ICO Gets Bitter Taste of Cookie Opt-In Effect

The Information Commissioners Office (ICO) has experienced a 90% fall in recorded traffic to its web site, following its implementation of the new EU Directive obliging all companies to seek informed up-front consent from visitors to the site for using cookies.

The data was disclosed to web analyst Vicky Brock of Highland Business Research under the freedom of information act and covers the period of 5th May - 14th June: the period before, during and after the ICO began asking users to opt in for cookies on the 25th of May.

The ICO now displays the following message on its home page: 'The ICO would like to use cookies to store information on your computer, to improve our website. One of the cookies we use is essential for parts of the site to operate and has already been set. You may delete and block all cookies from this site, but parts of the site will not work. To find out more about the cookies we use and how to delete them, see our privacy notice.'

Users must tick a box marked 'I accept cookies from this site' - all UK businesses with an online presence are required to comply with the new law by May 2012.

An ICO spokeswoman said: 'We're pleased that people who may be concerned about the information collected by cookies can exercise this right when they visit the ICO's website. However, this has obviously had an impact on the analytics information that we can use to help us improve the site. There could be a number of reasons for people choosing not to opt in - including that visitors to www.ico.gov.uk are likely to be more privacy aware.'

Malcolm Duckett, CEO of digital marketing agency Magiq, said he found the figures 'staggering' and added: 'The implications of not complying are huge, but it is worrying to see such a dramatic fall-off in visitors. At a time when the high street is suffering, it has never been more important for e-commerce sites to be seen as trusted and reliable by customers, and this is a disquieting red flag to all web sites that will need to ensure compliance.'

Businesses that do not comply with the new law by May 2012 could face a fine of up to £500,000.

The Information Commissioner Christopher Graham described the EU-wide rule as 'challenging'.

The ICO can be found at www.ico.gov.uk .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.