Website owners worried about meeting the deadline to
comply with the new cookie law can take comfort from the fact they are not alone: most government sites will miss the deadline too.
With just over a week to go, it has emerged that most of the UK government’s own websites will fail to comply in time, according to the BBC.
Unlike many private sector sites, government sites do not carry advertising, but cookies are still used for things like monitoring levels of traffic.
Although the EU directive came into force on 26 May 2011, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) gave businesses 12 months to comply with the law. In that time, the ICO has issued guidance and advice to help organisations ensure their websites become compliant.
Advice not followed by the government, it seems. The Cabinet Office has admitted that few public sector sites will be compliant by the deadline, but claims that the government is “working to achieve compliance at the earliest possible date”.
Last week it emerged that nine out of ten people believe the EU cookie law is a positive step for consumers, even though most were forced to admit they had never even heard of it until prompted.
The looming changes have been widely condemned by businesses, amid claims that they will cost the UK economy up to £10bn in lost sales, ad revenues and firms relocating overseas.
Related stories
90% of consumers back cookie law
DMA: Use cookie law to build trust
ICO tool to report cookie miscreants
Cookies law to cost UK firms £10bn
Cookie laws rocked by mass boycott
