and visitors that it cares about their online privacy and safety, and provides visual proof, in the form of a logo, that its website is compliant with the new legislation.
Background
Cookies are used by brands, organizations and marketeers to track a visitor's browsing activities without his or her explicit knowledge, and help build consumer profiles.
However, many people the world over want to limit the amount of information that is gathered about them, and to determine what kind of Cookies their browser accepts and/or retains.
This is the major privacy concern that prompted European and US Legislators to take action.
All search engines and most websites use Cookies. Cookies allow a website to recognize a computer when the visitor returns, and then tailor the online experience accordingly. It's like the ticket you get from a cloakroom attendant. When you come back for your clothes, the attendant uses the number on your ticket to make sure you get your personal items, not someone else's.
(NB: Cookies cannot be programmed and cannot carry viruses or install malware on the host computer.)
Cookie examples
Cookies help search engines remember that you want your search in a given language (eg. US English)
They help personalize your online session
Cookies help online stores remember the items you've put in your shopping cart
On finance sites they allow you to easily track your stock portfolio without having to re-enter the information every time you visit
On weather sites they remember which cities you want the forecast for
In short, Cookies save regular website visitors a lot of time and hassle, and can help make buying and browsing easier.
A Cookie ID is normally just a combination of letters and numbers. Most of the time there is no personally identifiable information in a Cookie file: no name, no email address and no phone number. What's more, cookies cannot be used to run programs on your computer, access information on a hard drive or deliver viruses.
There are two different types of Cookies:
A First Party Cookie simply goes back and forth between a person's browser and the website they are visiting, allowing that website to store information about the visitor's preferences.
Third Party Cookies work differently. They're called Third Party Cookies because they're usually sent to the visitor's browser by an advertiser's website (usually an ad serving company), which has bought space on the site being visited. Ad serving companies may use Third Party Cookies in order to remember which ads have already appeared on a visitor's browser. This information allows advertisers to:
deliver ads that are relevant to the user's interests,
control the number of times a visitor sees a given ad and
measure the effectiveness of ad campaigns.
With OKcookie, choosing which Cookies to refuse and which Cookies to accept is entirely up to the website visitor. Any or all Cookies can be refused, simply and easily.
Plus, the OKcookie certificate can be viewed at any time to remind visitors about their safety and privacy at the site.
For more information please visit www.OKcookie.org or contact: support ( @ ) okcookieorg
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