Let us talk about GDPR and how it affects how companies handle our data. Yet another European law that companies have to consider when collecting data from customers. GDPR gives us, the EU citizens, control over our data. This means that companies need our consent before collecting and using our data. It is like they need to ask for permission before going through our stuff, and that’s good!
What are cookies?
Cookies are small text files that contain information used for various purposes, including login details such as usernames and passwords. When you access a website you frequently use, cookies can save and automatically fill in your login credentials, making the process more convenient. The information stored in cookies can differ from the websites you have visited to the data you have provided. HTTP cookies are used to identify users improving their experience. When you connect to a website, the data is stored in cookies, creating a unique user ID to recognise your device. The website’s server uses your cookie information to match your ID and provides custom-made data for your profile. Cookies can be helpful to website visitors by simplifying their navigation and showing them information that fits their interests. Preferences and user information shared through cookies can be used to derive statistics, such as how long visitors stay on particular web pages and how many times they return. Digital marketers can use this data to create campaigns tailored to user segments and generate more sales.
What types of cookies are there?
It depends on how you classify cookies, from a functional perspective or by their specific purpose. Cookie consent management platforms have more and other classification categories. We can define session and persistent cookies from a technical point of view. But most CMPs classify cookies by their purpose using categories such as necessary, functional, performance, advertising and others.
What are Session Cookies?
Session cookies are temporary cookies placed on your computer during a website visit and deleted when you leave the website. They allow a website to remember your activity as you move from page to page, like items in your shopping cart. Websites use cookies like keys to remember your activity and treat you as a returning visitor instead of a new one on each page view.
What are Persistent cookies?
Persistent cookies stay on your computer for a longer time than session cookies. They are used to save login details, preferences, and settings. They also track visitors’ behaviour on a website to improve their user experience. The Google Analytics cookie is a well-known example of a persistent cookie.
What are advertising cookies?
We can group cookies into different categories for marketing purposes, mainly for targeted ads.
What are personalization cookies?
Cookies on websites can make your web experience personal by collecting information on your preferences and displaying ads that might interest you. This starts as soon as you visit the website.
What are tracking cookies?
Cookies track how you use a website and make a profile of your behaviour. This profile can be sold to advertisers to show you targeted ads later. It helps marketing departments and can also benefit website owners.
Why are cookies stored on my computer?
Websites save user data in cookies. If this data were held on the website’s server, it would cost the owner more. So, the data is kept on the visitor’s side instead.
Ensuring Fair and Transparent Data Handling
Companies must update their policies and train employees to follow new protocols. And if they do not, they will get hit with some hefty fines. Ouch! So, they must handle our information fairly and transparently.
Okay, now let us talk about cookies, not yummy, unfortunately. GDPR requires companies to get our consent before using cookies or similar technologies to store or access our information. The same goes for CCPA and the Cookie Law.
And how do companies obtain our consent for cookies? By having a valid and compliant cookie consent management process, of course! It is an interaction between the website and the user to decide whether or not to enable cookies. The best way to do this is using cookie consent tools that automate the process.
Consent management platform
OneTrust Consent Management Platform (CMP) is one such tool that provides a fully automated cookie consent solution for your website. It is a powerful and trusted consent management platform that saves time and money and provides insights into your consent policies to increase opt-in rates.
At Nixon Digital, we offer customized OneTrust consulting services to help you implement the right technology for your privacy, security, and risk program. We work closely with OneTrust to provide our clients with global support on privacy, security, data governance, ethics, compliance, and third-party risk. Our experts will find the best solution for you, regardless of your technology.
GDPR and cookies do not have to be boring. With the right tools and consulting services, you can handle your data with ease and confidence. And remember, always ask for permission before going through someone else stuff, even if it is just their cookies!
Using a cookie CMP for website compliance
Consent management platforms can help you make your website compliant with the cookie requirements from the local data protection laws. Many of these CMPs classify cookies and third-party cookies into specific categories. They group the cookies to make it easier for visitors to set their preferences and enable users to consent to particular cookie categories.
What are necessary cookies?
Websites use necessary cookies to ensure their essential functions work and keep the site safe from attacks. These cookies are needed for the site to work correctly and don’t require the user’s permission. Privacy laws usually allow these cookies because they’re essential for the website.
What are functional cookies?
Functional cookies enhance a website’s features beyond the basics. They’re not required, but they can improve the visitor’s experience. An example of a functional cookie enables a web chat feature so visitors can talk to customer support.
What are performance cookies?
Performance cookies help analyze website data to make it better. Many tools can be used for this, but they vary by region and country. Google Analytics is a popular performance cookie. Sometimes it’s necessary to enable anonymized IP addresses in Google Analytics.
What are marketing cookies or advertising cookies?
Cookies used for marketing and advertising are connected to online ads on platforms like Google Ads and Adsense. This type of cookie affects user privacy the most, and most privacy laws require users to permit using them actively.
How FrieslandCampina controls their CMP with Nixon Digital
Read more about how Nixon Digital helped FrieslandCampina streamline its web consent policies and achieve better online compliance by implementing a Single Source of Truth platform. Discover how this innovative solution saved them time and money and improved their overall digital operations.