Revised guidance on cookies published

In May 2011, a new law came into force requiring businesses to obtain consent from visitors to their websites to store or retrieve usage information from users’ computers or mobile devices. Many businesses use cookies (small files that a website puts on a user’s computer so it can remember something) as a technique for storing information.

The ICO has now published revised guidance on the rules on use of cookies and similar technologies. The guidance includes a change in the ICO’s position on the requirements for obtaining internet users’ consent to the setting of cookies.

Our checklist, based on guidance issued by the Information Commissioner’s Office, sets out how a business should obtain consent from visitors to its website to store or retrieve usage information from users’ computers or mobile devices.