Top 5 Myths about the European Union’s “Cookie Law.”

1.  MYTH: The European Union creates laws by which all citizens of Europe must abide.

Fact:

The European Union (EU) is an economic and political union of 27 member states which are located primarily in Europe.  The EU, through its European Parliament, issues directives which then must be interpreted and turned into laws within each of the 27 member states.  Citizens within those individual countries (also known as member states) must comply with the laws of their specific country; they do not abide by the EU directives. 

2.  MYTH: All EU member states enacted cookie law legislation by the May 26 deadline.

Fact:

As of June 16, 2011, only three member states enacted any type of law. Estonia and Denmark have laws on their books.  The United Kingdom enacted a law but will delay enforcement of the law until May 2012.

3.  MYTH: Cookie laws will protect me from malicious access to my hard drive and my personal information. 

Fact:

If someone intends to maliciously gain access to information on your hard drive, they will not use cookies to do so. Cookies are small bits of text that store specific information that is placed on your computer by a specific domain.  They are intended to store small pieces of information such as your username, website preferences, or to track your browser history.  For example, a cookie serves up your username and password on a website’s “remember me” function. They do not “search” your hard drive for personal data.

4.  MYTH: Cookies spread viruses.

Fact:

Cookies don’t spread computer viruses.  They are simply text files that can be deleted at any time.  Cookies are not designed to be “executable” files, and therefore, do not have the capacity to spread viruses. If a hacker writes malicious code – also known as a Trojan Horse – into a program or file and a user downloads it, the Trojan could possibly “read” the harmless cookies that are stored on your computer. 

5.  MYTH: I can’t control cookies, so this law will be a good thing.

Fact:

Computer users can easily alter their browser settings to limit or refuse cookies.  Each browser (e.g. Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome) has different instructions; generally, you can find your settings in your browser’s “tools” and/or “options” tabs.  It’s important to note that if you change or limit your cookie settings, your favorite website may not work the way you like.

We will continue to publish additional materials regarding this very important issue.

For questions specific questions about DirectTrack, or to learn how our customizable solutions can keep you compliant, call 1-866-773-4460.

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