Simple Explanation of Cookies – E-Privacy Directive (Cookie Law)

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Cookies are actually complicated and very technical but I will try to provide a simple guide to the basics website owners need to know.

What are Cookies and what are they used for?

A cookie is simply a technology for remembering something about you. A cookie is a small file saved on your hard drive.

Without cookies, a website loses its memory of you every time you visit a new page. Once you visit a new page, it doesn’t remember who you are.

  • Cookies make the interaction between users and web sites faster and easier. Without cookies, it would be very difficult for a web site to allow a visitor to fill up a shopping cart or to remember the user’s preferences or registration details for a future visit.
  • Web sites use cookies mainly because they save time and make the browsing experience more efficient and enjoyable. Web sites often use cookies for the purposes of collecting demographic information about their users.
  • Cookies enable web sites to monitor their users’ web surfing habits and profile them for marketing purposes (for example, to find out which products or services they are interested in and send them targeted advertisements – some websites share their cookies, so that ads on one website know what you liked on another).

Common Cookies include:

  • Google. Most sites use Google Analytics and therefore most sites have cookies. For more information on Google Analytics use of Cookies.
  • WordPress. WordPress uses cookies to authenticate login. If no member of the public has an account to login then there are no cookies to worry about. If on the other hand you allow members to login then there will be cookies.
  • Ecommerce such as WooCommerce. Cookies are used to remember what was put in a shopping basket and to remember your customer login. For more information on Woocommerce use of Cookies.
  • YouTube. If you embed YouTube videos on your site then YouTube is adding cookies for marketing purposes by default when your visitor clicks on the video.
  • Advertising. If you run adverts on your site then there will be cookies to decide what adverts to serve to who. This is where it gets much more complicated as Adserving companies usually have whole networks of clients they are running ads for so your visitor may be presented with a complicated consents to manage.
  • Cookie Consent. Surprise, surprise this requires cookies to be set to manage users preference choices regarding cookies.

What are the cookie requirements?

There is a requirement under the amended E-Privacy Directive (Cookie Law) and Data Protection to

  • tell users about cookies and what you are going to use their information for; and
  • obtain their consent to the placing of the cookies.

So how do we do this?

Actually doing this is not straight-forward.

It requires

  • significant and complicated research to find out what cookies are in use (and this could change with any changes to the website) and
  • a management system to handle user preferences.

The commonly used solution of a consent pop-up when visiting a site is intrusive to the user experience and not acceptable from an accessibility perspective.

So we are stuck between a legal obligation and a rather complex and unsatisfactory solution.

The consequence of Cookie Law is the proliferation of cookie consent pop-ups on many websites – most annoying are the complicated consent options of the sites that collect data for advertising purposes.

Watch out for “Legitimate Interest”. This is often defaulted to “accept” leaving you to “object” as well as the “Advertising” or “Partners” settings.

Newsflash – Impact of DUAA 2025:

Not all Cookies may need Consent withing the UK

The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 introduces the idea that low-risk cookies do not need consent.

These include:

  • Analytics cookies used to gather statistical insights.
  • Functionality enhancing cookies that improve user experience.
  • Necessary cookies that allow the provision of the service.

More legislation is required before this comes into effect and guidance is awaited from the ICO.

Also EU law is not changing so a stricter consent requirement may continue to apply if your website serves visitors outside the UK.

Help on sorting out your cookies

If you need expert help with your website contact Joseph Tirelli today.

Epsilis Web Design,
WordPress Specialists with over 25 years of experience.

PS. If you want to ring the best time to get me is between midday and 4 pm Monday to Friday. If you prefer email I aim to respond the next working day.