[OSM-talk] Cookies on OSM

[David Earl]

On 11/07/2012 13:36, Frederik Ramm wrote:
> Hi,
>
> On 07/11/12 14:03, David Earl wrote:
>> I am (I hope not naively!) assuming that OSM wouldn't indulge in any
>> intrusive cookie tracking which would require explicit consent.
>
> I believe OSM uses "Piwik" which is something like Google Analytics but
> without giving the data to a third party. That's probably the reason you
> are seeing this "pk" cookie.

Thanks.

> I don't know if that requires explicit consent. It's not much more than
> looking at log files really but I'm not up to date on legislation.

The general view seems to be that Google Analytics doesn't require 
explicit consent, merely disclosure, so I can't see that something even 
less intrusive could require explicit consent.


> (TBH I've seen a lot of "is it ok if we set a cookie" popups on UK web
> sites recently but none on German sites so I'm not sure if this is
> really an EU thing or just UK? Or UK being first in adopting some EU law
> into national law maybe, improbable as it sounds?)

The directive was actually enacted in May 2011, but the UK Information 
Commissioner's office gave people until May this year to implement it. A 
few have, as you say (notably the BBC), but the ones that really go to 
town on the issues the directive is supposed to protect against - e.g. 
Amazon - have completely ignored it. There will have to be a test case 
before long if it is supposed to be taken seriously. (It is a daft law 
IMO, exactly the kind of 'red tape' the Government says it is committed 
to abolishing).

David