[OSM-talk] Cookies on OSM

[Lester Caine]

Ed Loach wrote:
>> Piwik requires explicit consent as it's not an 'essential' cookie
>> >Even session cookies are still a grey area!
> http://www.ico.gov.uk/for_organisations/privacy_and_electronic_commu
> nications/the_guide/cookies.aspx
>
> mentions:
>
> "European data protection authorities opinion
>
> In June 2012, European data protection authorities (as part of the
> Article 29 Working Party) adopted an opinion which clarifies that
> some cookie uses might be exempt from the requirement to gain
> consent:
> Some cookies can be exempted from informed consent under certain
> conditions if they are not used for additional purposes. These
> cookies include cookies used to keep track of a user’s input when
> filling online forms or as a shopping card, also known as session-id
> cookies, multimedia player session cookies and user interface
> customisation cookies, eg language preference cookies to remember
> the language selected by the user.
> First party analytics cookies are not likely to create a privacy
> risk if websites provide clear information about the cookies to
> users and privacy safeguards, eg a user friendly mechanism to opt
> out from any data collection and where they ensure that identifiable
> information is anonymised."
>
> I'm not sure which of the osm cookies count as session cookies,
> first party analytics cookies, or other.

Until there is 'case law' nothing can be assumed. The current recommendation 
HAVE changed again since I started sorting this for our hosting customers. The 
key word above is 'might be' ... no one has yet produced a document that says 
'is' ... so we either simply ignore the directive, or we provide the facility 
for people to be able to switch off 'social media' and 'analytics' cookie 
tracking even if some people's opinion is that it's not necessary. I'm option 
for the safe path since it does also allow users to switch off things that they 
may object to even with anonymous tracking.

The law may be an ass, but it was VERY interesting identifying what cookies were 
created as a result of loading a supposedly clean site, and it is perhaps the 
'due diligence' that has resulted from the exercise that is more important.

-- 
Lester Caine - G8HFL
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