UK Cookie Consent Banners Draw Complaints 108
nk497 writes "Earlier this year, the UK's data watchdog the ICO started enforcing an EU rule that means websites must ask visitors before dropping cookies onto their computers. However, it was willing to accept 'implied consent' — telling visitors that cookies are used on the site, and assuming they were fine with that if they keep using the site. That led to banners popping up on every major website, including the ICO's site, warning users about cookies. Now, the ICO has revealed that many of the cookie-related complaints it's received in the past six months are actually about those banners — and the law itself. The ICO said people 'are unhappy with implied consent mechanisms, especially where cookies are placed immediately on entry to the site,' adding 'a significant number of people also raised concerns about the new rules themselves and the effect of usability of websites.'"
Irony (Score:5, Interesting)
These banners annoy the living crap out of me. Every time I go to a website, they pop up, obstructing the screen.
Of course, there is a way to make them go away, by accepting the cookies on the website.
Whereas before I could just discard cookies upon exit, I now have to permanently accept them just to stop these banners appearing.
Oh, the irony!
Not so much about usability (Score:2, Interesting)
Joe Schmoe is just going to click away the banner.
I.e. usability of all the sites remains pretty much the same. It's just that every site now shows an irritating pop-up which any Joe Schmoe will click away before continuing the way things were in the first place.
Net positive effect: Zero.
Net negative effect: Nothing accomplished, all the same privacy issues are still there but it takes a click more to use those sites.