As a founder, you are set up lean and concentrate on fast scaling. Legal hurdles are unfortunately not welcome – and nevertheless, you should take them very seriously especially as a startup. The most recent cookie ruling of the ECJ, which obliges website administrators to obtain the active consent of the visitor to the use of cookies, is one of these hurdles. Fortunately, tools for websites offer fast support.
You’ve probably heard of the new cookie ruling that requires website operators to obtain the active consent of the user before using cookies (including tracking solutions that use Google Analytics, Facebook pixels, and many other services).
For a long time, the legal situation was unclear. In the meantime, however, an official ECJ ruling has confirmed that tracking cookies may only be set with the active express consent of the user. The problem: website administrators do not (yet) take the issue seriously enough, as the warning waves are just starting. For example, websites that use Google Analytics, the very widespread tracking solution, are already affected here. A spectacular case in Germany, in which more than 200,000 websites are already considered to be non-compliant with cookies in a very short time, caused the cookie compliance bomb to explode.
A fine of up to 4% of annual revenue could be imposed for non-compliance. Even if such sums were not imposed so far, the criminal charges increase. Four-digit fines are to be calculated in any case. Therefore, also with investors this topic becomes an important due diligence aspect.
Cookie Information Voucher Code (20%):
CAPMATCHER20
For this reason we would like to present a quick solution, which we use ourselves. The following points should ensure your website in the future (best automated):
- Active opt-in for the use of cookies (a mere use of the website does not count as an opt-in!). It must be a unique button click)
- Partial or complete acceptance of selected cookies (this means that you also need a current list of all cookies used)
- A cookie policy page in which you list all currently used cookies and, for example, explain their functions.
Without automation, these requirements can hardly be met. This is because regular work on a website inevitably leads to the use of new services at some point, which then use new types of cookies. In each of these cases, however, the cookie policy page with a list of all cookies used and a selective exclusion of certain cookies must be ensured. We ourselves were exposed to this problem and were able to solve it completely with the Cookie Information service after a free consultation session.
Cookie Information as a fully automated cookie compliance solution
Specifically, Cookie Information offers the following advantages:
- an easy and fast to implement code snippet that immediately embeds the necessary consent pop-up in a legally secure way
- a monthly (or if necessary, daily) automatic crawl of your website to always ensure that all cookies used are actually listed
- an automatically updated cookie policy subpage, which is always supplemented by the currently used cookies. This list can be embedded using a simple short code (e.g. via [cookie_policy]).
- a central, anonymous storage of cookie opt-ins in order to be able to prove cookie compliance without gaps
- Support for multiple languages, including German and English
- future automatic adaptation of the tools, if new legal adaptations would be necessary
- free advice on the Cookie Policy if required
Cookie Information can be tested riskles with a free account. In addition, the team also provides free advice on the legal situation with live webinars in order to clarify any last questions.
We can therefore recommend website administrators to register free of charge with Cookie Information.
We have been able to negotiate the following voucher code with Cookie Information if the product is convincing and one of the premium models is chosen. There is a permanent 20% discount with the code:
Cookie Information Voucher Code (20%):
CAPMATCHER20
The voucher code must only be entered after free registration, if a package is then booked afterwards in the account. Cookie Information can be tested for 30 days without risk. So: Don’t forget the voucher code later!
If required, the free call can be used after registration. Click here to go directly to the website.
Update:
In the meantime, the service has been extended by further functionalities. For example, you can easily integrate your own logos into the pop-up in order to at least add a branding effect to the more complex, yet legally compliant “user flow”. It is to be expected that website users will become more attentive over time in case no active cookie consent is requested by a given website. In this sense, a logo next to the compliant pop-up also conveys a certain trust factor for visitors. The technical adjustments in the internal area can be made with just a few clicks.
